An Absolutely Open T-20 World Cup

Seven competitions, six winners. That fact alone underlines how futile it is to make predictions when it comes to the T-20 World Cup though that has not stopped the experts from coming out with their forecasts.

Bookies of course have to make some teams favourites and others outsiders, but the reality of the situation is that, given the format and that this is a mega event we are talking about, singling out a clear winner on the eve of the tournament will be foolhardy.

If anything the current International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings will confirm this. There is very little to choose between the top six teams, India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Just 18 rating points separates the top team from the sixth.

And if any further proof was needed as to the topsy-turvy nature of the format (or the structure of the tournament) the preliminary games provided enough evidence. Namibia stunned former champions Sri Lanka, Scotland and Ireland both shocked two-time winners West Indies to knock them out of the tournament proper and unfancied UAE upset Namibia.

The fact that West Indies who have some of the leading T-20 players in the world in their ranks made an early exit proved that stars alone are not enough to progress further in the tournament. Plainly put, for all the talent available and the skills exhibited by the teams, it just takes one good day or one bad day to either advance further in the competition or make an exit.

It can be said that no so-called favourite team has won the trophy. India certainly were not rated highly in the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007 and yet they emerged triumphant. This has been true of every edition since. The fact also remains that unlike in Tests or ODIs no team really stays at the top for very long when it comes to the ICC T-20 rankings.

In a way this adds to the charm of the tournament, as potentially every match could provide thrills and excitement. No team really has the unbeatable tag slapped on it, and no side can be rated as participating without a semblance of a chance.

And yet some sides will garner more attention than others. Some will be reckoned to have a slightly better chance than others. Some others will be tagged as virtually having 'no chance at all of winning the trophy', though they may have their day in the sun occasionally.

For example Australia could well be the cynosure being both the hosts and defending champions. Here though playing at home may not give them an advantage because of one single quaint fact, no host country has won the competition. They remain formidable opponents though.

India's chances of regaining the trophy will of course be the subject of intense scrutiny given their legion of fans worldwide. Sunil Gavaskar for starters has stated that if India didn't win the event it will come as a real surprise.

He has based this premise on the ground that the team has prepared well. According to him not only has the squad gone to Australia almost three weeks before their first game of the tournament they also played practice games against good sides and this should get them ready for the tournament.

He has a point but then other teams too have prepared systematically by figuring in T-20 competitions or playing a bilateral series in the format. Moreover there will always be question marks over the non-availability of Ravindra Jadeja and more crucially Jasprit Bumrah through injuries though the inclusion of Mohammed Shami is a comforting factor.

And along with the usual high expectations from the fans the pressure will be more on India for they are the top ranked team at the moment.

Two former champions England and Pakistan will also be the subject of much focus. Not only are they second and third in the ICC rankings they appear to have the right balance in the squads.

And what of New Zealand and South Africa, two teams that have never won a World Cup in either of the limited overs formats? Could this be their chance to bring home the silverware?

As regards former champions Sri Lanka they are these days almost as mercurial as the West Indies. They went down to Namibia in the preliminary stage before finally squeaking through to the main draw and all this after they won the Asia Cup last month despite the presence of India and Pakistan.

The chances of the three other qualifiers, Netherlands, Ireland and Zimbabwe, as well as Bangladesh and Afghanistan who are already in the main draw of winning the trophy may be slim but they can play the role of spoilers by having a good day or two at the office. All in all this is an absolutely open T-20 World Cup – just like the seven previous editions.