When the semi-finals of the International Cricket Council Twenty20 World Cup 2021 begin, the overwhelming thought would be that India is not in the mix. Equally West Indies, who have been the grand-daddies of T20 cricket, had to pack their bags long before they intended to. That said, the final four in this tournament is an intimidating one.
Starting off the line-up is Pakistan, who have not lost a game yet. In Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan has a bowler who is young, keen, and delivering. Afridi could be used at other points in the game but he would likely be just as lethal. In Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan, they have the best opening partnership of this tournament. As solid as Babar is, Rizwan is adventurous. The two work together supremely well. In the middle order, Shoaib Malik has shown that he still has a few shots to play at age 39. Malik’s experience has ensured that Pakistan has not been over-dependent on the openers, even though they are delivering with consistency. In Asif Ali, who was named the ICC Player of the Month, Pakistan have as crisp a finisher as any in the game. He may not get the big scores, but his runs come at the fastest clip possible and his ability to hit the good balls for six means that bowlers are at a loss when it comes to tackling him.
England, who will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal in Abu Dhabi, have played a brand of cricket that most people thought unsustainable until they pulled it off. Eoin Morgan’s team attacks from the word go when it comes to batting and they have truly embraced fearlessness. None of the batsmen hang around trying to get their eye in or get set, instead of counting on collective aggression to get them those extra 15-20 runs that are so often the difference between winning and losing in Twenty20 cricket. The concern for England is that they have lost two players critical to their plans. Tymal Mills, the left-arm bowler, had an injury to his right quad and Jason Roy limped off the field with a calf injury. Mills was a key man in picking up early wickets and setting up the game and in the batting front, Roy was the aggressor to pair up with Jos Buttler. England still have the firepower to go all the way in the tournament and now Morgan’s captaincy comes into focus all that more. For the Kolkata Knight Riders, Morgan was astute both in team selection and in tactics, even if he could no produce the goods with the bat. Similarly, his choice of candidates to juggle around to ensure that Mills and Roy are not missed will be crucial.
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New Zealand are an eternal threat when it comes to International Cricket Council events and the story is no different now. What will be a cause for concern is they dependence on openers Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell for power hitting. While Guptill is in form, T20 cricket is a cruel format, and if a couple of wickets fall early, New Zealand may find it a challenge to post a big score. While Kane Williamson is an all-format batsman and generally one for the big occasion, he is the kind of player who can build an innings and set up a platform, but he needs those around him to provide the impetus that allows for a big score. When it comes to bowling, New Zealand are perhaps the most sorted out team in the world. Trent Boult and Tim Southee ask very different questions first up, given the angles they create. Then Adam Milne brings in the pace factor, regularly delivering in excess of 145 kmh. Mitchell Santner is a pin-point accurate slow-left arm who is very difficult to go after that makes Ish Sodhi’s legspin even more of a wicket-taking option. On top of all this, they have Jimmy Neesham to chip in. New Zealand’s attack ensures that they have all bases covered and are in a position to adjust to different conditions and be effective if they win the toss or lose it.
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The final team in the mix, Australia, is in an unusual position in that they are not the favourites, for once. Typically, when Australia get to the knockouts, they are the team to beat, simply because they have won so many times in these type of games and know how to get across the line. In this case, however, Australia find themselves in a position where they are not dominant. In that sense expectations of them are less than usual and this could free them up to just react to the situation, play normal cricket and execute their plans as well as possible.
As it should be in the final four of a global event, both semifinal matches are too close to call. The best thing to do is fasten seatbelts, get the popcorn ready and enjoy the action.
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