If this ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has taught us anything, it is that the fear factor has well and truly disappeared.
It does not matter who the teams are, there are no foregone conclusions. Even on the final day of Super 12 action, we saw South Africa needing to beat the Netherlands to reach the semi-finals and falling short.
Before that, Zimbabwe have got the better of Pakistan, Ireland saw off England and pretty much every team has been given a scare along the way.
Now, the pressure is on the so-called bigger teams because they know that there are no easy matches.
We are into the business end of the tournament and there is no question that the teams are getting closer.
That is why there is no clearcut favourite. On any given day, any team can execute well and stick to their plans. The team that does that, can become the team to beat on the day, regardless of the name on the jersey.
It has been the case throughout the history of T20 World Cups, but especially this time in Australia, that one brilliant spell or one great innings can change a game.
And those performances can come from anywhere. As players from all over become more experienced and get exposure to the world’s best on the franchise circuit, they take that back to their teams.
I have been so impressed by Zimbabwe. They are not a team of stars, but they are a star team. They remind me of New Zealand. For the Kiwis, you have Kane Williamson leading the way and instilling the belief in the team. Zimbabwe have Sikandar Raza doing similar.
For the Netherlands, we have seen Max O’Dowd doing it, and they were fearless in beating South Africa. They had nothing to lose against a team who had everything on the line. It was the perfect recipe for an upset.
In T20 cricket, that fear factor just does not exist. In the West Indies teams I played in, particularly from 2010 to 2016, every time we walked onto the park, the opposition knew they needed their A game.
Now, they have not fear, and it is not just against the West Indies, that applies to any opponent. There is no result that you can pencil in before the toss.
The wickets in Australia have helped. I have enjoyed seeing the bowlers get value for their efforts. In Melbourne and Sydney, in particular, the size of the boundaries has meant that batters have had to play proper cricket shots.
With that balance, we have been treated to some incredible matches and I hope we have a few more in store in the semi-finals and finals.
Our final four have all been tested to get this far, in every game. Every team knows that in T20 cricket, if you apply pressure long enough, you will get your reward.
The greater the parity, the more exciting the tournament, and this has been one to remember.
Content courtesy: ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2020 via Online Media Zone.