Ever since the inception of T20, it was assumed the format was for younger legs. Rahul Dravid’s withdrawal from the inaugural World T20 in 2007, along with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, only added substance to the theory. Yet, over the years, the chaotic, high-paced T20 game has been controlled mostly by those who have put in years on the field.
The general belief now is that it’s a game for specialists, irrespective of age.
TOI looks at the contenders, besides India, for the upcoming
T20 World Cup
and the composition of their teams which, at the outset, look like dad’s armies.
ALSO SEE: T20 World Cup Schedule
AUSTRALIA
Only Cameron Green is aged under 25. Three players – Josh Inglis, Tim David and Nathan Ellis – are pushing 30. Their core revolves around David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Mathew Wade, who are all on the wrong side of 30. The key here is Mitchell Marsh, has been handed captaincy at 32 ahead of Pat
Cummins, 31, who led Australia to the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup title last year. It signals preference for fresh ideas over reputation.
This team has stayed together for four years and won world titles across formats. The Aussies crashed on home turf in the last T20 World Cup, but this is a champion bunch.
ENGLAND
The defending champions — who sort of owned the template for uninhibited attacking batting — go into the tournament with pretty much the same team as the one that won in Australia in 2022. Continuity is not a bad thing in cricket but the same set of players failed to defend the ODI World Cup last Nov in India. Again, led by Jos Buttler and the ageing leadership group of Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, this team is packed with cricketers who have got a ton of experience in the format.
While they wear a similar look to their last campaign 19 months ago, it should be noted that the likes of Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Jofra Archer are now more experienced.
NEW ZEALAND
It seems like Kane Williamson has been leading New Zealand into World Cup finals and semifinals forever. They have been the perennial underdogs who always punch above their weight. Williamson takes with him a core of senior players who are well past their 30s – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell, Mitch Santner and Jimmy Neesham. They have always found a way to get the job done in crunch moments. Again, the team isn’t dissimilar to the one that played the semifinals in the last T20 World Cup.
Rachin Ravindra, at 24, is the only one under 25. He has been the flavour of international cricket since his astounding ODI World Cup performance last year. With the firepower of Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen, the core group of experienced players will hope they have enough to claim a white-ball championship.
PAKISTAN
Finalists in the last edition, Babar Azam will lead a similar-looking team next month. Pakistani cricketers haven’t quite set the T20 scene ablaze. What they have tried to do is have faith in the performers from the Pakistan Super League, which is why you see the comeback of Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim. The induction
of Azam Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub brings freshness.
What works for them is the fact that their experienced campaigners like Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi are all in.
English (US) ·