England, India, Pakistan, West Indies and Australia are among the favourites to win
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00:00Hi guys and welcome to our preview for the Cricket T20 World Cup from Golf News and we've
00:16got a whole host of experts here for you all with their tips and who's going to win.
00:21Obviously it's wide open, we've already seen some upsets with Bangladesh just scraping
00:25through from the qualifiers and making Group A an absolutely fascinating experience for
00:31everybody.
00:32We'll quickly just go around the table and we'll start with Mr Cricket UAE himself,
00:38Anis, welcome here and basically we'll just quickly go one by one and we'll just see
00:43who's your tip and why.
00:46Hi Matt, hello to all the panellists, Satish, GK, Shyam and Ashfaq bhai and yes my little
00:53one Sahil.
00:54Well, as you mentioned, Group A looks to be the group of death with England, West Indies,
00:58South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, tough group, we don't know who's going to
01:02cross the hurdle there to the knockout.
01:04Where the other group, it's India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia.
01:08So it's going to be a cracker of a World Cup starting tomorrow and can't wait for it.
01:13The first match between South Africa and Australia in Abu Dhabi should be a game which should
01:18be going to give goosebumps to all of us.
01:23And I think you've backed India to go all the way this time, what's your reasoning behind that?
01:31Well, one most important reason, most of the players, rather all the players in the squad
01:35have been playing in this country for the last one, one and a half months and they've
01:39got used to the conditions.
01:41I know they are playing most of the games in Dubai, then in Sharjah, they have one game
01:45in Abu Dhabi against Afghanistan.
01:47So that is one reason I'm backing them.
01:49Secondly, the firepower in the opening, whether it is Rahul and Rohit, then followed by Virat
01:55Kohli, the mainstream around whom the batting evolves around.
01:57Then we have Surya Kumar Yadav.
02:00I would have definitely preferred Ishan Kishan, but I believe it's going to be Rishabh Pant.
02:04And then the finishers in Hardik Pandya and Jadeja.
02:08And of course, in Bhoomra, they have the best bowler in the world.
02:12And my trump card, I keep saying Varun Chakravarty.
02:15Overall, India to me looks to be a balanced side with youth and experience.
02:20Yeah, they do look strong.
02:21And obviously, they've had the advantage of all their boys being here, playing in the
02:25UBE and the IPL.
02:26Shyam, do you concur with that?
02:29Yeah, pretty much.
02:29In fact, when I was trying to pick a winner, I tried to avoid India and look for another
02:37team, which is something I always do, because never back the favorite kind of thing.
02:43In this case, the favorites are England and India.
02:46So I try to pick something outside that.
02:49But I couldn't, simply because cricketing logic says that India has the best chance.
02:55Whether they win it or not, that's another thing.
02:57Because in T20s, anybody can win.
02:59And anybody can upset anybody on any given day.
03:02But sheer on strength of the facts, what Anish has set out, I pretty much agree with what
03:07he said.
03:08Because the team is good.
03:09They've been playing here.
03:11They are familiar with the conditions.
03:13So they are right there.
03:16To me, they have the best chance to win.
03:21But then that was before the qualifiers were through.
03:26But I see that all five teams are very strong.
03:28OK, even if you discount Afghanistan, you have five potential teams which could even
03:33make, any two of them could make to the next round, I expect.
03:37So but I would still back India to do that.
03:40And now, Gautam, again, as Sham was just saying there, sometimes it's head over heart.
03:47But sometimes they're the same.
03:48You backed West Indies.
03:50Can you tell us why you think they're going to retain the title?
03:54Yes, I mean, the thing is, I think I agree with Sham here that when we start thinking
04:01about the favourite, basically, you try to take the obvious candidates out and think
04:07that what can happen in the context of a T20 tournament.
04:11I mean, the format is so unpredictable.
04:14Now, we all know that, you know, India and England in this either group, they are kind
04:20of the surefire teams to make the semis.
04:22But West Indies, whenever on these two occasions they have won, they have created, you know,
04:28that element of unpredictability was there in the performance.
04:31And that's how they won it.
