The Starting XI: WT20 Rookies To Watch

Cricket365 21 Mar 2014

The World Twenty20 is here at last, and this year there are a number of new faces to keep an eye on. This list consists of players who did not play in the 2012 edition in Sri Lanka, though one has played in this event in the last decade.

And herewith our Relative Rookies To Watch XI:

1. Quinton de Kock (South Africa) T20 Caps: 12 HS: 48 not out Ave: 37.37

The South Africa wicketkeeper is a fan favourite, both for his baby-faced looks and his cracking shots. He reached new heights in the ODI arena at the end of last year against India, and was one of the few Proteas batsmen who did well against Australia in the recent T20 series. He rarely gets out for less than 30, and while he hasn't scored as much as a half ton in the format yet, he can hit the ball miles and is good against spinners.

2. Aaron Finch (Australia) T20 Caps: 14 HS: 156 Ave: 41.86

Along with David Warner, Finch forms probably the most deadly opening pairing in T20s at the moment. He hits the ball out of stadiums, into roofs, and can win a game all on his own. His top score is the best ever knock in a T20I, by a rather big margin, and came off just 63 balls. He doesn't get big scores consistently, but when he gets going not even placing all the fielders on the ropes will stop him.

3. Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan) T20 Caps: 22 HS: 98 not out Ave: 25.14

The Pakistan batsman made his T20 debut in 2009 as a teenager, but was not part of the WT20 squad in 2012 and only became a regular in the past few months. He comes into the tournament on the back of a good Asia Cup, where he batted at a good clip to help his side reach the final. He is one of a few fresh faces in the side, and a good tournament will further cement his place, especially if he can provide some consistency in an otherwise unpredictable side.

4. Moeen Ali (England) T20 Caps: 2 HS: 5 Ave: 4

So you're looking at the stats and wondering why on earth he's on this list. Fair enough, but the Birmingham-born all rounder has been on deck for the senior side for ages, and we predict he will be England's saving grace. With Joe Root and Ben Stokes injured, and Kevin Pietersen jettisoned, Ali has a bit of pressure to replicate his domestic form, and he has shown glimpses of his classy reputation while playing in ODIs. He also adds variety in the bowling, with his off-breaks.

5. David Miller (South Africa) T20 Caps: 21 HS: 36 not out Ave: 27.58

Anyone who watched the middle order batsman play for Yorkshire, or for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, will know that his Proteas stats do not tell the full story. He is a powerful, innovative hitter, and if the SA coaching staff play him at the right times, he can swing an innings in their favour. He tends to come in too far down, as far as we're concerned, especially if early wickets fall. He is also a cracking fielder, especially inside the circle.

6. Corey Anderson (New Zealand) T20 Caps: 8 HS: 18 Ave: 8.20 Wickets: 2 Ave: 79

Again, the stats don't really tell you much, because his bursts of great form came after his last T20, and so we're going on that in our assessment. He shot to fame in January when he hit the fastest ODI century, and followed that up with a superb series against India, where he demolished them with the ball and hit some valuable knocks in the four-nil ODI series win for the Kiwis. His form saw him sold to the Mumbai Indians in the IPL auction for a whopping $750,000.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (India) T20 Caps: 15 HS: 25 Ave: 10.57 Wickets: 8 Ave: 44.25

From a joke all-rounder who could bowl a bit to India's premier short format tweaker a few months later, Jadeja has an odd habit of taking clusters of wickets. This has seen him climb into the top 10 of the ODI bowling and all-rounder rankings, and while his T20 record isn't excellent, we reckon the Bangladesh pitches will work in his favour. Added to this, many teams don't enjoy spin, so he should be able to cash in.

8. James Faulkner (Australia) T20 Caps: 6 HS: 10 not out Ave: 13.50 Wickets: 7 Ave: 26

The fiery all-rounder is a much-anticipated player at this event. He was injured at the end of January and thus did not play in South Africa at all, but his return will be welcome. He is a scary wicket-taking paceman, on any track, and was in wonderful form against England earlier in the year. He also played more than on vital knock at the death, and his 69 not out in Brisbane stole the game for his side.

9. Chris Jordan (England) T20 Caps: 2 HS: 27 not out Ave: - Wickets: 4 Ave: 15.50

The Barbados-born all-rounder came into form in the final T20 against his former countrymen, smashing 26 runs off one over (including four sixes) and taking three wickets to prevent a whitewash for his side. This was fortunate timing, given Ben Stokes' brain fart in the dressing room, where he broke his hand against a locker in a fit of rage. Jordan is very fast, and we'll have to see how that translates on slower decks, where his accuracy will be important too. He has six First Class fifties to his name.

10. Sachithra Senanayake (Sri Lanka) T20 Caps: 10 Wickets: 14 Ave: 13.64

The off-break bowler has only recently demanded a regular place, but has proven valuable in shorter formats because of his economy. He doesn't have a five-fer, but takes two or three wickets often, and is tough to get away. He will be valuable in Bangladesh, though he might not play all matches given Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath's presence. But it won't be because he's not good enough, and he has an ODI average of 19 with the bat too.

11. Krishmar Santokie (West Indies) T20 Caps: 5 Wickets: 9 Ave: 11.55

He was excellent in the Caribbean Premier League for the Amazon, earning himself a call to face England, and those batsmen had zero clue how to play him. He took six wickets in two matches and formed an excellent opening pairing with Samuel Badree, and overshadowed Sunil Narine, which is no easy feat.

12. Mitchell McClenaghan (New Zealand) T20 Caps: 11 Wickets: 12 Ave: 26.16

New Zealand's T20 player of the year comes into the tournament on the back of two four-fers for Auckland in the space of three days, as well as valuable efforts in the ODIs against India. He is the pace to Trent Boult's swing, and is the specialist death bowler in the side. He can bounce or york with accuracy, though his economy rate of around 8 is a bit higher than he'd like.

Who will you be keeping an eye on at this year's event?