The world of cricket will never be the same after the T20 World Cup 2024. Beyond the exciting games and amazing performances, the competition has had a huge impact on cricket in many ways, from nurturing new talent to growing the game’s international reach. This blog examines the significant effects that the 2024 T20 World Cup will have on many facets of cricket across the globe.
1. Elevating the Global Profile of Cricket
Cricket became the most popular sport in the world after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The tournament demonstrated cricket’s capacity to enthrall people everywhere with matches televised in more than 180 countries and a viewership that surpassed one billion. Due to its greater exposure, cricket has drawn sponsorships and new followers, which has expanded its popularity beyond the traditional cricketing nations and boosted its financial growth.
2. Development of Emerging Cricket Nations
Emerging cricket nations’ success at the T20 World Cup 2024 was one of its most notable aspects. With multiple upsets and competitive performances against seasoned cricketing behemoths, teams like Afghanistan, Nepal, and the Netherlands showed tremendous growth. These nations’ cricket development initiatives have benefited from this success, which has encouraged young players and drawn funding for infrastructural improvements.
3. Technological Advancements and Innovations
Advanced technology were implemented for the 2024 T20 World Cup, improving both the on-field decision-making accuracy and the spectator experience. Key innovations included enhanced DRS (Decision Review System), ultra-motion cameras, and real-time data analytics. In addition to guaranteeing fair play, these technologies involved tech-savvy spectators and improved accessibility and enjoyment of the game.
4. Women’s Cricket on the Rise
In addition to the men’s competition, the women’s T20 World Cup was a major factor in advancing gender parity in cricket. The feats of female cricket players attracted unprecedented attention, setting records for both media coverage and viewership. Because of its increasing awareness, women’s cricket has gained more backing, which has opened up professional options and inspired more young girls to take up the sport.
5. Economic Impact and Tourism Boost
The host nations of the T20 World Cup in 2024 benefited economically greatly. Local economies were stimulated by the influx of foreign tourists who spent money on travel, lodging, and hospitality. Furthermore, it is anticipated that host towns’ increased visibility as dynamic, interesting travel destinations would benefit tourism in the long run.
6. Grassroots Development and Youth Engagement
Several nations have launched grassroots development programs in response to the hype around the T20 World Cup. Local cricket clubs and academies have seen a rise in enrollment as young fans look up to their idols. A new generation has been motivated to pick up the bat and ball by the tournament’s success stories, especially those of young players, which has ensured a bright future for the sport.
7. Strategic and Tactical Evolution
The 2024 World Cup lived up to the fast-paced, inventive reputation of the T20 format. Teams used fresh approaches, such as forceful powerplays and creative bowling techniques. These tactical developments are probably going to have an impact on other game types as well, promoting a more lively and engaging style of play in cricket at all levels.
Conclusion
The T20 World Cup 2024 has undeniably transformed global cricket in multifaceted ways. From elevating the sport’s global profile and aiding the development of emerging cricket nations to introducing technological advancements and boosting women’s cricket, the tournament’s impact is far-reaching. The economic benefits for host countries and the inspiration it has provided for grassroots development and youth engagement further highlight its significance. As cricket continues to evolve, the T20 World Cup 2024 stands as a milestone event that has propelled the sport into a new era of growth and innovation.
FAQ
1. In what ways did the 2024 T20 World Cup aid in the growth of developing cricket nations?
The 2024 T20 World Cup has spurred increasing investment in cricket infrastructure and development programs in rising nations such as Afghanistan and Nepal. Their competitive performances have garnered support and attention from all around the world.
2. Which technical innovations made their debut at the 2024 T20 World Cup?
Real-time data analytics, ultra-motion cameras, and an upgraded Decision Review System (DRS) were all implemented during the tournament to improve the watching experience overall and the accuracy of choices made on the field.
3. What effects did the 2024 T20 World Cup have on women’s cricket?
Held concurrently with the men’s competition, the women’s T20 World Cup broke attendance and media records. More young girls are being inspired to play women’s cricket as a result of this increased awareness, which has also expanded the professional chances available to female cricket players.
4. What financial gains did the 2024 T20 World Cup provide the host nations?
Significant economic gains were realized by the host nations, including higher expenditures on lodging, travel, and hospitality from foreign guests. It is anticipated that the host towns’ increased exposure to the world will benefit tourism in the long run.
5. How has the development of grassroots cricket been impacted by the T20 World Cup 2024?
Cricket academies and local clubs are seeing an upsurge in enrolment as a result of the excitement around the T20 World Cup. Many young players have been motivated by the tournament’s success stories, which means cricket has a bright future at the grassroots level.
