World Twenty20 2014: Test Match Special team of the tournament
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Sri Lanka's victory over India in the World Twenty20 final on Sunday rounded off a captivating tournament littered with outstanding individual displays.
On Sunday, a BBC Test Match Special selection panel of Jonathan Agnew, Vic Marks, Simon Mann, Alison Mitchell and Stephen Brenkley, the Independent's cricket correspondent, convened to pick their team of the tournament.
There was plenty of deliberation, and a fair bit of disagreement, but here is their final XI.
1. Alex Hales (England)
Runs: 166, Average: 55.33, Strike Rate: 158.09
Hales makes the cut on the strength of one innings - but what an innings it was. The Nottinghamshire opener smashed an unbeaten 116 off 64 balls to drive England to a six-wicket win over eventual champions Sri Lanka in the group stage. The tabloids dubbed it a 'Hales Storm' while captain Stuart Broad called it one of the best innings he had seen.
2. Rohit Sharma (India)
Runs: 200, Average: 40.00, Strike Rate: 123.45
A consistent performer at the top of the order for India, with only one failure in six innings. He scored back-to-back fifties in the group-stage wins over West Indies and Bangladesh and frequently flourished alongside Virat Kohli.
3. Virat Kohli (India)
Runs: 319, Average: 106.33, Strike Rate: 129.14
Player of the tournament by a distance, Kohli mixed grace and timing with moments of explosive power. He scored four half-centuries in total and led a superb run chase with an unbeaten 72 against South Africa in the semi-final, only to be let down by his team-mates in the final when he scored 77 of his team's 130 runs.
4. AB De Villiers (South Africa)
Runs: 129, Average: 32.25, Strike Rate: 163.29
Relieved of wicketkeeping duties, De Villiers was a demon in the field and produced one of the innings of the tournament against England. His 69 off 28 balls featured some incredible pieces of improvisation, including a reverse sweep to the boundary off a 92mph delivery from Chris Jordan, and proved the difference between the teams as South Africa reached the last four at England's expense.
5. Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
Runs: 147, Average: 36.75, Strike Rate: 210.00
"The Big Show" lived up to his nickname with some thrilling batting in an otherwise lacklustre Australia side. He struck 12 sixes in only four innings and top-scored with 74 off 33 balls against Pakistan. He also proved his all-round qualities with some handy spells of off-spin.
6. Darren Sammy (West Indies)
Runs: 101, Average: 101.00, Strike Rate: 224.44
The ultimate finisher, West Indies' smiling assassin scorched 101 runs at a barely believable strike rate of 224.44. His finest hour came against Australia when he made James Faulkner pay for his pre-match outburst against the Windies by cracking consecutive sixes to complete a six-wicket win with two balls to spare.
7. Mahendra Dhoni (India) - captain and wicketkeeper
Runs: 50, Average: 50, SR: 125.00, Catches: 3, Stumpings: 3
The Indian skipper chipped in with a couple of twenties with the bat, but was hardly needed as Sharma and Kohli did most of India's donkey work in a cruise through the group stage. But he marshalled his troops with characteristic authority in the field and was sharp and decisive behind the stumps.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
Wickets: 12, Average: 11.27, Economy Rate: 5.65
A key performer in the tournament's most miserly bowling attack, Ashwin was man of the match against Australia, when he took 4-11 and bowled the dangerous Maxwell with a perfect carrom ball. Fought a losing battle in the final when India were let down by their batsmen, and by the time he was clubbed for the winning six by Thisara Perera, the game had gone.
9. Samuel Badree (West Indies)
Wickets: 11, Average: 10.27, Economy Rate: 5.65
Badree was at the forefront of a leg-spinning renaissance in the tournament, along with Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir, and had an influence on every Windies match. He finished joint-second in the wicket charts with Ashwin, taking four against Bangladesh and 3-10 in the 84-run demolition of Pakistan that took West Indies to the semi-finals.
