What Matters Most to us... Feel Free to Share Yours

In terms of T20 comps.....: Mine are



1) ICC T20 WC

2) CL T20 (If Pakistan representative included)

3) IPL (if Pakistani players included)

4) County Cricket T20 Comp

5) RBS T20

6) KCL



In terms of big series:



1) ICC tournament

2) Ashes

3) Pakistan-India

For Babar Naveed

In terms of T20 comps:

1) RBS T20

2) ICC T20

3) IPL (Pakistanis included)

4) KCL

5) English County T20

6) CL T20 (Pakistanis included)


In terms of big series:


1) Pakistan-India

2) ICC tournaments

3) Ashes

Team Sri Lanka Preview For World T20

Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Thissara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Chanaka Welagedara, Chamara Kapugedara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chinthaka Jayasinghe

Winners of the 1996 ODI world cup, finalists of 2007 ODI world cup and 2009 T20 world cup, team Srilanka is a strong cricketing unit having a mix of individual brilliance and ability to play brilliantly as a unit the Lankan team always proves to be a tough opponent for any team at any venue.

As far as team’s performance in the twenty over cricket is concerned the team has been very consistent.

In the 2007 ICC T20 the Lankans managed to qualify for the super eights quite easily however in the super eights stage they were in a tough pool comprising of the Aussies and the top T20 team Pakistan.

Having lost both its super eight games to Pakistan and Australia respectively the team returned home empty handed.

However two years later in the UK the tigers were unstoppable. They cruised into the finals after playing some solid T20 cricket and overcame opponents like Pakistan, Australia, West indies, and beating the Windies again in the semifinal ensured them a deserving place in the final. However in the final they were outclassed by the champions Pakistan thanks to Razzaq and Afridi brilliance.

If we talk about the team’s chances in the upcoming world cup in the Carribean in my opinion the Lankans will be at the top of the game once again and their influential skipper Kumar Sangakkara will leave no stone unturned in making his team fight for the glory.

If we talk about the batting strength no doubt they have a very strong batting unit. And the note worthy thing is that their batting style is tailor made for 20 over cricket.

Having the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Tilakaratne Dilshan opening the innings for them is a night mare itself for any bowling team. Both of them had a great tournament in the UK especially Dilshan who was simply superb and was declared man of the tournament for his brilliance. The match in which in which he didn’t performed was the final and the team lost that game.

Veteran Jayasuriya is always hungry to play and perform. No wonder this time we will see fire works from his bat.

Solid middle order is another strong point of the Lankans. Skipper Sangakkara and Jayawerdene are very experienced and they have regained their form in the latter part of the IPL. Kapugedera and Matthews are also very good T20 players.
As far as bowling goes Lankans look very balanced in terms of pace bowling along with the possession of quality spinners.

Malinga, Kulasekera, Pereira all have been impressive whenever they have played, however much will as usual be expected from the master Muttiah Muralitharan and also from Ajantha Mendis as spin always play a key role in a T20 innings
Latest sensation Angello Matthews will again be lookin to repeat his last time performances as he was impressive with both bat and bowl.
Team Srilanka is looking a solid unit and their skipper is the one who always leads by example he himself is a hard worker and expects his team mates do follow him. No doubt the Lankan lions will start their campaign with a roaring performance and will tear apart their prey

Key Players:
Tilakaratne Dilshan
Sanath Jayasuruya
Muttiah Muralitharan
Kumar Sangakkara
L asith Malinga
Angello Mathews

Strengths:
Explosive Openers
Quality Spinners
Malinga’s brilliant depth bowling

Weakness:
Depending too much on inform players

Preview of team New Zealand team for the 2010 T20 world cup

Vettori's side aren't to be underestimated...

Squad:
Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Aaron Redmond, Jacob Oram, Gareth Hopkins (wk), Daniel Vettori (capt), Rob Nicol, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Ian Butler.