With those little pals of mine Ramadhin and Valentine
Their great Test teams were built around fast bowlers, but West Indies have a proud history of spin-bowling partnerships: Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine were immortalised by Lord Beginner’s calypso; Lance Gibbs would bowl offspin at one end while Garry Sobers bowled his left-arm variations from the other; and more recently, West Indies’ T20 World Cup successes were built around a pair of spinners too.
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Samuel Badree was the constant – bowling his flat, fast wristspin in the powerplay. In 2012, Sunil Narine would take over from him through the middle overs; four years later, with Narine still sorting out his bowling action, the towering left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn took over and bowled containing spells through the middle, finishing the tournament with an economy rate below seven.
And when West Indies had faced England last December, they landed on another such pair: selecting Guyana’s Gudakesh Motie to play alongside Trinidad and Tobago’s Akeal Hosein. Both are left-arm fingerspinners, but are very different bowlers with complementary strengths. They have played 11 matches together since, taking 35 wickets at 15.57 between them, 16 of which came in their group stages of this World Cup.
The formula is simple: Hosein takes the new ball and often bowls three of the first five overs. He flights some balls but also relies heavily on his arm ball, which drifts sharply into the right-handers. “He’s a very, very integral part [of the side], especially for controlling the powerplay for us,” Rovman Powell, West Indies’ captain, said.
When the field spreads, Powell brings Motie on and empowers him to flight the ball, varying his pace and looking to spin the ball hard. “Right as we come out of the powerplay is Gudakesh Motie time,” Powell said. “It’s like Akeal Hosein passing the baton onto Gudakesh Motie, and it’s been very good so far.”
West Indies geared their selection to conditions, knowing that their pitches can play slow and low, and may turn more as the World Cup wears on. “We’ve been playing our entire career on these pitches: we’re not surprised when it’s slow, it’s low and it’s low-scoring,” Nicholas Pooran said. “The reason why most of our averages are 20-25 is because we bat on pitches like this.”
“[It’s been] pleasantly pleasing to me to see how [the] same type of bowlers – two left-arm spinners turning the ball in the same direction – have complemented each other so well. That’s something that is new to me”
Ian Bishop to ESPNcricinfo
In St Lucia, where West Indies face England on Wednesday night, conditions have been much more favourable for batters: against Afghanistan on Monday, Pooran hit 98 in a team total of 218, the highest score of the T20 World Cup so far. But with England likely to field a batting line-up filled with right-handers, Hosein and Motie should still play a role.
In terms of average and economy rate, they were West Indies’ best bowlers in their 3-2 series win against England in December too, and Powell said they would “definitely” match-up well against England’s batters in a few days’ time: “When we pick the two left-arm spinners, we know that in West Indies conditions, whether the wickets are good or the wickets are bad, they’re going to be a handful because they’re world-class.”
Hosein has reached an intriguing stage where he has played enough T20 cricket around the world – over 150 matches in his career, one-third of which have come in the last 12 months – that his arm ball no longer takes teams by surprise. Batters know the cues: he tends to bowl it from significantly wider on the crease, and with a slightly lower trajectory.
“[It’s been] pleasantly pleasing to me to see how [the] same type of bowlers, two left-arm spinners turning the ball in the same direction – although Akeal Hosein has the arm ball – have complemented each other so well,” Ian Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “That’s something that is new to me.
“They’ve got Roston Chase there [as well] as the option to turn the ball the other way. Ideally, in a perfect world, they’d like a wristspinner. They don’t have that, so they’ve gone with the two left-arm spinners. I wouldn’t mind seeing them change it up though at some point, because teams are planning for Akeal Hosein in that powerplay.”
England are well aware of Hosein and Motie’s strengths, to the extent that they chose an uncapped slow left-armer in Tom Hartley as their back-up spinner ahead of Rehan Ahmed’s legspin following December’s tour. “There’s no question both teams know a lot about each other,” Sam Curran said. “The two spinners are probably one of their strengths.”
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, England’s openers, both have good head-to-head records against Hosein, and Salt in particular has made huge strides since he was dismissed by left-arm spin five times in six innings on a tour to Bangladesh last March. Salt has become much more confident playing through the off side, and scored two hundreds against West Indies in December.
Motie is more of an unknown for England, though. He has an extensive first-class record but is relatively new to T20 cricket, only making his debut in the format in 2021, aged 26. He has never played in a franchise league outside of the CPL, where none of this England squad feature regularly, and only played against them during the December tour.
Motie is short, and has a low release point, but puts significant overspin on the ball, meaning some balls are quick and skiddy, while others turn sharply off the pitch. In the group stages, he bowled arguably the ball of the tournament to date, which drifted into Daryl Mitchell from a wide angle at 62mph/99kph, before turning sharply to hit the off bail.
It is rare for teams to pair left-arm spinners together in modern T20 cricket, but West Indies believe they have found a winning formula and look set to stick with it in pursuit of an unprecedented third men’s T20 World Cup. If they achieve it, it might even be enough for Hosein and Motie’s names to feature in a calypso.
