At the time of writing, ten of the sixteen berths for the 2020 ICC Twenty20 World Cup are filled, with qualifying matches now taking place to determine the other six countries who will be represented at this tournament.
Australia were the first name on the list by virtue of the fact that they will be hosting a tournament which takes place between 18 October – 15 November, with the other nine nations getting automatic entry due to being the top nine-performing countries in the previous World Cup.
That means that Pakistan, India, England, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and South Africa will all be sending squads to Australia next autumn hoping to get their name on the T20 trophy.
Seven Venues in Australia Will Host Matches
There are seven designated cricket grounds that will host 45 matches throughout the month-long tournament, with the final being staged at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne.
The two semi-final matches will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval, while the other venues include The Gabba, Kardinia Park, Bellerive Oval and Perth Stadium.
The first round of the competition will then see the eight lowest-ranked teams compete for the final four places in the Super 12 phase, with the top two sides from the two groups being allotted places in one of the Super 12 groups.
The Super 12 will have a Group 1 and a Group 2, with this then being a round robin format where the teams bid to reach the knockout stage which will feature the best performing four teams. We will then have a straight knockout format to determine the winner.
Australia Favourites to Make Home Advantage Count
It’s hardly a surprise to see the Aussies trading as favourites considering they can bank on home advantage in every game played.
The Baggy Greens are going to try and have the conditions exactly as they would like, although there’s certainly a case for getting against them due to the random nature of the tournament.
However, the West Indies will arrive as the defending champions in this format and they are a 9/1 chance to win consecutive titles, with the Caribbean side having beaten England in the 2016 final.
England are the current ODI World Cup champions and they’re a 5/1 chance to win the T20 World Cup, with the team sure to give a good account of themselves Down Under considering how well they fared in India four years previously.
India were a losing semi-finalist last time around and they’re among the favourites to clinch the title at odds of 7/2, while New Zealand are a 7/1 chance and have a good record when it comes to knockout cricket.