[ad_1]
There was a surprise at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. In the group stage, four teams from Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe and the Netherlands advanced to Super12 and were divided into two groups.
The Netherlands progressed as the UAE beat Namibia after two defeats, denying the African team a chance to advance. West Indies pulled out in tragic fashion, losing to Ireland and Scotland.
In the first match of the Super12, New Zealand convincingly defeated title favourites Australia. Another surprise was the rain. Bad weather has spread to Super12 after affecting multiple pre-match warm-ups. The last five games of England’s tie with Ireland on Wednesday were unplayable, leaving Ireland to win a upset, while the game between Afghanistan and New Zealand was unavailable.
Rain was the source of some controversy during the South Africa-Zimbabwe game in Hobart. Cricket officials are generally very cautious about allowing games to be played in the rain, mainly because of the risk of injury to players. At times, this can irritate spectators who see no reason not to play, especially when the ground looks dry and the sun goes down. In Hobart, the game was reduced to nine per side, and Zimbabwe managed to negotiate 79 points. South Africa’s frantic response was interrupted by the rain, which was getting heavier. A Zimbabwean fast bowler slipped and injured his ankle but allowed the game to continue until conditions deteriorated and South Africa needed just 13 runs from the remaining 24 balls. Both sides are aggrieved.
The stakes are high for everyone involved. The pressure from the media and organizers is to make sure the game goes on. Referees must balance injury risk and game image, and the team knows that every point counts. South Africa, for example, are well aware that fate has dealt them brutal blows in previous games. Just at the 2021 T20 World Cup, they failed to advance to the semi-finals due to a slow start to the opening game resulting in a low net run rate. So their game against Zimbabwe went crazy.
Whether these considerations contribute to better cricket is a matter of debate.
Fortunately, they do not apply to the India-Pakistan conflict in Melbourne. Regardless, this is one of the best T20 races ever. Chasing a goal of 160, India slipped to 31-4 in the sixth game. Slowly, India rebuilt their innings through Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, reaching fifths of 144 before Pandya reached the first ball of the final. Imagine what it’s like to bowl in the final of the T20 match between Pakistan and India with 90,000 spectators and millions watching live on TV and online. Responsibility for bowling went to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
After the success of his first ball, the new striker swapped the second for a single, putting Kohli on the pitch. He has two points, so with three balls remaining, thirteen points are needed, which is Pakistan’s odds. Then, Nawaz threw a ball above the waist first, judged a no-ball, and Kohli scored a six. Off the ball not only wins a run, but also a free kick for the next ball. Kohli missed the ball while trying to bat, which hit the wicket and made a career, allowing three points, which counted as an extra, as the striker could not bowl a free-kick. That leaves two balls for three points. On the fifth ball, Dinesh Karthik was stumped. The huge pressure on the bowler on the sixth ball resulted in him pitching on the side of the leg, and the new striker left alone for extra runs and extra balls as he brought victory for India and desperation for Pakistan.
In the drama, Virat Kohli played one of the best T20 innings of all time as he led his team to victory while they both seemed to lose to their main opponents. This fixes the damaged image. From 2012 Kohli was his country’s most successful captain in Test cricket and was fourth overall as captain of the T20 International and One-Day International. His aggressive, intimidating, confident, victory-oriented leadership style has earned him a lot of adoration, but also some criticism.
In September 2021, Kohli announced that he would step down as T20 captain following the UAE T20 World Cup in November, but continue to serve as ODI and Test captain. India’s failure to reach the semi-finals, combined with a failure to win other tournaments in 2019 and 2021, has sparked growing criticism. On December 8, 2021, he claimed he was told he would change the leadership of the Over-50 format as selectors preferred to have one person captain both short-format sides.
On January 15, 2022, Kohli announced his resignation as Test captain after a series of losses in South Africa. In just over two months, he went from leader in all three forms to leaderless. Sourav Ganguly, chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is a former India captain. In recent months, Kohli’s performance has dropped to the point where his place in the team has been questioned.
A few innings against Pakistan quelled the trend. His admirers are also very relieved that the BCCI has recently neither chosen to extend Ganguly’s presidency nor nominated him as ICC president. Some suspect political interference.
With its outlandish rules and conditions of play, as well as the political intrigue that governs players, cricket has an infinite capacity for drama and excitement. So far, in this T20 World Cup, these have been abundantly displayed, and the rain has added unexpected variables to the unfolding drama.
[ad_2]
Source link