It is rare for teams to pair left-arm spinners together, but West Indies look set to stick with them in pursuit of a third T20 World Cup
With those little pals of mine Ramadhin and Valentine
Their great Test teams were built around fast bowlers, but West Indies have a proud history of spin-bowling partnerships: Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine were immortalised by Lord Beginner’s calypso; Lance Gibbs would bowl offspin at one end while Garry Sobers bowled his left-arm variations from the other; and more recently, West Indies’ T20 World Cup successes were built around a pair of spinners too.
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Samuel Badree was the constant – bowling his flat, fast wristspin in the powerplay. In 2012, Sunil Narine would take over from him through the middle overs; four years later, with Narine still sorting out his bowling action, the towering left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn took over and bowled containing spells through the middle, finishing the tournament with an economy rate below seven.
And when West Indies had faced England last December, they landed on another such pair: selecting Guyana’s Gudakesh Motie to play alongside Trinidad and Tobago’s Akeal Hosein. Both are left-arm fingerspinners, but are very different bowlers with complementary strengths. They have played 11 matches together since, taking 35 wickets at 15.57 between them, 16 of which came in their group stages of this World Cup.
The formula is simple: Hosein takes the new ball and often bowls three of the first five overs. He flights some balls but also relies heavily on his arm ball, which drifts sharply into the right-handers. “He’s a very, very integral part [of the side], especially for controlling the powerplay for us,” Rovman Powell, West Indies’ captain, said.
When the field spreads, Powell brings Motie on and empowers him to flight the ball, varying his pace and looking to spin the ball hard. “Right as we come out of the powerplay is Gudakesh Motie time,” Powell said. “It’s like Akeal Hosein passing the baton onto Gudakesh Motie, and it’s been very good so far.”
West Indies geared their selection to conditions, knowing that their pitches can play slow and low, and may turn more as the World Cup wears on. “We’ve been playing our entire career on these pitches: we’re not surprised when it’s slow, it’s low and it’s low-scoring,” Nicholas Pooran said. “The reason why most of our averages are 20-25 is because we bat on pitches like this.”
“[It’s been] pleasantly pleasing to me to see how [the] same type of bowlers – two left-arm spinners turning the ball in the same direction – have complemented each other so well. That’s something that is new to me”
Ian Bishop to ESPNcricinfo
In St Lucia, where West Indies face England on Wednesday night, conditions have been much more favourable for batters: against Afghanistan on Monday, Pooran hit 98 in a team total of 218, the highest score of the T20 World Cup so far. But with England likely to field a batting line-up filled with right-handers, Hosein and Motie should still play a role.
In terms of average and economy rate, they were West Indies’ best bowlers in their 3-2 series win against England in December too, and Powell said they would “definitely” match-up well against England’s batters in a few days’ time: “When we pick the two left-arm spinners, we know that in West Indies conditions, whether the wickets are good or the wickets are bad, they’re going to be a handful because they’re world-class.”
Hosein has reached an intriguing stage where he has played enough T20 cricket around the world – over 150 matches in his career, one-third of which have come in the last 12 months – that his arm ball no longer takes teams by surprise. Batters know the cues: he tends to bowl it from significantly wider on the crease, and with a slightly lower trajectory.
“[It’s been] pleasantly pleasing to me to see how [the] same type of bowlers, two left-arm spinners turning the ball in the same direction – although Akeal Hosein has the arm ball – have complemented each other so well,” Ian Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “That’s something that is new to me.
“They’ve got Roston Chase there [as well] as the option to turn the ball the other way. Ideally, in a perfect world, they’d like a wristspinner. They don’t have that, so they’ve gone with the two left-arm spinners. I wouldn’t mind seeing them change it up though at some point, because teams are planning for Akeal Hosein in that powerplay.”
England are well aware of Hosein and Motie’s strengths, to the extent that they chose an uncapped slow left-armer in Tom Hartley as their back-up spinner ahead of Rehan Ahmed’s legspin following December’s tour. “There’s no question both teams know a lot about each other,” Sam Curran said. “The two spinners are probably one of their strengths.”
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, England’s openers, both have good head-to-head records against Hosein, and Salt in particular has made huge strides since he was dismissed by left-arm spin five times in six innings on a tour to Bangladesh last March. Salt has become much more confident playing through the off side, and scored two hundreds against West Indies in December.
Motie is more of an unknown for England, though. He has an extensive first-class record but is relatively new to T20 cricket, only making his debut in the format in 2021, aged 26. He has never played in a franchise league outside of the CPL, where none of this England squad feature regularly, and only played against them during the December tour.
Motie is short, and has a low release point, but puts significant overspin on the ball, meaning some balls are quick and skiddy, while others turn sharply off the pitch. In the group stages, he bowled arguably the ball of the tournament to date, which drifted into Daryl Mitchell from a wide angle at 62mph/99kph, before turning sharply to hit the off bail.