10. Sunil Narine (West Indies)
Wickets: 6, Average: 15.33, Economy Rate: 4.60
Two West Indies bowlers in the team of the tournament and both of them are spinners - how times have changed. Narine further enhanced his status as a T20 phenomenon as he tied down opposition batsmen with his extraordinary variety of deliveries. Despite frequently bowling in the six-over powerplay and towards the death, his economy rate of 4.60 was comfortably the best in the tournament.
11. Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
Wickets: 5, Average: 22.00, Economy Rate: 6.11
An essential part of Sri Lanka's beautifully balanced attack, Malinga ended up captaining his team to the title after Dinesh Chandimal was banned and subsequently dropped himself. As a bowler, he burst into life in the semi-finals when he bowled Windies openers Chris Gayle and Devon Smith in the space of four balls. Delivered yorkers to order at the death and helped restrict India to an under-par 130 in the final.
12th man Dale Steyn (South Africa)
Wickets: 9, Average, 17.00, Economy Rate: 7.98
The South Africa paceman delivered the over of the tournament to beat New Zealand but was significantly more expensive than Malinga thereafter. He conceded 44 runs against England and 36 in 3.1 overs against India in the semi-final when he proved powerless to stop Kohli steering India into the showpiece.
The official ICC men's team of the tournament contained eight of the XI chosen by TMS. It was (in batting order):
Rohit Sharma (India), Stephan Myburgh (Netherlands), Virat Kohli (India), JP Duminy (South Africa), Glenn Maxwell (Australia), Mahendra Dhoni (India, capt & wk), Darren Sammy (West Indies), Ravichandran Ashwin (India), Dale Steyn (South Africa), Samuel Badree (West Indies), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka). 12th man: Krishmar Santokie (West Indies).
The ICC team of the women's tournament was (in batting order):
Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Charlotte Edwards (England, capt), Meg Lanning (Australia), Sarah Taylor (England, wk), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Natalie Sciver (England), Salma Khatun (Bangladesh), Poonam Yadav (India), Anya Shrubsole (England).
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If it wasn't for him Sri Lanka would've never made the final? If you're going to add Alex Hales for a single innings, it's not fair to leave out Herath who also bowled very tighly in the final and semi final.
Where are the Dutch batsmen? Only Virat Kohli hit more sixes than the two Dutchmen.
I agree about Dhoni. Due to the brilliance of Virat Kholi, he hardly made a contribution. I also question the inclusion of Alex Hales who only had one decent innings against Sri Lanka & went missing against the other sides .
I would put up a case for the inclusion of Dwayne Bravo. A useful bowler, brilliant fielder & scored many important runs for the WI's to get them over the line.
Herath should be in as a minimum.
Hales? One good innings does not make a tournament.
Looking back at the West Indies when England won it, Kieswetter and KP were the players of the tournament, look what the selectors did to them.
Sri Lanka's team was full of veterans. We discarded our best player in a very disrespectful way.
Winning any World Cup is a big achievement.
Secondly, my WorldTwenty20 2014 would be as follows:
1 Alex Hales
2 Rohit Sharma
3 Virat Kohli
4 Sangakarra
5 AB de Villiers
6 MS Dhoni Captain and Wkt
7 Sammy
8 Ashwin
9 Steyn
10 Herath
11 Malinga
12th man Narine or Badree
Kohli and AB De V are shoe ins after that the panel need to look closer at the stats, especially of the winners of the tournament who have, there is no doubt, performed well when they needed to.
Surprising Bravo with the timing/aggression of his runs scored as well as many match changing/difficult catches is not in the team.
Hales in on just one good innings? Was O'Brien a few years ago when he marmalised England? You could of just as easily picked one of the Dutch for their epic chase! Poor stuff
And no place for Tahir, Mishra or Duminy?
Sri Lanka "bad" losers ??? I think you are mistaking disappointment with the "bad" losers tag.
Because he was consistently crap?
Good idea, lets swap some of those Indian players for erm.... how about Sri Lankan's?! I'm sure India would win that game..... chortle.