Who's going to win?

[Scaly piscine]

I voted for South Africa. The big hitting all rounders will be the key.

Australia have too much skill to win this tournament.

Their top order will be the key as it has been previously in OD games. You obviously don't get much time in Twenty20, but the openers get all of the innings if they bat well - so I don't really see the all-rounders making much difference with the bat coming in with a couple of overs left - Kemp for instance takes a while to get in anyway.

If Smith and De Villiers hit 100 off the first 8 overs... that goes a long way to winning the game - they're a lot less threatening in the pavilion and South Africa don't like it when you get into their middle order early.

 

[NUFAN]

Their top order will be the key as it has been previously in OD games. You obviously don't get much time in Twenty20, but the openers get all of the innings if they bat well - so I don't really see the all-rounders making much difference with the bat coming in with a couple of overs left - Kemp for instance takes a while to get in anyway.

If Smith and De Villiers hit 100 off the first 8 overs... that goes a long way to winning the game - they're a lot less threatening in the pavilion and South Africa don't like it when you get into their middle order early.

You've only mentioned batting.. Smith may bowl a bit so he'd be classed as an all rounder. Kallis, Pollock, Hall etc will in IMO be dominant with both bat and ball so I'm picking South Africa.

 

[Scaly piscine]

You've only mentioned batting.. Smith may bowl a bit so he'd be classed as an all rounder. Kallis, Pollock, Hall etc will in IMO be dominant with both bat and ball so I'm picking South Africa.

Smith might be able to get through the odd over, the others will to bowl very well to avoid getting smacked around because they're the right sort of pace to get carted - ie there's pace on the ball but there's not enough pace to make it uncomfortable for international class batsmen and there's no awkward height or angle to deal with, the sameness of SA's attack will really work against them in Twenty20.

Hall is good at the death and has the character and mentality, so should do comparitively well - I'd be particularly worried by someone like Kallis bowling (if I were a SA fan).

 

[Raghav]

New Zealand will be winning considering too many hard hitting allrounders in the side.

 

[Athlai]

New Zealand will be winning considering too many hard hitting allrounders in the side.

That will probably be New Zealands main weapon, that almost every player in the team is capable of scoring runs.

All the way down to Bond for 20/20 IMO.
An over to go with any Kiwi and I would expect to see boundaries (or a wicket but you can't win em all) and I think the squad knows that they have that ability which will definately be a benefit to them.

Not many other times have that assurance even Australias last one or two looks a bit of a worry with the bat but I doubt Australia will need to worry about that at all.

Australia favourites but SA NZ to be very capable of upsets.

West Indies are underrated coming into this I think.

 

[open365]

Can't say anything else apart from Australia tbh, they pretty much have the perfect twenty20 team.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Can't say anything else apart from Australia tbh, they pretty much have the perfect twenty20 team.

Not really, they'll have a brilliant batting line up definitely whoever they pick. However their bowling... well it's looking a bit random and could certain disappear around the park and they're looking weak with whatever their 5th bowling option is.

 

[Raghav]

Seems the poll swings clearly to Aussies. No other team in to double figures...

 

[jonny1408]

Australia - I think australia will win it however not as convincly as the world cup and especially with it only been 20 overs i think the shorter the game the easier it is for other teams to sneak a victory especially in semi-final or final.
Bangladesh - Could cause an upset with a few reasonably attacking batsmen in the top order and with quite a few spinners who seem to be the key in 20/20.
England - If they pick a specialist squad then i think they could have a chance of winning or at least getting to the semi-final. However i very much suspect they will not pick a specialist 20/20 squad then may struggle to get past the quarter finals.
Of the squad chosen there are quite a few 20/20 specialists and am glad to see the inclusion of Trescothick but i feel as is the English way we will not pick that many 20/20 specialists seen as we didn't with the west indies series 20/20.
India - Good batting line up, suited to 20/20 maybe, maybe not?? However i do not think their seam attack will be able to handle 20/20 but as spinners are the key Kumble will have to play well to get them past the quarter finals.
Kenya - Do not know a great lot about these bunch of crickets did well in 2003 world cup in South Africa could cause an upset or two.
New Zealand - Finalists, good all round team however i have a feeling they will have a great world cup or an India/Pakistan 2007 world cup one in the Carribean (without the death of a coach!)
Pakistan - Will be determined not to fail after the Carribean but will not make it past Quarter finals.
Scotland - Lose every game will not come close. Sorry Scotsmen i doubt you'll score over 150 runs in the tournament and concede 300+ if you bowl first in both games.
Sri Lanka - Malinga will be hard to get away in 20/20s as will Murali but batting attack will rely heavily on Jayasuriya and Tharanga as the middle to lower order need time to get in.
South Africa - Will score the most runs with their powerful big hitting batting line-up and could have an advantage with being at home. However bowling looks weak as Australia showed in the recent world cup and their lack of a spinner concerns me however Semi-Finalists.
West Indies - Great in the 20/20s in England. This format seemed perfectly suited to their impatient Batsman (except Chanderpaul the greatest player in the world atm IMO). This could be their tournament however they will have a much tougher opposition than England. Anywhere from Quarter Finals to Champions.
Zimbabwe - Haven't got a chance of winning a single game.


Winners - Australia (Unfortunately)
Final - Australia vs. West Indies
Losing Semi Finalists - South Africa, Sri Lanka
Losing Quarter Finalists - England, New Zealand, India, Pakistan

Interesting Stats
Got these off http://www.thetwenty20cup.co.uk/db/t20_wc/default.asp.

Power Rankings
1 Australia 236
2 Bangledesh 199
3 England 195
4 New Zealand 190
5 India 187
6 Pakistan 186
7 South Africa 182
8 Sri Lanka 158
9 Zimbabwe 153
10 West Indies 151

 

[Perm]

Haha, WTF is up with Bangladesh as #2 in those rankings?

 

[andmark]

Haha, WTF is up with Bangladesh as #2 in those rankings?

Nothing, he putted the other (Non-minow.) teams in.

 

[Perm]

Nothing, he putted the other (Non-minow.) teams in.

 

[Scaly piscine]

They're probably based on average boundary runs in ODIs, Bangladesh batsmen like their big shots so they get a few of them (presumably get far fewer 1s, 2s and 3s).

 

[NUFAN]

Haha, WTF is up with Bangladesh as #2 in those rankings?

I think he just got all the teams in alphabetical order and put a lower number each time, somehow forgetting Zim is after Windies..

 

[jonny1408]

Thats the reason why i put it in because it shocked me too and i just go them off the website with the link.

 

[Raghav]

West Indies and Srilanka have got less chances than Banglas,,according to the poll

 

[Dr_Brad]

Australia ftw