It is rare for teams to pair left-arm spinners together in modern T20 cricket, but West Indies believe they have found a winning formula and look set to stick with it in pursuit of an unprecedented third men’s T20 World Cup. If they achieve it, it might even be enough for Hosein and Motie’s names to feature in a calypso.
Suryakumar smashed 56 from just 36 deliveries as India fell short in the exciting clash in Gqeberha and the attacking right-hander gained a total of 10 rating points as a result to further increase his lead as the No.1 ranked batter in the shortest format of the game.
The India star now has a total of 865 rating points, which is well clear of his nearest rivals in Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (787 rating points) and South Africa’s Aiden Markram (758) less than six months out from the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar famously claimed the premier ranking during the most recent edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia towards the end of last year and on current form it appears the India batter is likely to hold that position into next year’s tournament in the West Indies and USA.
World No.1 Suryakumar Yadav reflects on reaching the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Rankings summit.
South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks is one player to make ground on Suryakumar after he moved up one place to eighth following his innings of 49 against India, while Tilak Varma (up 10 spots to 55th) and Rinku Singh (up 46 places to equal 59th) also catch the eye alongside their more seasoned teammate.
With newly-crowned No.1 T20I bowler Ravi Bishnoi missing selection on the tour of South Africa so far it has paved the way for Afghanistan ace Rashid Khan to join the India young gun at the top of the rankings for T20I bowlers, with Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi also making some eye-catching ground in rising two places to 10th following an economical spell of 1/18 in their most recent contest.
India left-armer Kuldeep Yadav rises five places to 32nd on the same list, while Markram improves two places to second behind only India’s Ravindra Jadeja on the latest T20I rankings for all-rounders.
There was also some movement on the latest Test rankings this week following the completion of the exciting series between Bangladesh and New Zealand that finished tied at 1-1 after a tight second Test in Mirpur.
Glenn Phillips was adjudged Player of the Match in that Test and the 27-year-old was rewarded by climbing from outside the top 100 to 55th on the updated rankings for batters and improved 42 places to 24th on the list for all-rounders.
Teammate Ajaz Patel jumped seven places to 33rd on the list for Test bowlers, while Bangladesh duo Mehidy Hasan (up two spots to 21st) and Nayeem Hasan (up five places to 44th) also made good ground behind top-ranked bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.
Salt was one of a number of players from the high-scoring West Indies v England T20I series in the Caribbean to enjoy a jump after the latest update on Wednesday.
The England opener’s scores of 119 and 38 in Trinidad moved him up 18 places, with a career-high rating of 802, 15 rating points clear of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan in third (787).
Despite Salt’s jump, it’s daylight between the rest of the field and Suryakumar Yadav in top spot, with the India batter still well clear on 887.
World No.1 Suryakumar Yadav reflects on reaching the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Rankings summit.
Fellow English batter Liam Livingstone also enjoyed a batting rankings jump, moving 27 places to 38th after knocks of 54* and 28 across the same matches. Livingstone’s work also helped in the all-rounder category, moving four spots up to eighth (175). His move meant compatriot Moeen Ali and Shadab Khan of Pakistan share equal-ninth spot (173).
West Indies claimed the five-match T20I series 3-2, claiming victory in the final match, largely on the back of their bowling, keeping England to just 132 before completing a chase in the final over six wickets down.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein took 2/20 from four overs in the victory, and moved two spots up to fourth (683), overtaking the Sri Lankan pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana (679 and 677 respectively). Gudakesh Motie jumped 75 spots after claiming 3/24 (4) in the same outing, while Reece Topley on the England side has moved into the top 10 bowlers with a 13-spot jump thanks to five wickets across the two matches across the week.
Meanwhile the ODI series between New Zealand and Bangladesh, as well as India’s trip to South Africa, has led to a number of minor shuffles.
Shoriful Islam’s fine performance with ball in hand saw him climb 24 spots to 35th, while young India left-armer Arshdeep Singh moved up 41 spots, though still outside the top 100.
Shoriful Islam bowled Liam Livingstone for a golden duck at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023
On the batting side, Najmul Hossain Shanto (up nine spots to equal-49th) made a move, while South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi jumped into the top 100 with a move of 39 spots.
Soumya Sarkar’s electric innings of 169 (151) against the Black Caps helped him climb 52 spots, while Sanju Samson also jumped up 54 spots to a rating of 405.
Sarkar broke Sachin Tendulkar’s 13-year record for the highest ODI score by a sub-continent player in New Zealand, beating The Little Master’s 163* in Christchurch.
Samson made 108 (114) batting at No.3 in Paarl, as India defended 296 in the third ODI against the Proteas.
