We are on the doorstep of the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia across October and November.
The tournament was originally scheduled for late 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. There will be 45 T20s between October 16 and November 13 across seven cities.
This T20 World Cup is the eighth edition of a tournament that has grown in importance and popularity steadily since its inaugural edition in 2007.
The West Indies are the only team to have won the T20 World Cup twice (2012 & 2016), while Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Australia, and England have all tasted victory once. New Zealand were runners-up in 2021 and South Africa’s best finish is a pair of semi-finals in 2009 and 2014.
Sri Lanka is statistically the best T20 World Cup team, having won 63.95 percent of matches since 2007.
The 2022 T20 World Cup will be the last consisting of 16 countries. From 2024 onwards, there will be 20 teams competing for the trophy as the ICC seeks to grow the game globally, initially in the USA and West Indies.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of this year’s tournament, an ultimate guide:
(Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
WHERE WILL THE GAMES BE PLAYED?
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, and Hobart will all host matches in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The two smallest of venues: Hobart and Geelong, will co-host the 12 qualifier games, beginning on October 16 and concluding on October 21.
Like every major white ball tournament to be played in Australia before, the MCG won the rights to host the final, to be played on November 13.
The semi-finals will be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval.
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HOW IS THE TOURNAMENT STRUCTURED?
The ICC has implemented a staggered qualification process for this World Cup. There are eight countries which have already qualified for the Super 12 stage based on ICC rankings.
They are Australia, India, Pakistan, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa, Afghanistan.
From October 16, eight teams will compete to fill the additional four spots. Group A has Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and UAE, while Group B consists of Ireland, Scotland, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
The top two teams in each of these groups will progress to the Super 12 stage.
Think of this stretch of games as preliminary rounds. The real stuff with the heavyweights starts on October 22 when Australia hosts New Zealand at the SCG.
In the Super 12 stage, there will be two groups of six countries. Each team will play each other once (five games) and the best two from each group will progress to the semi-finals.
In the event of a tie, a super-over will decide the winner. If that super over is a tie again, subsequent super overs will be played until there is a winner.
At the end of the Super 12 group stage, if two teams are equal on points and number of wins, net run-rate will be used to determine which country progresses. If that is identical, then bowling strike-rate is the next factor.
(Photo by Gareth Copley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
WHICH TEAMS ARE THE FAVOURITES?
Australia are the clear favourites to win its second title in as many years for two key reasons.
The first is that the Aussies are playing on their home patch. As we saw in 2015, they relish the pressure that comes with a World Cup on familiar soil. Secondly, Australia, at least on paper, is as well-rounded as any team in the world. They have multiple power-hitters, all-round talent to aid flexibility, experience, and youthful energy, amazing fielders, and genuine wicket-taking fast bowlers, plus arguably the most improved spinner in the world across the past two years in Adam Zampa.
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But it won’t come easy for the Aussies, Pakistan and England are primed for this tournament. Both have fearless batters and excellent seam bowlers.
South Africa is a team you simply cannot trust in a World Cup given their struggles across the past 30 years, but in theory, they should be right up there. Aiden Markram, Quinton De Kock and David Miller are fantastic short-form batters, while Kagiso Rabada’s bowling will suit Aussie conditions. Unfortunately, falling short on the biggest stage is deeply embedded in their national cricket psyche.
The West Indies and Sri Lanka have been successful across the journey at World Cups, but neither country appears ready to win the entire thing this year and aren’t even certain starters at the time of writing. Yes, they have match-winners, but all teams do. What’s required across the length of the tournament is depth of talent. You could argue this is where they are lacking.
New Zealand is the hardest country to read. They always lift for big tournaments and will enjoy Australian conditions. If you’re looking for value or a smoky, the Kiwis are your best bet.
Afghanistan are vastly improved and should not be taken lightly with a host of spinners at their disposal, but are unlikely to go deep in the tournament. The same can be said for Bangladesh, which lost to New Zealand comfortably on Wednesday in a warm-up match. The Tigers do have finger spinner Shakib Al Hasan though, who is the tournament’s greatest ever wicket-taker and gun batter.
Virat Kohli celebrates after reaching his century. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Then there is India: The birthplace of the most lucrative T20 tournament on earth. Their young players have grown up on a diet of the shortest format, while their older cricketers are entrenched as all-time greats (Virat Kohli averages 76 in T20 World Cups and has twice been player of the tournament).
For one reason or another, it didn’t click for the Indians last year. They still enter the T20 World Cup as one of the favourites, but should they fail, it would be fair to suggest they are a team of stars rather than a star team.
PRIZEMONEY
The winning country receives $1.6 million, the runners-up $800,000, losing semi-finalists $400,000 and the other eight teams $70,000 each.
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HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAMES?
