2012 T20 World Cup: Meet the teams

12 teams, 1 trophy. Take a look at the profiles of the countries participating in the fourth T20 World Cup.

India: The Indian squad has eight members who were part of the T20 World Cup-winning side in 2007, with the focus clearly on the 6/6 man- Yuvraj Singh. While the batting sorts itself out, it is the bowling that will be tested, especially the pace department. Ravichandran Ashwin is the No.1 spinner in the side, and given India’s part-time options, it will be interesting to see where Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla figure in Dhoni’s scheme of things.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (skipper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathi Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh.

West Indies: Balance and Power. Two words that come to mind when we look at the West Indian roster. On paper, a side that can win any fantasy league hands down. Having said so, it is their performance as a unit that will determine the distance they traverse in the tournament. 

Squad: Darren Sammy (skipper), Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith.

Australia: Should we trust age or ability? While the Australian playing XI flashes in your eyes, you may not be surprised to learn that a majority of the players are touching 30, or on the wrong side of it. George Bailey is a skipper who is easily the most inexperienced name in the side, if not the tournament. Could that be a good thing?

Squad:George Bailey (skipper), Daniel Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

England:Barring Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, this English side has names that have been in and out of the squad. Kevin Pietersen- their highest run-getter from their 2010 World Cup-winning campaign is missing, a fact hard to ignore. That the three lions will score is a certainty, but will the defending champions roar?

Squad: Stuart Broad (skipper), Jonny Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright.

Pakistan :Another balanced side in the competition, with as many as five all-rounders ready to take their place in their side, with excellent cricketing CVs in their kit bags. It is upto Pakistan to pick the combination that clicks, for with a new skipper in charge, there is no other choice but to step on the gas.

South Africa: The problem with calling South Africa the favourites, is their reputation for tripping on self-made obstacles. With a side packed with pretty much the best T20 players in the world, the only opponents they need to fear is themselves. Will they manage to break the trend in Sri Lanka?

Squad: AB de Villiers (skipper), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Sri Lanka:According to spearhead Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka are favourites for the simple reason that they have been playing the Sri Lankan Premier League. That should be a first, given that no nation that has hosted the tournament has won it. In a team with so many match winners, it should be possible, provided they let the bat and the ball do the talking.

Squad: Mahela Jayawardene (skipper), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Akila Dananjaya, Shaminda Eranga, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Jeewan Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera, Thisara Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne.

New Zealand: The Black Caps have a reputation for being cricket’s dark horses, for as long as they have been playing cricket. While the batting looks world class, the bowling is at best first class barring Vettori, but it is the temperament and their will to win that needs work. Not that they don’t know how to win a cricket match.

Squad: Ross Taylor (skipper), Doug Bracewell, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Bangladesh: At best a surprise. While Bangladesh might be upset with this description of their prospects at the T20 World Cup, they will have to play out of their skins to be more than just an underdog menace. With most of their success revolving around their lynchpin-Shakib-Al-Hasan, it’s probably time for the remaining ten to step up and contribute. 

Ireland: The Irish have been international cricket’s comets, with victories against Pakistan and England in ODI cricket the only shining light in what is pretty much a big heap of losses. About the squad, in Kevin O’Brien they have a hard-hitting batsman who has scored the fastest ODI World Cup century. George Dockrell once dismissed Sachin Tendulkar with his left-arm spin, while Trent Johnston’s funky chicken goes viral, whenever he bags a wicket. They need to do more, to be more than just trivia.

Squad: William Porterfield (skipper), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe had beaten Australia at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, with present skipper Brendan Taylor playing a Man-of-the-Match winning knock in that fixture. They have been grouped alongside Sri Lanka and South Africa in the competition, and can raise eyebrows only if they manage to lift their performance as a team.

Squad: Brendan Taylor (skipper), Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu, Forster Mutizwa, Richard Muzhange, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller.

Afghanistan: International cricket’s journeymen first warmed hearts by just putting together a cricket team, and qualifying for their second T20 World Cup is an achievement by itself. In a side made up of stocky men who picked up the game as refugees in Pakistan, skipper Nawroz Mangal’s name stands out. Their stock can rise, if they manage a win. Wishful thinking for they are in a group that also has India and England.

Squad: Nawroz Mangal (skipper), Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Izzatullah Dawlatzai, Karim Sadeq, Mohammad Jawed Ahmadi, Mohd Nasim Baras, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Asghar Stanikzai, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shapur Zadran.