Chris Gaffaney and Richard Kettleborough will be the on-field umpires for the USA’s historic first-ever knockout match at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
They will officiate the clash against South Africa on June 19, along with Joel Wilson, who will be the TV Umpire.
Wilson then joins Gaffaney on the field for USA v England in Barbados on June 23.
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Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth will officiate the clash between Australia and India, and then Illingworth and Michael Gough will oversee Australia v Bangladesh.
Nitin Menon and Ahsan Raza are the on-field umpires for England’s meeting with the West Indies, with Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid as TV Umpire. He will then be one of the on-field umpires alongside Chris Brown for England’s second Group 2 game against South Africa.
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Super 8s – Match Official appointments
June 19: USA v South Africa (Antigua)
Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
On-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney and Richard Kettleborough
TV Umpire: Joel Wilson
Fourth Umpire: Langton Rusere
June 19: England v West Indies (St Lucia)
Referee: Jeff Crowe
On-field Umpires: Nitin Menon and Ahsan Raza
TV Umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid
Fourth Umpire: Chris Brown
June 20: Afghanistan v India (Barbados)
Referee: David Boon
On-field Umpires: Rodney Tucker and Paul Reiffel
TV Umpire: Allahudien Paleker
Fourth Umpire: Alex Wharf
June 20: Australia v Bangladesh (Antigua)
Referee: Richie Richardson
On-field Umpires: Richard Illingworth and Michael Gough
TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena
Fourth Umpire: Adrian Holstock
June 21: England v South Africa (St Lucia)
Referee: Jeff Crowe
On-field Umpires: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and Chris Brown
TV Umpire: Joel Wilson
Fourth Umpire: Chris Gaffaney
June 21: USA v West Indies (Barbados)
Referee: David Boon
On-field Umpires: Paul Reiffel and Allahuddien Paleker
TV Umpire: Rodney Tucker
Fourth Umpire: Alex Wharf
June 22: India v Bangladesh (Antigua)
Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
On-field Umpires: Michael Gough and Adrian Holdstock
TV Umpire: Langton Rusere
Fourth Umpire: Richard Kettleborough
June 22: Afghanistan v Australia (St Vincent)
Referee: Richie Richardson
On-field Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena and Ahsan Raza
TV Umpire: Richard Illingworth
Fourth Umpire: Nitin Menon
June 23: USA v England (Barbados)
Referee: David Boon
On-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney and Joel Wilson
TV Umpire: Paul Reiffel
Fourth Umpire: Allahudien Paleker
June 23: West Indies v South Africa (Antigua)
Referee: Ranjan Madugalle
On-field Umpires: Rodney Tucker and Alex Wharf
TV Umpire: Chris Brown
Fourth Umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid
June 24: Australia v India (St Lucia)
Referee: Jeff Crowe
On-field Umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth
The incident took place during Bangladesh’s final group fixture against Nepal at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Bangladesh seamer Tanzim Hasan Sakib has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for his code of conduct violation on Sunday.
The incident took place in the third over of the Nepal chase, where amidst a spirited spell Tanzim had a mid-pitch conversation with Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel.
Tanzim bowled exceptionally well in the game and finished with a match-winning spell of 4/7. Bangladesh took the game by 21 runs.
Tanzim was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match”.
The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Sam Nogajski, along with third umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal and fourth umpire Kumar Dharmasena.
Tanzim admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and there was no need for a formal hearing.
With dogged self-belief and a proven blueprint for success against the world’s best, Aaron Jones and USA look ahead to a Proteas Super Eights challenge in Antigua.
USA’s Aaron Jones insists his side will carry the same mentality that helped them into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight stage ahead of their meeting with South Africa in Antigua on Wednesday.
USA stun Pakistan in a dramatic Super Over finale in Dallas at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Moving off home shores after a successful group stage push in Dallas, New York and Lauderhill, the Americans travel into the Caribbean now with aspirations of claiming a semi-final spot.
On the crest of the World Cup wave Jones says the camp is buoyant, with the mantra of fearless cricket he vowed before the tournament to continue.
“The boys are happy, the boys are excited to play against the best teams in the world.
“We wanted to do that (come in with energy). We’ve been speaking about that over the last couple of years. And here we are now. We’re just going to enjoy our cricket and, as I said (before matchday one), play fearless cricket all the time.”
Compilation of the best moments for USA’s Aaron Jones in the Group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Headlined by a win over Pakistan with a Super Over on the scoresheet that if anything undersold their dominance, the Americans also held their nerve on opening night against North American rivals Canada, and gave tournament frontrunners India a push in New York.
Also beating Bangladesh in a bilateral series coming into the tournament, USA’s somewhat measured celebrations after their Pakistan toppling suggested more is expected, with winning against more-fancied teams merely a product of their meticulous process.
