Whew, I'm off for a couple of days and cricket seems to have peaked.
Really pleased for Pakistan, they've played good cricket and it will be exciting to have a potential India-Pakistan clash in the final again after so many years.
Still think they've got things to improve on but they've got a fighting chance now. Haris' introduction is reminding me of Fakhar's debut and rise in the CT 2017. Babar and Rizwan need to step up vs NZ, they've got the talent to and I believe they will but the time is ripe for the star duo to finally perform.
Netherlands! They deserve to leave with another victory and I hope this does boost the game in their country. Qualifying directly is a huge bonus too and I honestly feel like this scenario was specifically pointed out in the pre-match meeting as they outplayed South Africa to an extent I haven't seen them do this tournament. This means that Ireland and Scotland will be favourites for the European qualifiers for the next WC's two spots from Europe with Jersey as a dark horse. I suspect Uganda in Africa won't be too pleased though as this does affect their chances!
Bangladesh... this feels like a missed opportunity for them. They had a shot at qualification for the semis and they did push Pakistan and India to an extent that they wouldn't have believed was possible previously. They've gotta regroup and look towards the next event though. I'd start by getting a new skipper in the team and get the team playing smarter cricket that doesn't involve holing out to the longest part of the stadium for starters.
Zimbabwe were so close too. In the end though they have only themselves to blame. The new crop hasn't really stepped up in a way they would have wanted to and this might be an issue in the future if Namibia and Uganda continue developing at the rate they are.
As for India... our hopes seem to be all pinned on SKY at the moment and Kohli lasting long enough at the crease for a good finish. KL has two fifties in two games but the way he's utilised the powerplay doesn't seem to be.. ideal. It hasn't been a tournament for opening batters and I'd rather he do this 50(30) than 8(12) but I'm still concerned over his mental fortitude. England will be a good litmus test for him and the rest of the side. Hardik looks clueless on these surfaces and I suspect teams have worked out that he's going to struggle with the back of length deliveries and won't feed him anything else. Him vs Wood is a match-up that I'm dreading. Number six seems to be a concern too, neither DK nor Pant have shined till now. DK's probably coming back in for the semis and I hope he's dealt with the nerves that are so evident in his game well as these grounds should suit his style for some quick runs. Again though, him vs Wood is a match-up I'm not looking forward too.
South Africa.. oh dear. They should have been favourites to qualify. They looked so good until... the last two games was it? Bavuma is going to face all of the heat for this (and he does deserve plenty) but I'd say there's a bigger culprit and that's Rabada with the ball. He's been the most expensive bowler in their side and has only two wickets to his name. Those are shocking numbers for the bloke supposed to be the best pacer in the team. This isn't the first time he's gone missing in a crucial situation too. Parnell and Stubbs were so poor with the bat too. It is funny seeing people want Brevis in the WC side when a more experienced player in Stubbs looked so lost, no doubt the former would have crumbled too. Just seems like the state of SA cricket is to choke. Boucher's legacy leaving this side will be mixed too, he's done a below average to average job with the side for the present but has totally screwed things up for his successor and the near future. This side will have almost no quality depth after 15 or so players, multiple deficiencies in the test batting lineup and a perilous qualifying path for the next WC. I'd start by completely revamping this T20I side and turning it into a new one with the best performing younger talent from the CSA T20 and SA20 being given preference. For the next two years the sole goal of the T20I side should be to get as much experience as possible in international cricket for these youngsters to eventually blood them into ODIs and tests.
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