Things in Australia are heating up as the hot, summery country is all set to provide its soil for the 8th ICC men’s T20 World Cup. The pitches in Australia are fast and bouncy, characterized by more clay content than soil. And with wider boundaries, the grounds are a bowling haven, especially for the fast bowlers.

 It will be a tough competition between the T20 World Cup Super 12 group 1 which consists of Australia, England, New Zealand, and Afghanistan. Two more teams will join at the conclusion of the first round.  The group has in store world-class power-hitters along with ace pacers. Here’s a look at the squads, strengths, and schedules of the super 12 group 1.

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T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 Group 1

Australia

T20I Rankings: 6th 

Number of T20I World Cup Trophies: 1 (T20I World Cup Champions 2021)

Overview: 

Defending champions and hosts Australia will enter the competition full of confidence. The team wasn’t a favorite last year but they easily cruised to the finals where they defeated New Zealand with utmost comfort to claim the T20I World Cup title. 

This time, the competition is in their own back yard which makes them favorites to win the competition. Finch’s army has won four out of six T20I series this year which goes on to show how well-prepared they are. Despite the fact that the recent 20-over series against England saw the yellow shirts get brutally thrashed, it is also a well-known fact how dangerous the team can be especially in the ICC tournaments.

Top-ranked batter: Aaron Finch – 7th

Opener and captain Aaron Finch is a hard hitter of bat and his batting masterclass has helped Australia massively. But 2022 hasn’t been the greatest of years for the right-hand batter. A recent slump in form has pushed back his performances and so his T20I ranking. 

But it’s not just the batting Aaron brings to the table, it’s his captaincy skills as well. Despite not being able to perform well in last year’s version of the same tournament, Finch led his team to its maiden title and this time it will be only easier. 

Top-ranked bowler: Josh Hazlewood- 1st

Taking wickets is a serious job and Josh Hazlewood is the best in the business. Australia will be heavily reliant on the right-arm fast-medium bowler and with the pitches favoring his style of bowling, he’ll be dangerous for any opponent. The 31-year-old will be important in the T20 World Cup 2022 super 12 matches.

Schedule

• Saturday, October 22 – vs New Zealand
• Tuesday, October 25 – vs Group A winner
• Friday, October 28 – vs England
• Monday, October 31- vs Group B runner-up
• Friday, November 4 – vs Afghanistan

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England

T20I Rankings: 2nd 

Number of T20I World Cup Trophies: 1 (T20I World Cup Champions 2010)

Overview:

Ever since new management has taken over England cricket, they have only soared. It wasn’t that they were playing poor cricket before, but this new limited-over English team is something else. The new captain Jos Buttler has done justice to Eoin Morgan’s position and the pack will be a force to reckon with.

The three lion army is packed with power hitters and some seriously dangerous bowlers. The team’s recent stint in Pakistan and then in Australia show that they are here to win. With Australia and New Zealand on board the T20 World Cup 2022 super 12 group 1, it will be an interesting contest. They came so close to winning the contest last year, but a slumpy performance in the semi-final against New Zealand ended the dream of clinching their second trophy. 

Top-ranked batter: Dawid Malan – 6th

6th in the T20I ranking and 1st in the overall T20 batting ranking says a lot about the explosive hitter Dawid Malan. As a top-order batter, his job is to put in runs and anchor the innings and that is exactly what he does and that is exactly what England needs. In the recently concluded 20-over series against Australia, Malan contributed 107 runs in just three innings. With the 25-year-old on their side, England will be looking to score big this tournament.

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Top-ranked Bowler: Adil Rashid – 8th

In the form of Adil Rashid, England has found a brilliant spinner. But Jos Buttler will have to use Rashid wisely since the Aussie pitches are not always kind to spinners being all bouncy and fast. But Adil Rashid is a handy bowler, one England would definitely want in the playing XI and one who has taken crucial wickets at crucial moments.