“I think it starts with the belief that we could beat anybody,” Jones continued, speaking on the side’s mentality.
“Even before the World Cup we’ve had a few series and obviously everybody knows we came out on top against Bangladesh, who are a really good team to be honest.
“We always believed before the World Cup that we could beat bigger teams or better teams and obviously we showed it against Pakistan. It’s going to be the same mindset going into the Super Eights now.
“We want to play hard cricket and if you come out on top it’s good, if you don’t come out on top then we learn.”
The American success has not gone unnoticed by the best in cricket, with arguably the best observer of the game, ICC Hall of Famer and Australian legend Ricky Ponting, suggesting the match could go either way if South Africa are “five per cent off their game.”
For the Americans, a key part of more success will likely be Jones’ explosiveness with the bat, having flourished even when walking out to bat in difficult circumstances.
Striding out at 42/2 in the seventh over in a chase of 195, Jones plundered 10 sixes to make 94 not out from 40 balls, racing past the target in the 18th over. A knock of 36* (26) and a cool head in the Super Over against Pakistan followed, as the right-hander finished as the most prolific run-scorer in Group A, making 141 runs at strike rate of 160. Of those to pass 100 runs at the tournament, only Marcus Stoinis (190) and Brandon McMullen (170) boast better scoring rates.
The stretch of form belies Jones’s career T20I strike rate that sat at just 105.79 before the tournament began, though the 29-year-old suggests the figure is a red herring, having been forced to play in different ways, dictated by match situations.
“I like to play the situation. I like to play for my team always.
“If it’s the case I’m playing a game and we need five runs an over, I’ll bat to suit. If we need 15 runs or over, I’ll bat to suit.
“I don’t really worry about the whole talk about strike rate and all that other stuff.”
A contingent of travelling American fans is expected, but for the fans back home, new and old, Jones hears their support in the Caribbean as they continue their dream run.
“Over the last few years, we’ve been talking about growing a bigger following as it relates to US cricket and I think it’s growing slowly right now so we definitely thank them for sure.
“Just keep supporting us, keep following us, keep watching our games and we’ll definitely put on a good show for everybody for sure.”
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has reached the Super Eight stage and both of the tournaments host nations compete in a fascinating Group 2, with a pair of semi-final spots up for grabs.
The USA are the surprise package of the tournament, qualifying for this stage ahead of Pakistan, Ireland and Canada, but they’ll have their work cut out in a group that contains three of the most explosive batting sides in the game – defending champions England, co-hosts West Indies, and the highly-fancied South Africa.
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While the current top two in the ICC T20I Team Rankings, India and Australia, are in the other half of the Super Eight draw, this Group 2 is packed full of quality, with the remainder of the world’s top five joining the Americans in a scrap for the semi-finals.
Let’s take a closer look at each team:
England
The defending Champions only just made it through a highly competitive group as Scotland pushed them close for the second Super Eight spot along with Australia.
But Jos Buttler’s side looked in decent form in the shortened games against Oman and Namibia and will be looking to make a big impact at a stage of the tournament where statement displays can make a defining impression on a campaign.
Brook to the rescue as England overcome Namibia challenge | Match Highlights | T20WC 2024
Plenty of the team’s lengthy batting lineup have clicked, while the reintroduction of Reece Topley has added new-ball firepower alongside the impressive Jofra Archer.
Whether Liam Livingstone is fit is the big question for England going forward, while tactically there will be doubts over the top four’s ability to score heavily against spin given their travails against Australia.
Squad
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood
Fixtures
vs West Indies – Wed, 19 June 2024, Gros Islet, 20:30 PM local time
vs South Africa – Fri, 21 June 2024, Gros Islet, 10:30 AM local time
vs USA – Sun, 23 June 2024, Bridgetown, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player –Jofra Archer
England have targeted this tournament to bring Jofra Archer back into the international game for some time, letting him have a lengthy and controlled return from his latest injury absence. But they could scarcely have hoped for Archer to look this good, almost like he’s never been away. If the gun fast bowler can continue that level against two of the world’s most destructive batting line-ups in England’s first two Super Eight games then it’ll give them a terrific chance of reaching the semi-finals.
South Africa
South Africa have a dauntingly-strong batting line-up, but have yet to go big in this tournament, partly due to playing on low-scoring grounds throughout their run to the Super Eights.
But any team with a top six as strong as the Proteas have the potential to cause serious damage, and they will have their sights set on three bowling attacks that have vulnerabilities.
Compilation of the best moments for Anrich Nortje in the Group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The form of Anrich Nortje and Ottneil Baartman is a bonus with the ball, adding to Kagiso Rabada to form a strong pace attack.
