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The reigning European champions face an improbable set of permutations on Tuesday night in Glasgow, but there are reasons for them to believe

When the full-time whistle went on Friday at Wembley, the England players looked devastated. They collapsed to the turf and pondered where they had come up short against the Netherlands with some, most notably Mary Earps, in tears. But the Lionesses hadn’t lost the game – they’d actually completed an incredible second-half turnaround to come back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

The paradox of the result and the scenes on the pitch summed up the convoluted set of permutations England face as their Women’s Nations League group-stage campaign comes to an end in Scotland on Tuesday night. A victory by a two-goal margin at Wembley would’ve made things a lot less complicated and put matters more firmly in the Lionesses’ hands – and the players knew that, as they were knocking on the door to make it 4-2 when the referee called time on the match.

A simple way to look at it, though, is that if Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Scotland by a heavy scoreline, thus overtaking the Netherlands in the standings on goal difference, they can progress to the next stage. That doesn’t just mean they have a chance of winning a trophy, but also of booking Great Britain a spot in next summer’s Olympic women’s football tournament.

The Netherlands will take on a tricky Belgium side at the same time on Tuesday, one that has already beaten both the Dutch and England, so there is certainly a chance that they drop points. But the Lionesses will be fully focused on their own task, on beating Scotland and rubbing salt in the wounds of their neighbours, who were relegated from League A of the Nations League after a draw with Belgium on Friday night.

After that remarkable turnaround at Wembley, England will have a lot of confidence that they can defy the odds once more to keep their Nations League and Olympic dreams alive. There are plenty of reasons to believe, in fact, as GOAL picks out five of them…

Getty ImagesOne of the best coaches on the planet

At half-time on Friday, with the Netherlands 2-0 up, England looked down and out. They’d lacked rhythm to their play in the first 45 minutes, there were too many errors and the Dutch had been incredibly ruthless. But the team never gave up hope, which is a testament to the culture in the dressing room, and Wiegman stepped up to show why she’s regarded as one of the best coaches in the sport.

A couple of tactical tweaks, which included addressing the overload the Netherlands had created in midfield, and the introduction of Beth Mead – which raised an eyebrow or two simply because it took a relatively lively Chloe Kelly off the pitch – helped to make England look like an entirely different team in the second half, sparking a truly incredible comeback. “I’m a human being, of course I have doubts in my mind,” Wiegman admitted after the game. “But we have to make decisions and I think we did that pretty well.”

The Dutchwoman hasn’t been without fault in her England tenure and there are issues that have built up during her time with the team that have contributed to this precarious situation, one which leaves the Lionesses’ chances of making the Nations League finals in serious jeopardy.

But she has also reached four major finals – winning two of them – since 2017. This is one of the best coaches on the planet, and she showed just what she is capable of on Friday. Knowing that she could well do so again on Tuesday doesn’t just give England a greater chance of topping their group, it will also give the players a lot of confidence.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBeth Mead’s return

It was no coincidence that England’s comeback on Friday came after Wiegman had introduced Mead at half-time. It was the Arsenal star’s first appearance for her country in over a year, after a cruel ACL injury left her sidelined for a lengthy spell that included the Women’s World Cup, and she made it a return to remember. Mead added conviction to the attack, most notably playing a great pass into Georgia Stanway in the build-up to the Lionesses’ equaliser, allowing the Bayern Munich midfielder to tee up Lauren Hemp to level the scores.

“She had a very good impact,” Wiegman said afterwards. “It’s really impressive, coming back from injury, building with Arsenal, and then playing an international game of this level, this environment, 70,000 people, I’m very proud of her.”

"The days when I've struggled in the gym, long, hard training days of not being able to play football and do the thing that I love, it makes it worthwhile to run out there in front of such a big crowd, getting a great reception and a ruthless second half of football,” Mead added.

Whether or not she is ready for a bigger role in Tuesday’s game against Scotland, the return of her world-class talent is a huge boost for this England team, especially with them likely to need to rack up the goals in Glasgow.

Getty ImagesLauren James’ form

Another forward of incredible quality who made a serious impact on Friday was Lauren James – and it wasn’t even one of her best performances. There was plenty of intent from the Chelsea star, who picked the ball up in dangerous areas and drove at the Dutch defence to try and make things happen. Often, she found her aim was just off, with a few shots flying off target, but she stepped up in the second half to help orchestrate the comeback.