04:32In Sri Lanka, they beat Sri Lanka in the final.
04:35Marlon Samuels changed the match single-handed.
04:38In Calcutta, England were in the last over West Indies to get 19 runs.
04:43So this Carlos Breathwaite.
04:45Enter Carlos.
04:48Yeah, enter Carlos, hits four sixes of Ben Stokes and wins the match for them.
04:54Similarly, in, I think, 2004 or 2006 when Champions Trophy, their eight-wicket pair
05:01went all the way to win the Champions Trophy for them.
05:04That was their main, you know, ICC tournament till they won the 2012 World T20.
05:12So whenever they have done something, it had been out of the ordinary.
05:16And this is such a format where you need maybe two good performances with the bat and one
05:23economical spell, you know, those four overs to change the match.
05:26So I still go with West Indies.
05:29They have a number of issues on the form front, as well as the fitness front that is
05:34under Russell.
05:35But I would still stick to them and see how they go about their job.
05:39All right, we'll see how that pans out.
05:42Ashfaq, welcome.
05:44You're one of our newcomers to these video chats with the familiar faces.
05:48And you're backing Pakistan.
05:50Can you take us through your logic?
05:54Thank you, Matt.
05:54And thank you, guys.
05:56I think it's hard to speak after Nisbhai, Shyam and Gautam spoke about their favorite
06:04team, especially they pitched India very strongly.
06:07But my vote is for Pakistan.
06:10And here is why.
06:13See, if you notice that when the draws came and Pakistan suddenly made four changes in
06:19the team, that's considering opponent first match against India.
06:23They brought in Fakhar Zaman, who scored century in the Champions Trophy against India,
06:28and they won the match in 2017.
06:31And then they brought in Sirfaz, whose record is always good against India.
06:37And Haider Ali is a new one.
06:40He is a 21-year-old boy and he's a smasher.
06:44So he likes to hit big.
06:46So that's the kind of guy they needed.
06:48So that's a big, good change.
06:50And they brought in experienced Shoaib Malik, who knows how to play spin that India will
06:55make on spin.
06:56So I think that this time Pakistan's problem has been the betting.
07:02But if you see the betting lineup now, it's up to number nine.
07:07Apart from Afridi and Shaheen Afridi and another guy whose name is Hassan.
07:13Hassan can also bet.
07:14So the betting line is quite deep.
07:17So I would say Pakistan has a pretty good chance, especially as they have been playing
07:24in UAE.
07:25They have been their home ground and they haven't lost T20, last six matches in UAE
07:31they didn't lose.
07:32So pretty good record and they're going strong.
07:36And obviously, again, that's a team that's got a lot of experience of playing in the
07:39UAE, having, you know, like their home away from home.
07:43Now, Saheel, welcome again.
07:46It's been a little while since I've seen you.
07:49The, if you look at the other teams, obviously, there's a lot of them backing for India.
07:55There's a lot of backing for the West Indies as well, and Pakistan.
07:59But we have to, we have to look at England, who so narrowly missed out last time.
08:06What's your thoughts on England's chances and obviously India's?
08:09You see, I mean, England have changed now, the T20 dynamic, you know, they have explained
08:15us how to play with the free flow, like how Jason Roy and Basto taught us to not think
08:20about the attack in the power play and how they've taught other teams to just go hard
08:25in the start.
08:26But now for England, they have some big, big misses in the squad, unfortunately.
08:30Joffra Archer, Sam Curran, and most of all, Ben Stokes is also not there.
08:35These three are big names.
08:37So this is why I don't want to back England, but in the end, you know, England, they have
08:42a new gem in the team, Liam Livingstone, who's a crazy player and I'm a big fan of him.
08:47I saw him in the hundred.
08:49Yes, he was OK in the IPL, nothing great.
08:51But, you know, I mean, they are the team which play free-flowing cricket.
08:56So, yeah, but those three big names I mentioned, they're a big miss.
09:00So, yeah, but those three big names I mentioned, they're a big miss.
09:04Yeah.
09:05And Satish, obviously, your universal knowledge of cricket is almost second to none.