Squad
Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs
Fixtures
vs USA – Wed, 19 June 2024, North Sound, 10:30 AM local time
vs England – Fri, 21 June 2024, Gros Islet, 10:30 AM local time
vs West Indies – Sun, 23 June 2024, North Sound, 20:30 PM local time
A hard-fought 46 from Heinrich Klaasen proved crucial to South Africa’s nail-biting win over Bangladesh.
Key Player –Heinrich Klaasen
He’s been arguably the best T20 batter in the men’s game over the last year, but Heinrich Klaasen showed that he’s more than just an attacking weapon during a group stage where he helped rescue his team on a number of occasions. Klaasen and David Miller will hope for more assistance from the top order, but he will be the wicket that opposition teams will be desperate to take before the damage is done.
USA
The co-hosts were not expected to be featuring in the Caribbean, but here they are and they’re ready to make a big impression.
The USA have shown they can score big runs (in their opener against Canada), that they’re outstanding in the field, and that they have a range of bowling options that can trouble the best.
Emotions run high as USA players celebrate Pakistan triumph | T20WC 2024
They’ve already beaten Pakistan and Canada in this tournament, pushed India close, and will back themselves to pick up at least one more major scalp. Should another shock win come early in their Super Eight campaign then you never know, but a semi-final spot does seem unlikely given they’re in a group of this calibre.
Squad
Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir.
Fixtures
vs South Africa – Wed, 19 June 2024, North Sound, 10:30 AM local time
vs West Indies – Fri, 21 June 2024, Bridgetown, 20:30 PM local time
vs England – Sun, 23 June 2024, Bridgetown, 10:30 AM local time
Key Player – Saurabh Netravalkar
What a story Saurabh Netravalkar has been at this tournament so far.
The left-arm pacer was outstanding throughout the USA’s Group A campaign, and produced arguably the moment of the tournament so far when he bowled his team to a famous win over Pakistan in the dramatic Super Over in New York. A software engineer for Oracle away from cricket, the 32-year-old has thanked his employer for extending his leave to allow him to take on the world’s best in the Super Eight stage, and don’t be surprised if he causes some serious problems for the USA’s Group 2 opponents.
Saurabh Netravalkar’s opening spell saw the back of Virat Kohli, for a golden duck, and Rohit Sharma.
West Indies
The West Indies will have hopes of adding a third Men’s T20 World Cup to their trophy cabinet, and have looked a classy side en-route to the Super Eight stage.
Their power game is no secret and was on full display in their run-heavy showing against Afghanistan, but the co-hosts also showed their quality and subtlety with the ball when defending a low total against New Zealand, which will be of great encouragement.
They are the highest ranked team in this group and deservedly too.
Squad
Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd
Fixtures
vs England – Wed, 19 June 2024, Gros Islet, 20:30 PM local time
vs USA– Fri, 21 June 2024, Bridgetown, 20:30 PM local time
vs South Africa – Sun, 23 June 2024, North Sound, 20:30 PM local time
A sensational knock!
Key Player –Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran is delivering on his potential and then some. The West Indies batter is one of the most impactful T20 batters in the game and is delivering at this tournament for the co-hosts. His 98 from 53 balls against Afghanistan in West Indies’ final group game before the Super Eight stage was a phenomenal knock and should serve as a warning to all of his side’s Group 2 opponents.
How should we view the season that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had in IPL 2024? Does their trouncing in the final at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) undermine all the good work done before? Or will the batting template that they followed this season gain currency in years to come, and be seen as a watershed?
Facts first. This was SRH’s first foray into the play-offs since 2020. In two of the last three seasons, they had finished rock bottom. Whatever they were doing then, with just 13 wins across three seasons, clearly didn’t work. A radical transformation wasn’t just welcome, it was much needed.
When the dust settled on this campaign, the record books will tell you that this SRH vintage slashed and burned their way to three of the four biggest totals in the IPL’s 17-year history. The 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium – a total that may not be overhauled any time soon – included a record-breaking 22 sixes. Of the 1260 maximums hit in the league in 2024, as many as 112 came from the bats of Abhishek Sharma (42), Heinrich Klaasen (38) and Travis Head (32).
Any way you look at it, those are astonishing numbers. And they were made possible by a philosophy that encouraged the batters to go for broke without fearing the consequences. In their last league game, Sunrisers chased down 215 in 19.1 overs against Punjab Kings. “Nothing changes when we go into the Playoffs,” said Daniel Vettori in a video the franchise uploaded after the game. “Take the game on, play exactly the same and stay consistent and true to our methods, so, well done boys.”
You don’t need to be a cricket genius to know that tactics laced with so much risk can also fail, and spectacularly at times. It’s like teams playing the high line in modern football. It allows you to press and harry the opposing team, but also leaves you vulnerable to the ball over the top.