In Australia, Foxtel has the rights to every game. You can watch all matches live on Fox Sports or Kayo. There are no games that crossover. The ABC is the official radio network for the tournament.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Personally I'd play both of them in the side. McDonald lacks variety, and he is effectively a yes man for Cummins who wants his mates to play. That cartel didn't alone win the ashes. Richardson took a 5 for in Adelaide and Boland was our best bowler in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart. Starc was extremely poor at the last T20 WC and we won in spite of his poor form. When someone like Nathan Ellis is continuously impressive every time he gets an opportunity and yet never gets a look in at the expense of the same old boring trio, in this format of the game that's a concern. Don't even start me on the non selection of Green.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
And? I was having a snigger at the fanboism of Zampa. A pastime I don't share, being unable to understand how he got into any Oz side *and* how he stays ahead of the far superior package that is Ashton Agar in the T20s. Have posted them before, but the T20 stats of the games in which both AA and AZ have played in are most interesting. Mat Run HS BatAv Wkts BowAv Ave Diff Agar 29 183 26 11.4 34 19.17 -7.73 Zampa 29 27 13* 5.4 26 30.15 -24.75 And as for McDonald... he's not "picking his mates", he's picking the cartel that got his predecessor sacked right after winning Oz's first T20 WC *and* flogging the poms 4-0 in an Ashes series.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Well he's there now but it was wrong not to have Green there. I can see why they kept Finch, in a way, but you know; bowlers get dropped far easier than do batsmen.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Ads literally get in the way of typing at times on this site on a mobile. That needs to improve
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I think Maxwell is absolutely done. It’s laughable a generational talent like Cam Green is just sitting on the sidelines to make way for a one trick pony like Maxwell. He is currently a bigger liability than Finch, at least Finch is a good tactician to make up for his woefully inept batting, Maxwell has neither and is getting by purely on a reputation from 5 year’s ago that he could hit a few sixes.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Nah disagree on Pakistan. If Rizwan and Babar fire they have the best top order in the world, plus their Quicks will do well in Australia. They'll be right up there.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
And? Our batting line-up is putrid, our captain isn’t in the best 20 players in the country, our bowlers apart from Zampa are great red ball bowlers but lack variety in the limited overs and our coach is effectively a yes man. Say what you would about JL but he wouldn’t have been in charge of an absolute shambles of a run in like Ronnie ‘pick my mates’ McDonald has been.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Did you read the article in the link? This response indicates you didn’t bother
Ruairidh MacDonald
Roar Rookie
Who's written this article? It's like that other one with "fearless" predictions - it's easy to spout weird predictions like Australia being favourites if you hide behind an anonymous "The Roar"
whymuds
Roar Rookie
No team dominates t20 because it is such a lottery. Which is also what's so great about it. No amount of board money or superior t20 domestic leagues will change that. Even Lanka and Windies - teams in the qualifying stage of the cup - can win it. India has the best w/l record in test match cricket over the past 10 years. A format where any luck - toss, pitch, weather, dropped catches, line ball drs calls, etc get ironed out over a match and series. This is a far better indication of how we are using our resources than the number of t20 WC wins.
Sedz
Guest
It's the first time everyone is unconvinced that India wouldn't make the SF. That makes me. India has Pakistan, SA, and Bangladesh with SL/WI to face. Pakistan's batting is similar to India's of the 2000s. Have strong opening pair but lack nothing in the middle order except Asif Ali, who has some firepower. I know nothing of Bangladesh and WI/SL. I can say Aus can beat NZ any day here, and same way, Ind can beat SL/Bangladesh/Pak @ Australia. I am not sure what WI will bring to this WC to play. They may be tough to beat than other Asian teams. But Indian fielding has gone from good to worse. Let's see how it pans out.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
How are Australia favourites? Because we have, "...arguably the most improved spinner in the world across the past two years in Adam Zampa"...
Sedz
Guest
India has become chokers in ICC tournaments. Can’t really captain a country with die hard fans and that’s where Dhoni was a gem. It would be surprising even if India goes past the league stage. India bowling is one of the weakest in the tournament.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Thanks for this. Interestingly, the Economist put the boot into India’s underperforming T20 side likening them to USA in basketball with the inherent advantage they have vs the results they have delivered. https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/10/13/india-ought-to-win-crickets-twenty20-world-cup-but-probably-wont
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Australia is favorite given they have the most balanced team among all. Their concern will be form of some players. England is one trick pony. Their bowlers have bailed them out in two closely fought matches, however i doubt there will be a third time, as they found out last year. Both of those matches could have gone either way. New Zealand is another favorite , but they seem to become quite lethargic when they play in Australia. We have no chance of winning, so there is no point talking about it. Pakistan would be a shot if their bowlers and openers can perform throughout. Barring their openers, their batting is quite empty to be honest.
Mitcher
Guest
I feel quite certain the ad moaners would ratchet it up by significant orders of magnitude if a paywall went up. It’s almost like these platforms need to make money to deliver the service. Surely ads are the lesser of two evils.
Brasstax
Guest
Pakistan have a very good bowling attack but their batting basically starts and ends with their openers. Babar and Rizwan score 8p% of their runs and neither one of them is known for their six hitting and Aussie grounds are huge. Basically, even if both of them bat through the majority of overs, they are not going to score more than 160-170. Their middle order is non existent. Pakistan's bowling has to be on fire and their openers remarkably consistent for them to stand a chance.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The fulcrum of ads v content is annoyingly, stupidly in favour of the ads. It's actually a deception.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I think Maxxie can come back but Finch is there as a friend who needs a game or something to do.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Australia clear favourites? You’re joking right? The only thing ‘clear’ about Australia atm is they are going into the tournament with some key batsmen hopelessly out of form and struggling to hit it off the square. How that translates into favouritism is anyones guess.