09:13And if we look at the other guys, the other guys like South Africa, Australia, even Sri
09:21Lankan Bangladesh, who came through the qualifiers alongside the mighty Scotland.
09:25Who else is there standing a chance, obviously, alongside the big favourites?
09:34I think we all will be given a big surprise by the South African team.
09:38Even in my column, I had written that they are the team in the making because they have
09:44dropped some of the big names like Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Sue Morris.
09:51These guys have all been dropped, dropped.
09:53OK, they are available and they've been dropped and they were picked with some young team.
09:57I thought maybe they made a mistake.
09:59But what they showed in the practice matches, they have won both the games and they have
10:04shown and they have won the last few series against some big teams like West Indies and
10:11things like that.
10:11So South Africa could be the surprise market this time because this time nobody is giving
10:16them any favourite tags or anything.
10:19They are just flying under the radar.
10:21So they could come up with a surprise.
10:23And but again, I would say the group two, it's making it very difficult for them because
10:30of six test playing nations.
10:33So it could be a very touch and go.
10:35It could be one match again.
10:37Like it has to go to the wire, basically, because each team is capable of beating the
10:43other.
10:43So that is going to be tough.
10:45But again, Australia, similarly, the forms of, say, Steve Smith or Finch and the worst
10:52is David Warner.
10:54What happens is Australia, by and large, they were winning a lot of matches with the start
10:57that Warner could give to the team.
11:00But unfortunately, last few games and even in IPL and even in the practice matches, he
11:05has lost his scoring touch.
11:07So that way, there is a big concern for Australia.
11:11But again, you can't write off Warner.
11:13As Maxwell rightly said, write off Warner at your own peril.
11:17So you can turn the match around.
11:19And that's the beauty of T20.
11:20Because two overs, basically, two overs, either a good bowling spell or a batting where you
11:27come back like AB de Villiers or a Maxwell to hit four sixes of two overs, four four
11:33sixes or three three sixes.
11:35That would turn the complexion of a match big time.
11:38But what I'm also going to see this time is it's not T20 cricket will not be a bang
11:42bang cricket, which we saw in the IPL.
11:45There will be a lot of scoring where you'll be rotating the strike, which again, players
11:53like the captains like Pollard and Coley, they all talked about, which they said it's
11:58not about bang bang cricket anymore.
11:59And of course, the UAE cricket wickets would not allow you to come back and hit the ball
12:03so well.
12:04So obviously, you need to get your time in.
12:07You need to play conventional cricket.
12:09So all in all, we are looking for maybe a T20 2.0 as well as very entertaining games
12:16in the process.
12:17Again, I would have preferred one or two more test playing nations coming into the other
12:24group where you have two qualifiers, but nothing to take credit away from them.
12:28Scotland and Namibia did exceedingly well to qualify them.
12:32Hopefully, it'll be a big stage where they can come back and surprise some of the biggies.
12:37Yeah, that brings me on.
12:38I'm just going to open it to everybody now, guys.
12:41Anybody that wishes to chime in, feel free.
12:43What I'm saying is that we have seen Scotland upset Bangladesh already.
12:50We've seen Namibia make it through their debutants.
12:53They're not never expected to even make it this far.
12:58Do we think there could be another few upsets and surprises up their sleeves that really
13:01could damage somebody's hopes, especially obviously in Group B?
13:08That one loss might really damage their hopes of progressing.
13:13So how do you envisage, let's say, Group A and Group B as a total?
13:19Yes, Matt, you mentioned rightly that the other group definitely looks tougher on paper.
13:25But don't count out Scotland.
13:27And I'm not saying because you're in there today.
13:30Scotland is a dangerous team.
13:32They won all their three games convincingly.
13:35And like you mentioned, even Namibia, the way they beat Ireland.
13:38And with David Weiser, they have a player who can single-handedly take the game away
13:43from the opposition.
13:44And if they have a good day, they might spoil the party of any of the other four teams.
13:48So it's going to be a tough group also.
13:51And I remember Dinesh Karthik clearly telling me, as much as the other group looks strong,
13:55don't discard the other two teams off.