For SRH, it just so happened that they were caught cold on the biggest stage of all — the final. It didn’t help that they were up against the most accomplished side in the competition, who also had the most complete attack. Mitchell Starc had rediscovered his mojo, as he so often does on the big stage, and the support cast was magnificent. Once Starc produced a peach that crashed into Abhishek’s off stump and Vaibhav Arora snagged Travis Head first ball, you didn’t need a crystal ball or tea leaves to say which way the game was going.
Exactly a month before the final, at the Eden Gardens, KKR’s best-laid plans had been shredded when Punjab Kings chased down a target of 262 in just 18.4 overs. That night, Harshit Rana, Andre Russell and Varun Chakaravarthy had combined figures of 0-143 from nine overs. In the final, they had 6-52 in 8.3 overs. That’s the nature of cricket, and the T20 format in particular.
What hurt Sunrisers most was their gun players running out of ammunition at the most crucial time. Head ended the season with scores of 0, 0, 34 and 0. Abhishek Sharma had 17 runs in his last three innings, while Nitish Kumar Reddy had 27. Klaasen got to 50 just once in his last nine knocks. KKR’s big boys revelled on the grand stage, SRH seemed inhibited.
If they can hang on to Pat Cummins as captain, and retain the six-hitting unit of Head, Abhishek and Klaasen, SRH will again be dangerous and intimidating opponents in 2025. More importantly, the Orange Army fan base can look ahead to that competition with optimism rather than diffidence. Their team aimed for the stars, and were brought back down to Earth only at the very end.
The ICC T20 World Cup assumes the adventurer’s role today, journeying to the United States of America in search of a new audience, even if they are primarily expats from cricket-playing nations. But, back in 2007, during the inaugural tournament, few knew what to expect. A product that had started off as fun event to draw crowds to cricket grounds in England was growing into a big business.
I had no idea of what I was setting myself up for when I accepted an offer from Yahoo! and its associates to travel to South Africa for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20. A votary of conventional cricket, there was some scepticism in the back of my mind and I allowed myself to be talked into the assignment.
A journalist friend of mine from Bangladesh asked me what I would do at a T20. It is for P3 reporters, he taunted. But I had made my commitment to watch the cricket for whatever it was worth and enjoy the opportunity. Perhaps, pegging expectations low helped and I had a feast I have not forgotten to this day.
As I travelled from Delhi to Durban in September 2007, the first thoughts in my mind centred around the lure of the unknown. No team admitted to feeling like explorers venturing into unchartered domain, but they were all excited at being part of a new chapter in cricket history. After all, humankind was replete with examples of instinctive attraction to such adventure.
The ICC World Twenty20 was expected to soothe souls hurting in the aftermath of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, a disaster from a marketing standpoint. India’s early exit after defeats to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka meant that there was no India-Pakistan face-off. Bob Woolmer’s sudden passing and the last few overs of the World Cup final being played in darkness worsened the script.
Yet, only 19 Twenty20 internationals had been played before the inaugural game at the ICC World Twenty20 2007. England boasted the most experience with six games under their belt, while Australia and South Africa had played five matches each. At the other end of the spectrum were India and Zimbabwe, with one match each.
India vs Pakistan, T20 WC Final, 2007 (PC: X)
On September 24, 2007, I was in the press box at The Wanderers, watching the final between India and Pakistan. Had someone told me a fortnight earlier that the sub-continental neigbours would be playing for the $490,000 top prize, I may have laughed it off as wishful thinking. But two amazing weeks changed all that.
I had not even settled down in the press box at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban for the first time in a Twenty20 match when New Zealand pace bowlers, Shane Bond and Mark Gillespie, claimed four Kenya wickets for one run in the first two overs. The excitement did not stop flowing after that, and I considered myself lucky that I sometimes got a day’s break between matches.
There were so many wonderful memories collected in South Africa. A tie in the India-Pakistan league game, and then the bowl-out that saw India win 3-0. Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes off England pace bowler Stuart Broad, Australian paceman Brett Lee’s hat-trick, Pakistan leg-spinner Shahid Afridi’s nagging accuracy. Some stunning games tested my nerve too.
I had never imagined that I would be at a T20 final, and one featuring India and Pakistan at that. The Wanderers provided a great atmosphere, with thousands of Asians filling what they call the Bull Ring, waving flags of the two nations and inspiring the DJ on location to play music from the sub-continent.
Long before Misbah-ul-Haq floated a catch off Joginder Sharma for Sreesanth to take, we knew the Cricket World Cup would face a stiff challenge from its young cousin. It had all that young fans could be enticed with. The ICC World Twenty20 came along as the new kid on the block, with a magic wand to boot, and with the intention and ability to be around for a long time.
In the fortnight from September 11, 2007, I learnt that the Twenty20 game is for the smart cricketer, the fan in a hurry and the young journalist who can find new ways to describe the whole range of emotions that players and fans alike go through in the span of three hours at each match. That is something that has not changed.
wicket 