Given the time and space to look up and pick out a team-mate just before the hour, James whipped in a gorgeous cross in her typically nonchalant manner, one that landed perfectly on the head of Stanway as the Bayern Munich star directed the ball beyond Daphne van Domselaar and into the far corner.

In stoppage-time, from a near identical position, she repeated the trick, this time sending the ball towards the back post where Ella Toone was making an untracked run. It fell perfectly for James’ former Manchester United team-mate, who finished brilliantly through the legs of the goalkeeper to win the game for England.

This is a player in incredible form, someone who is currently tied at the top of the goalscoring charts in the Women’s Super League after a remarkable start to the season. Despite never really hitting top gear at Wembley, she showed real glimpses of that rhythm she’s in, with no player creating more chances on Friday than James.

When she is on the pitch, with that magic in her boots, England always have a greater chance of doing something special.

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GettyScotland’s sorrows

There’s something to be said about the position Scotland find themselves going into this game, too. Pedro Martinez Losa’s side were relegated from League A in the Nations League on Friday after a draw with Belgium. It’s been a difficult group-stage campaign for the team, with them putting in a couple of relatively decent performances – particularly the one against England in Sunderland – but also some really underwhelming ones.

Scotland’s cause hasn’t been helped by the loss of Caroline Weir, the talismanic Real Madrid star, to an ACL injury and, on Friday, there was further reason for concern when Erin Cuthbert, the talented Chelsea midfielder, came off looking a little worse for wear with a head injury. To lose her for Tuesday’s game would be another huge blow for a team that, despite putting in an admirable performance on Friday, will no doubt be feeling a little demoralised and low on confidence after relegation.

The rivalry between England and Scotland runs deep and the Lionesses’ neighbours certainly will not roll over despite having nothing to play for in Glasgow. But they will be vulnerable, and if Wiegman’s side can get a couple of early goals, their heads could well drop and England’s chances of recording the convincing win that is likely to be needed will improve.

Ashley Giles’s disclosure at a Lancashire members forum that Andrew Flintoff is unlikely to play any cricket for Lancashire this season should surprise no one

Paul Edwards28-Apr-2015Ashley Giles’s disclosure at a Lancashire members forum that Andrew Flintoff is unlikely to play any cricket for Lancashire this season should surprise no one.The demands made on current players, even T20 specialists, are not easy to balance with a host of media appearances and the player himself said at the end of the Big Bash that he was struggling to square his many other commitments with the regimen of a professional sportsman.Even at Lancashire, the county represented with such distinction by that mighty trencherman Jack Simmons, chip-van tours and cricket no longer mix.Old Trafford coach Giles was already finding it difficult to contact Flintoff and had opted to send him texts, facts which scarcely suggest a very close relationship between the pair.Moreover, the player himself had been forthright in his criticism of his county during a winter in which a number of loyal servants, including Academy Director John Stanworth, had been made redundant. That might also have made a return to the staff pretty difficult.This summer Flintoff has a stand-up tour arranged in addition to his TV commitments and whatever other bookings and his representatives accept.Lancashire supporters will therefore have to content themselves with their memories of his three appearances in the 2014 NatWest T20 Blast, the last of which took place in the final at Edgbaston when his eight-ball 20 not out just failed to secure the trophy for his team.From there, there was a Big Bash season where Flintoff was a popular figure at Brisbane Heat but he made more of an impact as a commentator than a player and he conceded when it was all over that the end of the road was nigh.It is surely pretty unlikely that any other county will offer Flintoff a T20 contract, although the temptation to ask Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie whether he has considered the possibility may be too delicious to resist.

Offspinner Mark Craig spearheaded an incisive bowling performance from Otago, as they comprehensively beat Canterbury by 47 runs in the HRV Cup in Christchurch

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Neil Wagner picked up two wickets for just 11 runs•AFPOffspinner Mark Craig spearheaded an incisive bowling performance from Otago, as they comprehensively beat Canterbury by 47 runs in the HRV Cup in Christchurch.Craig got the crucial wickets of the Rob Nicol, Bradley Cachopa and Andrew Ellis, and eventually finished with 3 for 29, as Canterbury struggled to produce a significant partnership. Nicol top-scored with 31, but James McMillan, Neil Wagner and Ryan ten Doeschate picked up two wickets each, to prevent any of the other batsmen from settling, as Canterbury were bundled out for 121 inside 18 overs.Otago, put in to bat, were earlier propelled by a 29-ball 46 from Derek de Boorder, and his 70-run third-wicket partnership with Aaron Redmond, that helped them overcome an early wobble at the top. Redmond and de Boorder both departed in quick succession, but ten Doeschate added a late surge by racing to 35 off just 26 balls, to help Otago to a competitive 168 for 9 from their 20 overs.

