World T20 Champs group stages, Feb 7-20

[sussexpob]

Jacks having a splatter. Should take the game away from Italy

[sussexpob]

Be no fairly tale today. Will Jacks finally does something against the worst team ever to play in an ICC tournament, and Archer picks up two wickets in a few balls....

[Arthur Crabtree]

POTM stuff from Jacks.

England are going to pull this off...

[andy]

Wow that was closerrl than it should have been! Only positive thing is we are through in a world cup dosent matter how you do it just that you do it! Much improvement needed though .credit to Italy they fought hard!

[Durhamfootman]

With Italy teeing off when there was far too much still to do, it's good that England held their nerve in the last overs. Curran and Overton didn't let the late charge unsettle them and while the reports are of a nervous result for England, 24 runs is a decent enough margin of victory. Nepal.... now that was nervy, and Curran held it together there too

If I was to have made a change in the England line up today, I'd have left out Jacks for a specialist batter and moved Curran down to 7, so it's just as well that it has nothing to do with me

[Durhamfootman]

fast, fast start for Head and Marsh. 100 up in just over 8 overs, but Head has gone now

[Durhamfootman]

Talk about running out of steam. It looked as though Australia were heading towards a monster total, but SL have dragged it right back, with a lot of help from the Aussie batters

181-9

only!

might be plenty, of course

seems really odd having Stoinis coming in so late in the innings, only for him to be stuck at the wrong end for much of the little time he had.

[Durhamfootman]

England head off to SL for the super 8 phase

[mikesiva]

Kusal Mendis and Nissanka get half centuries!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Looks like a tight finish. SL slight favourites.

[meninblue]

India make the next round after winning match against Pakistan

India is now 8-1 against Pakistan. The dominance of Team India by 7-1 coming into this tournament match was already there. Asia cup final was just another blow to a cricket system which is struggling in all aspects. What happened today is just a bigger loss which crushes another hope. If to for the revenue that broadcasters get, India and Pakistan would not be in same groups because they want one match which atleast assures them of fetching revenue and eyeballs. This is probably Indias biggest win against Pakistan. What makes this gulf of victory bigger.

India is now in a other level. Skill, talent, cricket system, strategy, tactical choices, selection, approach, preparation and execution of skills of Team India is too much professional whereas that pf Pakistan is too much mediocre. Fact is that Pakistan is now probably ranked only higher than associate teams. This decline started 4 years back and is breaching new all-time lows.

Lets not talk about the coaches of Pakistan. How Jason Gillespie was treated; he still has not received his full coaching fees and it has been more than a year that he was sacked. Getting Aaaib was another bunder. Hesson is now trying to apply the NZ approach of building a team around all-rounders. Faheem, Shaddy, Saim, Mohd., Salman all in one team. Only one all-rounder should be there and Saim deserves a place ahead of them. He fits the team requirement in terms of job-role, the all-rounder who can bat as an opener, who thus allows more balanced combination by playing extra specialist in batting or bowling. iirc Pakistan had 5 openers in 2022.

Getting Babar Azam back was the dumbest move. He was rightly sacked an year back after Pakistan lost to India and had a terrible series. Then after few months he gets back in the team. He has been so pathetic recently that even in Big Bash he was asked to retire out. His strike rate in BBL was horrible for a specialist batsman. His record against India is terrible. Babar has scored just 110 runs in T20i against India and strike rate of 123. On what merit does he gets selected. Babar has been the downfall of Pakistan - to accommodate him in team the coaches made him bat at different batting positions just to not drop him for not performing at the spots he was played in. Then they finally had to drop him as it eventually was clear to all that selection is happening on basis of likes and dislikes. Well, he is back and he is playing much worse.

Salman Agha should be dropped as a captain. He does not even deserves to be in team as a player, but his role as captain makes it impossible to keep him out of 11 or team. Lack of specialist is also something which seriously needs to be looked at. Middle order players are not there at all, neither in the squad nor in domestic cricket. This is one of the fundamental issue with the batting now.

Winning the toss and batting was a senseless decision by Pakistan. Not understanding the wicket on which previous matches also happened was another failure. But I do think, Indian T20i team is in such form in t20 and the dominance on Pak team, India would have won even if India had fielded first.

[meninblue]

SL need 35 from 25 balls with 8 wickets in hand. SL Have to be favorites.

[Durhamfootman]

Looks like a tight finish. SL slight favourites.

Aus look to be in real trouble here

you know when you're in trouble when you have to throw the ball to Maxie

less than 8 required from the last 4 overs with plenty of wickets in the bank

[Durhamfootman]

unless something extraordinary happens, Aus will be praying for an Ireland win over Zimbabwe and even that might not be enough

[Durhamfootman]

Nissanka needs 3 for his ton

SL need 5 for the win