Team NewZealand,a side that always has been a good team in the shorter formats of the game.It is one of those teams in the world that has remained consistent for a major period of time over the years. Great thing about them is that they have not had very big names but they always play with great team effort and spirit and you always except them to put up a great fight when ever they play.
They have have had a history of getting knocked out of any major tournament in the semi final match. Including losses to Pakistan in the 1992 and 1999 World Cup semi finals and in 2007 World Cup to Sri Lanka. However they have beaten Pakistan on both the occasions when the two sides met in the semi final of the ICC Champion's Trophy in 2000 and 2009 in Kenya and South Africa respectively.
As far as team's performance in the ICC T20 World Cup goes the black caps made it to the last four in 2007 however lost again to Pakistan at Cape Town and were knocked out. Where as in 2009 in the UK the team was knocked out in the Super eight stage.

As far as previewing the kiwi team for the upcoming T20 world cup in Caribbean is concerned rest assured that a good fighting performance is expected from the team.

The main strength of the team can not be specified to batting or bowling. It is that combine effort that makes the team dangerous and consistent.

As far as the batting strength of the team goes no doubt they have got fire power in the top and middle order. Team depends a great deal on Brendon Mc Cullum (the highest run getter up til now in international T20) to provide them with a good start. Combining brilliance and consistency of Mc Cullum with power of Jessee Ryder at the top of the order, teams must be vary of the dangerous kiwi opening pair.

In the middle order kiwis have got likes of Ross Taylor,Martin Guptill,Aaron Redmond who have good experience of playing twenty over cricket and have on numerous occasions have made good performances for the kiwis.
NewZealand side looks very fertile in terms of having all-rounders. Having likes of Oram,Styris and Vettori makes NewZealand a very balanced side.

The bowling department of kiwis will be largely depending on skipper Daniel Vettori and fast bowler Shane Bond.
Both of them are highly experienced and carry the burden of kiwi bowling attack. Apart from these two, guys like Ian Butler, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee in addition to kiwi allrounders who are equally good with the bowl as they are with the bat is making Newzealand look a very sold team and this time they surely will be looking to end the semi final losing streak and win the cup.

Strengths: Excellent fielding,Team unity,Explosive batting
Weakness: Collapsing in the pressure games
Predictions: Semi final

Key players
Brendon Mc Cullum
Daniel Vettori
Ross Taylor
Shane Bond
Scott Styirs

Preview of team Pakistani team for the 2010 T20 world cup

1. Mohammad Hafeez
2. Salman Butt
3. Khalid Latif
4. Umar Akmal
5. Fawad Alam
6. Misbah-ul-Haq
7. Shahid Afridi
8. Abdul Razzaq
9. Yasir Arafat
10. Kamran Akmal
11. Hammad Azam
12. Saeed Ajmal
13. Umar Gul
14. Mohammad Aamer
15. Mohammad Asif

Pakistan is the current holders of the trophy,having won it in the UK under the charasmatic leadership of Younis Khan team Pakistan is a strong force in the shortest format of the game.Currently sitting at the top of the T20 leader board,Pakistani team is all set to bring the title back home but this time under a different KHAN. i.e Shahid Khan Afridi the Pathan from Khyber Agency.

Well as all of us know there is a great of uncertainty and unpredictability attached with team Pakistan.

However it is this predictability that makes the team very exciting to watch.

Lets come to the point and analyze the team’s strengths and weaknesses and also the chances in the tournament.

Following the tradition of cricket lets discuss the strength of the team first. There is no doubt that bowling is the main strength of the team. Having a pace battery comprising of bowlers like Mohammad Asif, Umer Gul and Mohammad Aamir , team Pakistan will look forward to these menacing bowlers to apply early pressure on the batting teams.

Mohammad Asif is lethal with his line and length and his performance in the first edition of world T20 in South Africa was quite impressive. He performance with the new ball will be a major factor in Pakistan’s campaign.