Preview of the second one-day international between England and South Africa at West End

The Preview by Alan Gardner27-Aug-2012Match FactsAugust 28, West End
Start time 1pm (1200GMT)Alastair Cook has enjoyed a vastly successful 2012 as England’s ODI captain•Getty ImagesThe Big PicturePersistent rainfall in Cardiff limited the action to just 33 legitimate deliveries in the first ODI, as England retained their No. 1 ranking by virtue of a no-result. In that short window, however, Ian Bell managed to hit Morne Morkel for sixes over midwicket and long-off, racing to one of the most classy (if pointless) 26 not outs you’re likely to see. He only faced 18 deliveries in the mid-afternoon murk but it was enough to re-emphasise why England are happy with their post-Kevin Pietersen one-day set-up.The proposition remains the same for the second match of the series, with a win for South Africa enough to depose England at the top of the rankings. Conceivably, the No. 1 tag could be handed back and forth in Chuckle Brothers style (“To me, to you”) over the course of the next week and a bit, though England may hope that a return to the sort of damp, overcast conditions that provided the backdrop to their 4-0 win over Australia will aid their pursuit of a fourth consecutive ODI series victory in 2012.Under AB de Villiers, South Africa have won six from eight ODIs, beating Sri Lanka 3-2 at home (losing only the two dead games) and then claiming a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand. Few of the current squad have played at Hampshire’s West End ground before, though they did manage a visit to nearby St Mary’s for Southampton’s Premier League match against Wigan at the weekend and may take inspiration from the visitors’ 2-0 victory. At the very least, their warm-up games of football should show some improvement.Form guide (Most recent first, completed matches)
England WWWWW
South Africa WWWLLWatch out for…Steven Finn has taken 23 ODI wickets at 15.91 in 2012, at a better strike-rate than any other bowler in the world with ten or more dismissals to their name. His fiery spell on day four of the third Test evoked the consistent hostility of Finn’s recent one-day bowling, which appears to have improved his discipline and economy. A comparison with Lonwabo Tsotsobe, the only fast bowler currently ranked above him, should be interesting.There are few bigger holes to fill in world cricket than that left by the rested Jacques Kallis. Dean Elgar made his South Africa debut in the first ODI, though it was limited to trudging around a wet outfield, and the 25-year-old should have a more extended chance to impress while filling in for Kallis at No. 3 this time around. Elgar won the domestic one-day cricketer of the year award in 2011-12 and his slow left-arm spin could come in useful if the pitch offers turn.Team newsDespite Jonny Bairstow’s T20 pyrotechnics, England seem unlikely to ditch Ravi Bopara, who returned to the side at Cardiff after time off for personal issues. Bopara’s form is a question mark, however, and he was released to get some batting practice for Essex in the CB40 today. Samit Patel may return at the expense of Chris Woakes if England want a second spin option.England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Samit Patel/Chris Woakes, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven FinnAlbie Morkel and Dale Steyn missed out on the brief skirmish at Cardiff due to minor injuries and neither is expected to play on Tuesday, though both should be fit for World Twenty20. South Africa could call on Imran Tahir after more than a year out of the one-day side.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Dean Elgar, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Ryan McLaren, 9 Wayne Parnell, 8 Robin Petersen, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo TsotsobePitch and conditionsOn Twenty20 Finals Day in Cardiff, where the first ODI was rained off 24 hours earlier, Hampshire were presented with a familiar slow, low surface on which they duly prevailed. A similar track is perhaps to be expected at West End, though England made 288 against West Indies at the ground earlier this summer and with a bright, clear forecast, batsmen shouldn’t fare too badly. De Villiers has consulted Hampshire’s former South Africa international Neil McKenzie and he advised the touring party to expect the pitch to spin.Stats and trivia South Africa have played only once at the Rose Bowl, as it was then called, in 2003 against Zimbabwe – a match they won by seven wickets, with Graeme Smith scoring 69. Ian Bell has made his two ODI hundreds – both scores of 126 – at the ground. AB de Villiers currently averages 158.33 as captain/wicketkeeper of South Africa’s ODI side. As on Friday, if South Africa win this match they will become the first team to hold the No. 1 position in all three formats.Quotes”The guys who have come in and replaced him have done particularly well. Whoever has stepped up has done really, really well.”
“David has a bright future ahead of him and I look forward to playing with him one day, but we have just got quite a lot [of destructive batsman].”

