T20 World Cup 2010: a potpourri

Our expert digs up some fascinating statistics and analysis from the recently concluded ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Many a statistical analysis is available regarding the T20 World Cup on various sites. I have presented here some of the unusual, unavailable and interesting facts regarding the World Cup.

1. Many T20 matches during the World Cup started at 9.30 in the morning to accommodate the cash cow of Indian television. I wonder what would happen if the next edition is held at New Zealand or the west coast of USA. Would we have matches starting at 2.30 AM or 7.30 AM. Let the local enthusiasts and the players be damned.

2. The D/L system was found to be completely inadequate for T20. For England to score 191 and then West Indies be given 6 overs to score 60 runs was the height of absurdity. The problem is the over-emphasis on wickets for T20s where wickets are nowhere as valuable as in ODIs. A better method would be to take the first team scoring rate and multiply by a factor which is dependent on the overs lost. I have a simple formula which would have meant West Indies would have to score 97 runs in 6 overs.

3. Dilshan’s 3 in 19 against New Zealand was the slowest innings in T20 history and was probably the worst T20 innings ever played.

4. 7 bowlers bowled 20+ run overs. The most expensive one was the one by Mohd Sami against Australia which went for 28 runs. Rampaul went for 27 runs against England. Kleinveldt was taken for 25 runs against India. Johnson conceded 24 runs against Pakistan. Southee let South Africa advance by 21 runs in his over. Yardy conceded 21 runs in the Final. However, the most significant over was Michael Hussey’s dismantling of Ajmal for 23 runs.

5. Sri Lanka had 10 overs against West Indies which went for 10+ runs. Australia had nine 10+ overs twice, against India and Pakistan.

6. Rampaul’s 3-0-52-0 against England is the most expensive 3+ over spell in T20 history.

7. Mohd Aamer bowled the most extraordinary over in T20 history against Australia. It was a maiden and Australia lost 5 wickets. Contrast this with the 20th over bowled by Ajmal to Hussey a few days later.

8. McCullum and Styris both captured 3 wickets in one over (9th and 13th) against Zimbabwe.

9. Tait bowled 2 maidens against Bangladesh. The three other occasions are Benn (West Indies) against Zimbabwe, Nel (Scotland) against Bermuda, and Zadran (Afghanistan) against Scotland.

10. Mathews started with a wicket maiden against New Zealand. Nannes and Harbhajan started with maidens against Pakistan and Australia respectively. The irony is that Pakistan and Australia both reached totals exceeding 183.

11. No pace bowler bowled a single ball for Zimbabwe against New Zealand. All 49 balls were bowled by spinners.

12. Hussey’s 60 (in 24), rated the best T20 innings ever, contained 3x4s and 6x6s which works to 80% in boundaries. However this is nowhere near the highest, standing at 93.1% (by Yuvraj Singh).