Mohammad Aamir the latest sensation of Pakistan cricket. He was the find of the tournament in the last T20 world cup. He has got swing, pace, attitude all the attributes that makes a fast bowler successful at the highest level. After his brilliant performance in the last T20 world cup final, Aamir has come a long way and has become a key member of the Pakistani team and he also will be a key member of the team.

Now comes the turn of Mr Consitent of team Pakistan in T20 format Umar Gul. Gul was the highest wicket taker in both the editions of the T20 world cups and played a major role in helping Pakistan to get into the finals both the time. His performance in the 2007 final was brilliant as he removed the back bone of Indian batting by dismissing Dhoni, Yuvraj and Gambhir.

However in 2009 edition of the tournament Gul was simply unstoppable. And he even went on to become the first bowler to take 5 wickets in an international T20, when he took 5/6 against the Kiwis at the Oval. Apart from that his performance in the semi final against the Proteas at Nottingham was simply amazing as he came onto bowl at a crucial stage and bowled his Yorkers with such consistency and accuracy that the batsmen of the caliber like Jean Paul Duminy , Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel were not able to hit the required boundaries, and the pressure kept on mounting on the South Africans and in the end Pakistan managed to pin them down by 7 runs and qualified for the final.

Where the fast bowling has got quality and depth Pakistani slow bowlers are the best in the world. Skipper Shahid Afridi and offie Saeed Ajmal are a wonderful spinning combo for the team.They both have been phenomenal in the short format of the game.

Afridi with his pace variation and ability to bowl his overs quickly doesn’t give the batsmen easy opportunities to settle where as Saeed Ajmal with his orthodox but effective off spin bowling not only controls the flow of runs but also picks up wickets at crucial times. This spin duo was very beneficial the green shirts in their success in the 2009 and rest assured they will be more effective this time as well.

Now comes the turn of our batting. A factor that has always been a big worry for the team since a large period of time.

If we talk about the team’s batting strength it looks a good team on paper, but consistency and technique are the major factors that have brought about team’s downfall numerous times and we have lost some matches in the most dramatic of fashions.

Two out of the three openers have been selected due to their good performances in the recently held National Twenty Twenty cup. Mohammad Hafeez and Khalid Latif showed good form in the tournament and impressed one and all with their batting.

However both of them have not had it easy at the international level so far.

Hafeez made his debut in 2003, and was dropped from the team very soon. However he kept on making come backs as he was consistent at the domestic level. His major came back was in 2006 as he was called upon as an opener he was also a part of 2007 ODI world cup and 2007 T20 world cup. His performance with the bat in that T20 world cup was below average and he failed to deliver when the team needed a contribution from him. He has not been able to perform with the bat and has been heavily criticized for that. However with sheer hard work and determination he has once again earned a deserving recall after 2 years.

Khalid Latif, the Karachi batsman has also had it tough in international circuit however he continues to amass heaps of runs in the domestic level. He is a good batsman and has all the strokes however he needs to work on his technique.

Salman Butt is very experienced and has been a part of both the squads that have played the T20 world cup. His selection is also surrounded by question marks and this tournament is a great opportunity for Butt to prove that he is a player for all forms of the game.

Middle order batting has got fire power with the likes of Misbah, Kamran Akmal, Afridi, Umer Akmal and Abdul Razzaq. No doubt the absence of Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik will be felt but the players avalible are good enough to play a responsible role.

Pakistan have got good allrounders in Yasir Arafat, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam as all of them have got vast experience of playing T20.

Pakistan definitely have got the team that can defend its title and in Shahid Afridi they have got a leader that can surely lead them to success. However a lot depends upon how the team gels together and remain as a unit. If they are able to play as a unit and play with determination no wonder why cant they re taste the glory as they did in 2009.

Key Players

1) Shahid Afridi

2) Saeed Ajmal

3) Umar Gul

4) Umar Akmal

5) Mohammad Asif