Western Australian cricket officials have sought permission from Cricket New South Wales to speak to Simon Katich about ending his first-class career in his home state

Daniel Brettig22-Feb-2012Western Australian cricket officials have sought permission from Cricket New South Wales to speak to Simon Katich, the former Australia opener, about ending his first-class career in his home state.Following his stint with the Perth Scorchers in the Twenty20 Big Bash League, 36-year-old Katich reportedly told teammates he counted the experience among the most enjoyable of his career. ESPNcricinfo understands the Western Australian Cricket Association have now made a formal request to negotiate a possible deal with Katich.Katich’s ties with NSW remain close, but his links to the state were weakened by his loss of the state captaincy at the start of the summer after the state chose to hand the position to allrounder Steve O’Keefe. After learning of that decision, Katich elected to sign with the Scorchers for the BBL, and warmed to the comforts of the state that he started his career in.In the meantime, the NSW Blues have endured a most unhappy season, failing to contend for either the Sheffield Shield or the domestic limited-overs title. Their last Shield match, which Katich missed due to a concussion, ended in an innings and 323-run hiding by the Western Australia Warriors.Lachlan Stevens, the Warriors coach, said a direct approach had not yet been made, but said he would be keen for Katich to return home and be part of a Warriors squad that has struggled for consistency in recent summers.”I don’t know where Kat’s at,” Stevens told reporters in Perth. “We spoke to him during the Big Bash about Big Bash situations. If Simon Katich comes to us and says that he wants to come back to Western Australia and play a season here, you’d be silly not to use a man of his experience and his calibre. If that happens, that happens, but we’re not sure where that sits at the moment. We’ll wait and see post-season.”The Warriors are already on the lookout for a gloveman to replace Luke Ronchi, after he announced his intention to move to New Zealand to push for an international place in the country of his birth. Tom Triffit from Tasmania and Ben Dunk from Queensland were two names raised by Stevens.”We’re going to look through all our options there. We’ll open the floor and see what we can get and see who is available,” Stevens said. “Triffitt is a very good young player, he’s won a Shield down in Tasmania. Benny Dunk has been a good ball-striker. I’m not sure about his wicketkeeping all up. But we’re not going to say ‘no’ to any of them. We’re going to open the floor and see what happens.”And that’s not to discount our two young fellas as well in [Sam] Whiteman and [Cameron] Bancroft … and Michael Johnson, the door is not shut on him here.”

Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, has said his side has gotten rid of the mentality of aiming for respectable losses, and now try to win every game

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2011Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, has said his side has got rid of the mentality of aiming for respectable losses, and now try to win every game. He said Pakistan were the favourites to win their Twenty20 match against Bangladesh in Mirpur but pointed out that West Indies were also tipped to beat Bangladesh in the Twenty20 opener of their tour, but lost.”I think Bangladesh cricket has crossed that barrier where we aim for a respectable loss against a big team,” Mushfiqur said. “That mentality is not there within this group of players. We play to win every game against whichever team.”They’re the favourites no doubt but if we play our best cricket, it won’t be easy to beat us in any of the formats. West Indies were favourites against us as we don’t usually play Twenty20s. At the end of the day, we bowled well and despite a hiccup in batting, we finished as winners. It will be more difficult tomorrow as Pakistan are experienced and in form, but they have to start from scratch to beat us.”The Twenty20 against West Indies was Mushfiqur’s first game in charge and he took Bangladesh home in their chase with an unbeaten 41 off 26 balls. Bangladesh then lost the one-day series against West Indies 1-2 and the Tests 0-1. Mushfiqur said his bowlers had not utilised the home advantage enough in the matches against West Indies and would have to now, considering how strong Pakistan’s attack is.”They [Pakistan] have one of the best bowling attacks in ODIs, so playing against them would be difficult. In our last series, we couldn’t utilise the wickets. It would be necessary for us to take responsibility in this series. The team that’ll take most out of the pitches, they’ll get the desired results.”Bangladesh upset Pakistan during the 1999 World Cup but have not beaten them since. Mushfiqur said past Bangladesh sides were not as strong as this one is. “Bangladesh were never at their best collectively against Pakistan in the past. They have five to six match-winners so it is hard to beat a side that strong even if you give your 100%. But they are human and they could make mistakes and let us into games.”