13:59Rather, even Afghanistan, you can't take it lightly.
14:01So it's going to be a cracker-off tournament with both groups looking strong.
14:06Anybody can play and spoil anybody's party on their good day.
14:11OK.
14:12And Shyam Gautam, do you agree with that?
14:15Are we looking at one of the most unpredictable grip stages of the competition that we've
14:19had to what is now the seventh edition, I think?
14:22Yes, absolutely.
14:24It's unfortunate that in this format, out of the Super 12, there is no second chance.
14:31You're just getting the top two, making it to the semis.
14:35But along the way, I think the top teams can possibly afford an upset here and there and
14:40still be there in the top four.
14:43That's the advantage that they're going to have.
14:45But the question is, who's going to be the top four?
14:47Once again, I come back to the group one, which has got both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
14:55I don't think anybody saw that coming from the qualifiers.
15:01Partly it happened because Scotland surprised at the top of the group.
15:05That's how the equation was a bit lopsided.
15:07And between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, I was not happy with the way Bangladesh performed.
15:14I mean, okay, Satyabal Hassan is a class act, he came to the party when it was required.
15:20But Sri Lanka, as a team, there is a kind of rebuilding process, which one can see.
15:27And there are a number of guys who are providing that bit of solidity in the batting,
15:35in the ewing wickets, Hassaranga and the other legspin are going to be quite a handful.
15:40So we got to be ready for a few surprises in the first group as well.
15:47As far as the overall scenario is concerned,
15:50I think the top teams can still take on a few upsets here and there.
15:57So but also, I mean, like you just mentioned Sri Lanka there, you know, there's kind of like a
16:01backs to the wall mentality, and they're giving absolutely everything.
16:05Shyam, I'm not sure if you agree, maybe that's what we're seeing with South Africa as well,
16:09given that their issues back home with their board.
16:15No, more than the South Africa, just to add on what Gautam was saying about the group one,
16:20because to me, despite, okay, we call it the group of tests simply because of all the
16:25test playing nations are there. But to me, I can't look beyond India and Pakistan,
16:30I think India and Pakistan will go through irrespective of whatever happens there.
16:33See, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, at best they can be banana skin for one of the
16:38teams because they can provide an upset here or there, but I don't see them advancing.
16:46But they can jeopardize the chances of other teams.
16:52So that is the only thing the other teams have to watch out.
16:57New Zealand, okay, they made the 2019 World Cup.
17:01But I think on UAE pitches, I don't think they have the arsenal to top the group here.
17:08So my picks for there would be India, Pakistan.
17:21They had three series win, a few players coming through.
17:25But I don't think, see, when it comes to major tournaments, you have to have sustained
17:30performances, consistent show displays. So that may not happen from a new bunch,
17:36simply because they are short on experience.
17:39So that is, in major tournaments, experience sure count and South Africa are sorely lacking.
17:46And I would expect England and Australia to go through.
17:49I know Gautam's pick is West Indies.
17:53In my book, West Indies is not going through, Australia, England will go through.
17:59We shall see who's right when we return after a few matches are under the belt.
18:03We shall see who's got the nose and who's actually not quite on the boil.
18:12Yeah, but like I say, these groups are very difficult and only two teams can go through.
18:17So some teams are going to be going home early.
18:19Sham and Sahil, sorry, Satish and Sahil, anything you wish to add?
18:24I mean, who do you fancy out of the rest of the guys?
18:29Yeah, sorry, go ahead, Tan.
18:31Sorry, sorry, go ahead.
18:33I would want to choose my team, India, of course.
18:36Come on, it's my country.
18:38And they are my team to obviously win the tournament.
18:41And as I mentioned earlier in the call, they are used to these wickets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
18:47So surely, they should go through the semis.
18:50And they have the trump card, Varun Chakravorty, who I don't think anyone has studied him that well.
18:57So it's going to be new for him, obviously, in international cricket.
18:59But for sure, he will adapt well.
19:01And I think team India is the favorites.
19:05Yeah, that's my choice as well.
