A year on from Australia winning the T20 World Cup, the same country get to host the 2022 staging of the tournament as the international cricket calendar returns to the original plan after Covid delayed everything for a year.
No home side has ever won this tournament so Australia will be hoping that they can break that duck and become the first nation to make a successful defence of the title. This has a real open feel to it this year though.
Recent Winners
2021 – Australia
2016 – West Indies
2014 – Sri Lanka
2012 – West Indies
2010 – England
2009 – Pakistan
2007 – India
The Format
Eight teams progress straight through to the Super 12 stage of the tournament with the other eight competing in the first round of the event. Those eight sides are split into two groups of four where everyone plays the other teams in their group. The top two from both groups make up the remaining four sides in the Super 12 round. The 12 teams are split into two groups of six with each team playing the other five in their group in a round robin format. The top two in each group go through to the semi-finals with the winners of those competing in the final in Melbourne on November 13.
The Favourites
Australia were not favoured to win the title a year ago but they will begin their title defence on home soil as the 3/1 favourites to retain the crown. They should in theory be much better suited to conditions in Australia than they were in the UAE. They do go into the tournament off the back of a series loss to England and suddenly have question marks over the form of Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell. They look to have a settled and very good bowling unit though.
England were the favourites to win the tournament a year ago but their death bowling let them down in a tight semi-final with New Zealand. They are 7/2 to add this title to the 50 over one they won in 2019 and if their form heading in is anything to go by they would have every chance. They won a series in Pakistan in the lead up to the tournament and another in Australia and in conditions which should suit they can’t be ruled out.
India still haven’t got their hands on this trophy since the inaugural staging of the competition back in 2007. They would have fancied their chances of doing some damage in the UAE last year but their tournament was over before it began on that occasion. They will certainly be looking for a better showing in this competition but they couldn’t get their hands on the Asia Cup last month and injuries to Ravi Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah feel big for anyone fancying India at 4/1.
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Contenders
South Africa have shortened in the betting over the last three months or so. One reason for that was a job they did on England earlier in the year when they went to England and came from a match down to win 2-1 with a flurry of big hitting and some strong pace bowling and canny spin. The former credentials are ones which you would think will be paramount in winning this tournament. The one downside is the form of the captain but there are worse 8/1 shots out there.
Pakistan would have been annoyed to drop the series at home to England earlier in the month but they go into the tournament which they are 9/1 to win buoyed by taking down the tri-series event in New Zealand which might actually be a more significant series given the closeness to the conditions they will encounter here. Pakistan have an ideal bowling attack for these pitches so if their openers can get them the runs they are dangerous contenders.
New Zealand have been to the final of the last two white ball tournaments and are 10/1 to go a step further here and win one. I’m not convinced they are as strong right now as they were for those events and their record in Australia does nothing to install confidence in them either. New Zealand might be a seamer light if there is no swing around and certainly look a power batter or two short. They are another to have concerns over the form of their captain so they have plenty to prove coming in.
Outright Betting
I’ll go with a couple of outright bets for this tournament. The first one is a fairly hefty bet on the favourites Australia. You can pick holes in their performances against both West Indies and England in recent times but I read a quote from Josh Hazlewood about them being in countdown mode for the tournament to come because they had finalised all their combinations and were just ticking over. He isn’t really a player who searches the limelight with soundbites so I’ll take him on his word. Australia have an excellent attack, plenty of big hitting batting depth and now the confidence of having won this thing. I think they’re the team to beat and might well be overpriced even at 3/1.
Sri Lanka are the other side to catch my eye in the outright market. They are the Asia Cup champions and while that was won in different conditions to the ones they will experience here, you can’t beat winning a tournament for confidence. Sri Lanka looked good in this last year until their bowlers got a bit leggy in the tough conditions. Two of those seamers – Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera could be very exciting. In Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka have the best spinner in the world game in my eyes right now and with a batting unit which has a good blend of brains and Braun, if they can get on a roll the Sri Lankans could take some stopping.
Group Betting
I’ll have a look at the two Super 12 groups when they are finalised but there is a bet I like in the initial two groups and that comes in the form of Scotland to win Group B. West Indies are widely expected to dominate this group but they haven’t really dominated anything in this format since they won this title in 2016 and there is no doubt that they are a weaker team now than at any previous stage. I think they are vulnerable.
The other three teams in the group are Zimbabwe, who themselves could have every chance of coming through, Ireland and Scotland. I’ve watched Ireland all summer and their death bowling is a real concern, as is the fact that Paul Stirling seems to have lost his form completely. Zimbabwe weren’t at this tournament last year and I wonder if it is a year or two too soon for them but Scotland look just about right. They won their group at this stage last year when few gave them a prayer against Bangladesh and with some good county batters and a couple of useful death bowlers I’ll happily take a chance on Scotland to win Group B.
Tips
Back Australia to win T20 World Cup 2022 for a 3/10 stake at 4.00 with Boylesports
Back them here:
Back Sri Lanka to win T20 World Cup 2022 (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 26.00 with Betfred (1/2 1-2)
Back Scotland to win Group B for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with BetVictor
Back them here:
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