Kevin Pietersen could find a dated interview comes back to haunt him when he tries to patch up his differences with England

David Hopps30-Aug-2012Kevin Pietersen could find a dated interview comes back to haunt him when he tries to patch up his differences with England.The ECB hierarchy will try to reach an understanding with Pietersen this weekend when Hugh Morris, England’s managing director, and the director of cricket Andy Flower hold what is expected to be the first of several meetings.As they seek confirmation of Pietersen’s absolute commitment to England, they will be met with “fresh” criticism of their negative attitude towards IPL and read that he is revelling in his one-day retirement.It was a brazenly confident Pietersen who spoke to magazine three weeks before the Headingley Test that brought about his downfall – and as that magazine is published this week, with his picture on the cover, he may cringe in hindsight at his comments.Pietersen has since sworn allegiance to England in all forms of the game in a YouTube video, without his blandishments being returned, as England play hardball over what they regard as his disloyalty and disruptive influence.But that love of the English season was not apparent when he spoke to the magazine three weeks before a Headingley Test against South Africa where his behaviour deepened divisions between him and his team-mates and led him to complain that it was “tough being me” in the England dressing room.The magazine quotes him revelling in his enforced one-day retirement, referring to England’s abandoned third ODI against West Indies: “Hey, a game called off in Leeds or 35 degrees on a beach in Portugal? It’s a no-brainer.”Pietersen will find consolation in the fact that England’s director of cricket, Andy Flower, has also called for an IPL window, but even so his veiled criticism of the ECB’s hostile attitude towards the IPL will not please his masters.”Test cricket is right up there, most definitely,” he says, “but IPL and Twenty20 cricket is a matter of fact now. Every board has accepted it apart from the ECB, unfortunately. Some part of international cricket may have to give because the IPL is not going away. No one in their right mind would turn down the contracts I have been offered.”The implication, in his own words, that Pietersen is playing Test cricket largely to ensure his own brand awareness remains high will also leave England’s managing director, Hugh Morris, aghast as he determines whether Pietersen can be part of a united dressing room under a new captain, Alastair Cook.”The best players in Test cricket have got the best contracts in the IPL,” he says. “You know that’s where you build the brand.”Six weeks might have passed since he made those remarks, but when a new magazine is published, the words reappear as if they are still meant today. It is not about to make his negotiations any easier.

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been cleared by a neurologist with “no restriction on physical activity or exertion” after he suffered a seizure during the Caribbean Premier League last month

Umar Farooq06-Sep-2013Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been cleared by a neurologist with “no restriction on physical activity or exertion” after he suffered a seizure during the Caribbean Premier League last month.Akmal, 23, who was playing for Barbados Tridents in the CPL, suffered a seizure on a flight to Jamaica and had to spend a night in the hospital. The PCB asked Akmal to return to Pakistan immediately for an extensive medical examination by neurologist, Dr Nadir Ali Syed.Syed confirmed that the seizure was triggered due to sleep deprivation. The doctor also confirmed that Akmal did not need medication or any further medical tests at this time. The clean bill of health means that the wicketkeeper-batsman is now available for national selection.The PCB said: “According to him (Nadir), it was a one-off incident, a relatively common occurrence and does not necessitate any restrictions on Mr. Akmal, other than ensuring at least 6-7 hours of sleep every night.”Akmal expressed his gratitude for the support he got from the board. “I am really grateful to the PCB, in particular Chairman Sethi Sahib, for being extremely caring and providing me every possible support including great personal care and counselling,” he said.Despite asserting to the board that he was fully fit for national selection, Akmal was declared “medically unfit” by the PCB. He was replaced by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed for the limited-overs leg of the Zimbabwe tour.Akmal, who had missed out on the South Africa tour and the Champions Trophy, was recently awarded a cash prize of Rs. 600,000 (USD $6000) for strong performances in the limited-overs series against West Indies. He was the second-highest run-getter on the tour, scoring 175 runs in 5 ODIs at an average of 58.33. Akmal’s run in the CPL, however, was disappointing as he scored 49 runs at an average of 8.16 in six matches.