19:09India is the favorite.
19:10But from this group, I would say an Asian team would do well from the group of India,
19:19Pakistan, Afghanistan, and so on.
19:22I think that Asian team would do well.
19:24Both Asian teams should make it to the semis.
19:27And in the other group, I would go with...
19:31Which two Asian teams?
19:32We have at least five Asian teams in there.
19:35No, Sham, there are in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, three are there.
19:40Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on the other side.
19:44Oh, sorry.
19:46Okay, I mistook it.
19:48My bad.
19:50They are there on the other side.
19:51So among the three, I think two of them have the edge because of the conditions.
19:55They are quite comfortable with low bounce, spinning tracks.
20:01And they are used to the heat and the weather conditions as well, which could play a big role.
20:06The duke factor, everything put together, I would go with the Asian teams in this group.
20:11The other group, even I am not convinced with the West Indies.
20:16They are all against Picasso.
20:19No, sorry, nothing to offer.
20:21No, the point I tried to make at the outset was,
20:28you know, I don't think you never take them that seriously ever in the running.
20:32I mean, there are some, you know, the franchisee cricket legends there.
20:37But my point is, you know, whenever they have done well, they have done the unexpected.
20:44Correct.
20:47I would back England, though, even though they have lost some big names,
20:50they have the quality to come back stronger because they are now playing a different brand of cricket.
20:56And I would stick my neck out and say maybe between Australia and South Africa,
21:01one of them will make it for sure.
21:03Like, I would even look for South Africa to surprise because apparently, like,
21:08I've been reading a lot, though I've not watched much about them.
21:11And then, of course, a practice warm-up game, they did exceedingly well.
21:15So I would say South Africa could be the dark horse in this tournament.
21:21OK, guys, I mean, I think that's everything covered there.
21:24Let us take Asfar's last viewer, Matt.
21:27Yeah, definitely.
21:30Thank you, Asfar.
21:33I agree with Shyam that Pakistan, India is a pick from the tournament,
21:38but you cannot rule out New Zealand.
21:42I would not say that Afghanistan or Scotland or Navibia can do any damage.
21:47They can damage one of upset.
21:50But these are the three teams to watch for.
21:55Pakistan-New Zealand match will be equally interesting and tough
22:00because New Zealand refused trip to Pakistan.
22:03They went out.
22:03There's a kind of new rivalry creeping in between Pakistan and New Zealand.
22:09That match will also be very interesting and very tough.
22:13It will be as good as India-Pakistan match, I would say,
22:15because there's a lot of resentment in Pakistan back home
22:18because of this cancellation of trip.
22:20Other thing I want to say, if Pakistan wants to make two semis,
22:25they have to win India.
22:26Otherwise, there's no chance because after one day, they have New Zealand.
22:31And if they lose to India with disappointment and a lot of hopelessness,
22:36it will be very tough for them to win New Zealand.
22:39That's my...
22:42Okay.
22:45Obviously, we'll just wrap up there.
22:47I can't believe none of you have tipped Scotland to win.
22:49I mean, that's ridiculous.
22:50Because we're clearly the strongest team in the tournament.
22:52Sorry, man.
22:54Only kidding.
22:55But no, just a point on one thing.
22:56Getting into the Super 12 itself is a big, big show.
22:59Like, they've done...
23:00Well, we get an open talk parade just for beating Bangladesh, you know.
23:05You know, we'll have the bus going around Glasgow.
23:07Don't worry.
23:09But the big thing is, like, if one of these boys, as you just mentioned, Ashfaq,
23:14whether it be Scotland or Afghanistan or one of these lesser teams,
23:21they could become the kingmakers by getting a surprise result against one of the bigger teams,
23:26just as Scotland proved against Bangladesh.
23:28And then that could make all the differences to who goes through to the final four.
23:32But that's just my personal opinion.
23:35The one thing that we will know is that the action starts tomorrow.
23:40Thick and fast.
23:40Two games a day, pretty much every day, over the next three weeks
23:44until we get into the business end.
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24:13And stay with us for the next month.
24:15And we'll see all you guys again soon.