Down to the Final Four

After the perilous league stages and the decimals of the Super Eights, we are left with four teams vying for the ICC World T20 trophy. Both semi-final match ups are tantalizing, pitching two inform teams in England and Australia with two unpredictable sides capable of upstaging the best on their day. Firstly, we come to England taking on last year’s runners-up Sri Lanka.

England ascent during this tournament has been surprising to most analysts and English fans. They’ve build a side based on a powerful batsmen line-up of English, Afrikaans and Irish descent, backed up by a tight and versatile bowling unit. Apart from a rain-marred game against the West Indies, they’ve had a blemish free record that shows parallels with Graham Gooch’s efforts in 1992. Sri Lanka on the other-hand have had their peaks and troughs but ended on a high with a dramatic last ball win against inaugural champions India. Mahela Jayewardene had single handedly brought Sri Lanka into the Super Eights stages but it was encouraging to see others like Thillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera lift their game to ensure passage into the final four. Dilshan was the most devastating player at last year’s tournament and if he finds his range against England, it will take the very best of KP and co. to get through to the final.

One of the most important factors during this tournament has been the pitch conditions. The bounce at Barbados has proved too much for sub-continental teams. Both semi-finals will be played at St. Lucia which will give Sri Lanka and Pakistan some respite from the barrage of short-pitched deliveries dished out against them, until the final that is. Without Muralitharan, it will be interesting to see if Sri Lanka will play Mendis against an English line-up which hasn’t seen much of him. Sri Lanka’s strength lies in their unorthodox approach to the game and England’s line-up will surely face their sternest test this Thursday. England’s bowling has been tight but contains nothing threatening. The spin duo of Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy will also face a tougher task in containing batsmen brought up on turning tracks. It’s a safe bet that both teams will depend heavily on their batting and the contest might come down to which bowling attack can contain best: Sri Lanka’s mix of freakish bowlers or England’s lot of workmen?

The second Semi-final has defending Champions Pakistan take on the undefeated Juggernaut that is Australia. Pakistan holds an impressive record at T20 tournaments. They’ve made the final four for all three tournaments and have a great opportunity to make the final on all three occasions as well. Pakistan’s Houdini antics have been even more impressive during the Caribbean edition where they’ve made the final four by simply winning one competitive game. Last year, they met an impressive and undefeated South African outfit and won through sheer inspiration. This year, they will play an Australian team that is repeating its own bit of history in the Caribbean where they won the 2007 World Cup without a single blemish. So, which piece of history will be retold; The Cornered Tigers or a glimpse of the Australia Empire?

Australia have always been known as a ruthless side in Test and ODI cricket but have never been able to shift that identity to the hits and giggles of T20 but that was before this tournament. They possess three bowlers who can constantly hit the 150s and a solid batting line-up that have been tried and tested throughout the tournament. Pakistan on the other-hand consists of a bag of young, talented and unpredictable players who show every now and then what they are truly capable of. While their mercurial nature may scare most teams into submission after the toss, Pakistan will need all their luck and skill to get through a professional Australian side that isn’t known for half-measures; One can scarcely remember the last time an Australian team have come so far and left with no silverware. This semi-final will be a showcase of two extreme opposites and the outcome could be outlandishly surprising or completely lopsided.

Most commentators have predicted an England v Australia final at Barbados but it would take a brave investor at Goldman Sachs to bet against the others. Twenty20 continues to be an unpredictable game that keeps the fans, players and the analysts guessing. Heck! Just look at Pakistan.