Super 8′s preview: South Africa should be favourites

It did not take all the games to decide the teams for the Super Eights, nor did all those expected to get to the second round managed to do so! The biggest casualty was obviously Australia, having yet to exhibit skills that would make me term them as a T20 expert. Bangladesh’s exit was on expected lines; except Shakib-al-Hasan, their batting and their bowling seems like it is there to fill in the numbers.

Group E:

India: Wish I was a fly on their dressing rooms’ wall, or the Fake IPL player! It is quite clear that something isn’t right, and despite their easy win over Ireland, all eyes will be on the defending champions after the off-field pyrotechnics of the captain with the media. Virender Sehwag’s ouster could have had far-reaching effects on the team but the blow has been softened due to the presence of Rohit Sharma. Zaheer’s return to form after his injury will be heart-warming, but the pace bowling trio need to start bowling a trifle more economically in the start and end overs.

West Indies: A highly mercurial team that won a game under the aegis of their captain – and his batting – but lost the second when he was rested due to one of the so many injuries which seem to have afflicted the players during the tournament! Dwayne Bravo could be the man to look out for, as his all-round capabilities have ensured that the usually hollow batting has been propped up by this hard-working cricketer.

England: If West Indies is mercurial, then England has been an enigma. They lost to Holland after having fielded a side that was shorn of two of its main players, and then came back to beat Pakistan with the ease of an infant sucking on a candy. Kevin Pietersen’s Achilles Heel may be a problem, but his absence is an Achilles Heel for the team; while the rest of the batting must provide the necessary support to Luke Wright at the top of the order; especially after Ravi Bopara has discovered that the concept of law of averages isn’t found in the textbooks only.

South Africa: The favourites on paper, with a well-oiled batting, a no-frills bowling line-up while possessing a fielding that is an envy of most. Graeme Smith will quietly remember the circumstances in which the team had bowed out of the previous tournament in 2007, and will hope not to repeat – read choke – the same mistakes again! Jacques Kallis’ reinvention of himself in the T20 cricket should help, as should the slow bowling of Johan Botha and the all-round skills of Reolf van der Merwe.

Group F:

Pakistan: While England and West Indies’ fluctuating fortunes can be blamed on the type of the format of this competition, Pakistan have just been playing true to their reputation. Yet, there is also a sense that the team is not talented enough to go through to the 21st of June, and the spate of injuries to Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir can only add the proverbial fuel to fire. The one silver lining amongst this is the return of former ‘rebel’, Abdul Razzaq who should replace Arafat in the squad. And yes, Razzaq had finished atop the bowling charts of the local T20 competition in Pakistan!

Sri Lanka: The best bowling attack according to me, with the 3Ms in the side; Lasith Malinga, M.Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis in fine enough fettle to challenge the opposition batsmen. And the best bit of news that could come out of their stable is the return to form of Sanath Jayasuriya, who had thrashed a 47-ball 81 in their last game. With T.Dilshan continuing from where he had left off in the IPL, Lanka look to be the team to look out for in this group.

New Zealand: They say it is as dead as a dodo, and given the number of injured New Zealanders in the tournament, they are going to add a simile, as wounded as a Kiwi to this soon! Ross Taylor’s hamstring needs tending to, Jesse Ryder is already out with a bad groin, Iain O’Brien is struggling with some other issue, while captain Daniel Vettori has had a shoulder which prevents him from bowling too much now. So, with only 11 fit players to choose from, the Kiwis would have already sent an SoS back home, but for now, it looks increasingly difficult for McCullum to continue leading the side and batting with aplomb as the opener!

Ireland: The surprise package of the tournament, they have had one good game and have been through to the Super Eights. However, that game against Bangladesh did its bit to rupture any further Irish hopes as Niall O’Brien got injured and Trent Johnston’s age seemed to be catching up with the old man. Barring the duo, there aren’t too many left standing in Ireland, who could make their performances count, except, on an odd occasion, the batting of Kevin O’Brien, Niall’s brother. One hopes that they continue with some kind of giant killing ways for them, but for now, and upset looks highly improbable, unless Pakistan decide to repeat their 2007 world cup performance!

Suneer Chowdhary
Suneer is a freelance cricket writer and can be reached at suneerchowdhary (at) gmail dot com