The T20 World Cup 2022, which began with the preliminary round on October 16, was jam-packed with riveting cricketing action right from the first game. Only four teams, due to their impressive performances, made it into the knockout stages. However, several other teams punched above their weight.
This year’s T20 World Cup will likely be remembered for the upsets they brought up at every turn.
Teams including Ireland, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe impressed every cricket lover with their awe-inspiring results. Their moments of magic made the tournament all the more enjoyable.
As with any tournament, there were also quite a few sides that underperformed miserably. Nations which were viewed as a major threat prior to the commencement of the T20 World Cup failed to cross the Super 12s stage courtesy of their poor show.
Some didn’t even make the second round, exiting prematurely in the preliminary rounds.
On that note, let’s take a look at three teams that didn’t live up to their billing and disappointed the most during the T20 World Cup 2022.
#3 West Indies
Group: B.
Position: Failed to qualify for the Super 12s.
Despite not having the likes of Chris Gayle, Keiron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, etc, West Indies were expected to at least make it to the Super 12s stage. They were drawn in Group B in Round 1 at this year’s T20 World Cup, going up against Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe.
Many expected the Men in Maroon to sail through their group. However, the two-time champions looked toothless and failed to qualify from the preliminary round. In fact, the Caribbean unit finished last in their points table, with Scotland finishing above them due to a greater net run-rate.
Under the leadership of Nicholas Pooran, the West Indian batting unit failed to adapt to the Australian conditions. Prior to their bowlers saving the day against Zimbabwe, West Indies were bundled out for just 118 while chasing 161 in their opening fixture against Scotland.
It went horribly wrong for them during their must-win clash against Ireland where the Caribbean batters somehow crept past 145 on a good batting track. The target set by West Indies was never going to be enough and the Irish batters made a mockery of it, winning with 15 balls and nine wickets to spare.
The West Indies, who will host the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup along with the USA, have automatically qualified for the next edition. However, in the short term, they will have to deal with yet another poor outing in an ICC event that will leave them scratching their heads.
Perhaps the team needs a reset button to reflect and recognize what went wrong at the showpiece event Down Under.
#2 Australia
Group: 1.
Position: 3rd in their Super 12s group; failed to qualify for the semifinals.
Ahead of the commencement of the T20 World Cup 2022, Team Australia were the firm favorites to defend the trophy they won last year in home conditions. However, the brand of cricket they adopted took many of their fans by surprise.
Despite boasting several T20 superstars in both the batting and bowling departments, the Aussies underperformed massively. They consequently did not advance to the knockout rounds on their own turf, much to the disappointment of their ardent fans.
The defending champions got off to the worst possible start to their campaign when they endured a humbling defeat against Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand. A big defeat by 89 runs was a sign of things to come and also proved to be very costly for the Aussies’ net run-rate.
The Kangaroos knew they needed to win big to advance to the semifinals after taking a significant beating at the hands of the Kiwi unit. However, they were unable to take advantage of the crucial moments against seemingly straightforward opponents.
The Aaron Finch-led team failed to significantly improve their net run rate despite winning against Ireland and Afghanistan. They were made to pay for that as luck also didn’t go their way, with their match against England getting washed out.
A primary concern for the Aussies was their batting line-up, which led them to success in last year’s T20 World Cup. David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Tim David and Matthew Wade failed to contribute to their team’s fortunes throughout the competition to seal a painful exit.
#1 South Africa
Group: 2.
Position: 3rd in their Super 12s group; failed to qualify for the semifinals.
Perhaps the most shocking upset of the tournament was pulled off by the Netherlands when they trounced South Africa in one of the final Super 12s matches. The Dutch side’s win knocked the Proteas out of the T20 World Cup.
Many believed South Africa had a strong chance of winning their first World Cup going into the competition. The Proteas appeared to be a dangerous team on paper, given their immensely talented pace attack that was well-suited for Australian surfaces.
Their batting also had multiple big names, including Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, David Miller and more.
South Africa’s opening game against Zimbabwe was washed out. The Temba Bavuma-led side roared back strongly and looked like the team to beat as they eased past Bangladesh and India in their next two games.
Barring questions over the poor form of skipper Bavuma and premier pacer Kagiso Rabada, everything looked pleasant for the Proteas. They needed to bag just two points from their two remaining games against Pakistan and the Netherlands, respectively.
Despite having a hold on the game, a spirited performance by Pakistan saw them get the better of South Africa. That loss against the Men in Green put the Proteas in a must-win situation against the Dutch.
South Africa have a history of losing their focus and wilting in key moments in ICC tournaments. However, most fans believed that they would have too much for the Netherlands.
What followed left everyone in shock. No South African player put his hand up as the team crumbled under pressure once again and eventually lost the game by 13 runs.
The T20 World Cup 2022 ended in horrible fashion and South Africa once again have to pick up the pieces from a disappointing campaign in an ICC tournament.
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