Schedule

• Saturday, October 22 – vs Afghanistan
• Wednesday, October 26 – vs Group B runner-up
• Tuesday, November 1 – vs New Zealand
• Monday, October 31- vs Group B runner-up
• Saturday, November 5 – vs Group A winner

New Zealand

T20I Rankings: 5th 

Number of T20I World Cup Trophies: None

Overview: 

New Zealand is perhaps one of the most unfortunate cricket countries when it comes to ICC trophies. In 2019, the Kiwis came so close to clinching the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy but ran out of luck despite having a super-over. In last year’s edition of the 20-over format, the black caps again qualified for the finals but could not put up a winning performance.

When it comes to playing the T20I, New Zealand has spent most of 2022 playing with lower-ranked teams. And the results have all been in their favour. In the last bit though, the Kiwis hosted Pakistan and Bangladesh for a tri-series the result of which went in Pakistan’s favor. But one thing is clear, Kane and his men are all set for the mega event. With the right combination of hitters and wicket-takers, the black caps are surely eyeing their first ICC trophy.

Top-ranked batter: Devon Conway – 5th

The right-hand batter with 941 T20 runs in 25 inning Devon Conway is one of New Zealand’s hope towards their maiden trophy. He will play a key role in all the T20 World Cup 2022 super 12 group 1 matches for the Kiwis. Conway adapts to different pitches well and loves trying different shots, especially on fast pitches. All eyes will be on the batter to put a good total along with others. 

Top-ranked bowler: Mitchell Santner – 12th

One has to dig a little deeper to find who is ranked the finest among the bowling line-up from New Zealand and it’s no surprise to see Mitchell Santner there. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler has been an important part of the New Zealand squad and is a reliable wicket-taker. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the black caps bowling has been a little off, but it doesn’t mean black shirts have any fewer chances to win. Santner’s exquisite spell against India in the 2019 World Cup strangulated India’s middle order which later aided his team to qualify for the finals.

Schedule

• Saturday, October 22 – vs Australia
• Wednesday, October 26 – vs Afghanistan
• Saturday, October 29 – vs Group A winner
• Tuesday, November 1- vs England
• Friday, November 4 – vs Group B runner-up

Afghanistan

T20I Rankings: 10th 

Number of T20I World Cup Trophies: None

It seems, as though, someone has breathed in a new spirit inside the Afghanistan cricket team, maybe it’s the new coaches. Even though the team still has a long way to go, they aren’t the under-dogs they were once considered in the cricketing world. Their stint in the Asia Cup was one to remember. They won both their group stage matches but weren’t lucky enough in the next round despite them being very close encounters.

Led by Muhammad Nabi, the team has just the right ingredients to win the Cup. They have hard hitters and bowlers who have the ability to take critical wickets. They have worked on their run rate and so everything is working for them. It will be exciting to see how the team does in Australia especially when they are placed among the top teams in the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12. 

Top-ranked batter: Rahmanullah Gurbaz – 18th

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is just 20 years old and is already among the top 20 T20I batters in the world. With a strike rate of 138.46, the youngster has aggregated 828 runs in just 32 innings. The right-hand wicket-keeper batter does batting mostly in boundaries and has been a vital part of the Asia Cup for his team. Once he gets going, it gets very hard to stop him. It will be Gurbaz’s first time playing in Australia, and only time will tell if the lad would be able to replicate his past performances on Aussie soil.

Top-ranked bowler: Rashid Khan – 2nd

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Rashid Khan is one of the finest leg-spinners in the modern world. He took Afghanistan cricket to heights it never knew before. With the 24-year-old in the team, Afghanistan has an edge since Khan has massive experience playing on Australian soil owing to the Big Bash League (BBL). This experience will be essential for his team, especially because the T20 World Cup 2022 super 12 group 1 is packed with some powerful teams.

Schedule: 

• Saturday, October 22 – vs England
• Wednesday, October 26 – vs New Zealand
• Friday, October 28 – vs Group B runner-up
• Tuesday, November 1- vs Group A winner
• Friday, November 4 – vs Australia

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