2009 ICC World Twenty20 - Group D Preview
by Juris Graney
NEW ZEALAND
Squad: Daniel Vettori (captain), Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.
BetUS odds: Futures +800; Group +125
Last tournament: Semi final loss to Pakistan
Trump player: Jesse Ryder
The Antipodeans surprised a lot of people in 2007 by making it through to the semi finals and lost narrowly to Pakistan. Now they are keen to go further but the big question is can they? The answer is maybe. Bar Ross Taylor, the players bought to play in this year’s Indian Premier League failed to fire. In fact they were found wanting. Brendon McCullum barely scored any runs while Jesse Ryder was the biggest disappoinemtn for the Black Caps. That is why he will be dangerous in this tournament. He is a big man and a big game player and will be the key to New Zealand making the finals this year.
SOUTH AFRICA
Squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Johan Botha (vice-captain), Yusuf Abdulla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel,
Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robbie Peterson, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe.
BetUS odds: Futures +500; Group -225
Last tournament: Super Eights
Trump player: JP Duminy
After narrowly missing out on the finals series in the 2007 tournament on run rate, South Africa will be keen to show the world that they are world champions in this form of the game. They are already the number one ranked One-Day team and by rights should have been crowned the top Test playing nation after their gripping series against Australia earlier this year. They are much like India in that their players are honed Twenty20 machines. Names like Gibbs, Duminy, Kallis, the Morkel brothers, Botha, Boucher, Steyn and van der Merwe can all win matches for the Proteas.
SCOTLAND
Squad: Gavin Hamilton (captain), Ryan Watson, Kyle Coetzer, Navdeep Poonia, Neil McCallum, Colin Smith, Craig Wright, Jan Stander, John Blain, Dewald Nel, Glenn Rogers, Richard Berrington, Gordon Drummond, Majid Haq, Fraser Watts.
BetUS.com odds: Futures +100000; Group +3000
Last tournament: Group stages:
Trump player: Gavin Hamilton
My mother always told me, if you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. So I won’t.
