We are at the business end of the First Round Group Stage matches of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and boy, has it been a journey so far. The tournament has already witnessed a few glittering performances, and the upsets of past champions Sri Lanka (the 2014 winners) and the West Indies (2012, 2016). (More Cricket News)
Minnow nations, as they are often labelled in cricket, are sparing no effort to secure their place in the Super 12. Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus expressed happiness after landing an upset win over Sri Lanka and stated the importance of continued hard work.
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A subsequent upset followed with Scotland routing two-time champions West Indies and announcing their intentions. Players George Munsey and Mark Watt went full-throttle with the bat and ball, respectively, denting the Nicholas Pooran-led side’s hope of qualifying.
With a few games yet to be played, here are some contenders from the minnow teams that fans should keep a close eye on.
Mark Watt (Scotland)
A spinner opening the bowling is often deemed as a courageous move in T20 cricket. It paid off for Mark Watt, and by extension Scotland, as his 3/12 against the West Indies proved too much for the latter to handle. His inability to spin the ball a long way might be his best asset on Australian pitches, and pave the way for a few more important, result-altering scalps.
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Jan Frylinck (Namibia)
October 16, 2022 was a historic day in cricket as Namibia caused a major upset in the opening game of the T20 World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by 55 runs. Jan Frylinck’s all-round effort rightfully won him the Player of the Match award. He repeated his heroics against The Netherlands, but could not get his team over the line in this low-scoring clash. Regardless, two good performances in as many matches are worthy enough to keep us invested in Frylinck.
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
Raza has been Zimbabwe’s top player for a while now, and he again put his prowess on display against Ireland in their opening match of the 2022 T20 World Cup. First performing with the bat with a meaty 82 and then chipping in with a wicket, the 36-year-old was justly hailed by his team-mates. Zimbabwe look like a team on a mission and their upcoming match against the West Indies will surely set the temperatures soaring with Raza looking to leave another lasting mark.
Michael Alexander Jones (Scotland)
Michael Jones made his mark in his debut ODI match when he scored 87 for Scotland against Ireland in 2018. The Scottish top order batsman deceptively progresses his innings briskly making him one of the players to watch out for. Though his 20 off 17 against West Indies might not speak highly of him as yet, undermining this Durham Academy youngster might be the last thing teams would want to do.
Bas De Leede (The Netherlands)
Another all-rounder in this list is Bas de Leede from The Netherlands, who is capable of stealing the limelight on his best day. In their victory over Namibia, Leede was instrumental in scoring run-a-ball and claiming two wickets while bowling before. The right-arm medium fast bowler perfectly manipulated the conditions to his team’s advantage and will like to carry the confidence through the remainder of the tournament.