The SLC have appointed Ashley de Silva, their former director of cricket operations, as their acting CEO, before making a permanent decision

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Mar-2013Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed Ashley de Silva to the position of acting CEO, with a view to giving him the official position in six months, SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga has confirmed. De Silva has been SLC’s director of cricket operations since 2008, and replaces Ajit Jayasekara, who retires at the end of the month.”Like in any organisation we will give him a probation period, which will be around six months, and at the end of that we hope he will be CEO permanently,” Ranatunga said.Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapura, had emerged as the early frontrunner for the position, but was later disqualified due to his age. Warnapura turned 60 in March, falling foul of an SLC rule that has enforced employees’ retirement at 60 since 2009. He will continue in his present job as development manager for the Asian Cricket Council.In addition to de Silva’s experience as director of cricket operations, he also managed Sri Lanka’s Under-19 side on an assignment basis before 2008, and was the general manager of private communication company Suntel for five years. He played as a wicketkeeper batsman for Colombo Cricket Club from 1984 to 1996, and appeared in three Tests and four ODIs for Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s youth cricket coach, Carlton Bernadaus, has been appointed to the director of cricket operations role that de Silva vacated.

Trinidad & Tobago have dominated the West Indies T20 circuit for years. Can the ‘Red Force’ transfer their imperious domestic form to the world stage?

Renaldo Matadeen19-Sep-2013Overview
Trinidad & Tobago have dominated the West Indies T20 circuit for years. From the Stanford T20 series in 2008* which launched them to the Champions League T20, the guile has been evident. Their players form the core of the current World T20 champions, West Indies, and the now-defunct Caribbean T20 regional tournament was their sandbox. Earlier this year, T&T once again steamrolled to the title of the tournament that has now been replaced by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and as far as the Champions League goes, the question remains – can the ‘Red Force’ transfer their imperious domestic form to the world stage?In 2009, they were close but fell one win short of the title. New South Wales edged them out in the final of this tournament and since then, they’ve shown flashes of brilliance, bar the 2010 tournament when Guyana represented the region. This inconsistent, and at times disappointing showing, may be due to the fact that T&T’s two talismans, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, usually find themselves with their IPL units. T&T do seem to rely on them a bit too much. However, depth has always been the focus for Denesh Ramdin’s team. Ramdin has a tough task ahead to build on the foundation laid by Daren Ganga in the past but the blend of youth and experience in the T&T ranks is something that West Indian fans, as seen in Sri Lanka in 2012, will no doubt be throwing their weight behind.Given West Indies’ regional T20 competition has been replaced by the franchise-based CPL, this is the team’s last chance at glory as a bona fide regional unit.Key players
Lendl Simmons garnered 266 runs at an average of 33.25 to finish second in the CPL’s scoring charts as his Guyana outfit fell to Jamaica in the final. However, after being a bit-part player in the World T20 title acquisition, Simmons will be looking to show how dangerous he is in this format. His recent West Indies performances have shown he’s one of their more consistent short-format batsmen, even outclassing Chris Gayle as of late.Sunil Narine’s stats in all formats of the game exemplify how stifling and economical a bowler he is. As a mercurial spinner who negates the opposition’s scoring, West Indies always look frail without him. The same can be said for T&T, who would be relieved that he’s not with Kolkata Knight Riders at present. With Dwayne Bravo and Pollard out, Narine is a huge plus, especially as his late CPL and West Indies form, both left something to be desired. With that in mind, he doesn’t have the ‘mystery spinner’ tag for fun.Surprise package Many touted Nicholas Pooran’s one innings of 54 against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL as why the teenager will be the shocker in the CLT20, once included. But that was one innings. Rayad Emrit finished fifth among the CPL wicket-takers with 10 scalps and while he has evolved more from an allrounder to a bowler, his regional performances for T&T have shown that with the extra push, a West Indies spot beckons. The stage is set and Emrit’s ready to embrace it.Weaknesses Missing Dwayne Bravo and Pollard is the obvious dent in the armour. Their runs, fielding ability and bowling skills leave the team lacking in big departments. It’s shown that without them, things crumble, more often than not. With Samuel Badree and Narine spinning their magic, there’s the question of who will be leading the pace. Ravi Rampaul is fighting back from an ankle injury and has missed the last few months of cricket while Shannon Gabriel is still learning his trade and has proven to be wayward and inexperienced at times. This pace deficit could bother them at the worst time.*17.15GMT, September 19: The article had said the Stanford T20 series happened in 2009. This has been corrected.