Part II, mock international T20 draft: Dhoni goes to NZ, de Villiers bolsters WI, Chahal unpicked

Given the lack of cricketing action due to the coronavirus outbreak, an interesting idea came up: what about an IPL-style team-building exercise for the top 10 international teams? Only, this will be no glitzy auction with crores of real money involved. But a more restrained drafting process. The final product? Potentially, a world class T20 side with seven “local” players and four stars picked from the draft.

Part I of the draft: 10 countries, seven retentions – who are the best bets?

On that note, a group cricket writers participated in building an international T20 side with seven players from one country and the remaining slots in the side picked by four picks from a draft.

Here are the draft rules:

Those assigned a particular team have to pick (“retain”) seven players that have played T20I cricket in the last two years (since the start of 2018). In the draft, that follows, the player selection will start off with the lowest-ranked T20I side and progress upwards in the first round and follow the reverse order in the second round, and so on (snake draft, as it is referred to). At the end of four rounds of drafting, the final round will be used to pick a 12th member in the side. 

Available for selection in the draft is anyone and everyone who has played T20 cricket (franchise and international) in the last two years. And the teams will be selected with the basic assumption that they will be playing in Australia (the venue for the 2020 T20 World Cup, for now at least).

Here is how the drafts progressed over five rounds, with the explanations for the selections to follow:

First round picks

• In the first round, little surprise that AB de Villiers (who was not eligible for retention) was the first pick and he strengthened an already explosive WI line-up. Chris Jordan joined Jasprit Bumrah in India’s line-up while Kuldeep Yadav and Sandeep Lamichhane’s selections signified the importance attached to wrist-spinners.

Second round picks

• West Indies, England and Australia stars were expectedly sought after in the second round as well. The highlight was Evin Lewis’ selection by England, to bolster a breathtaking batting line up. Qais Ahmed’s bouncer-filled wrist spin also caught the eye. And Adam Zampa, who has had Virat Kohli’s number in the recent past, joins the Indian side.

Third round picks

• A couple of Indian names feature in the third round with Ashwin joining Sri Lanka and Shreyas Gopal getting the nod ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal in England’s side (who, as you will see, went unpicked due to the dynamics of the draft). For India, Shimron Hetmyer adds firepower to the middle order.

Fourth round picks

• An already popular New Zealand side added the behemoth that is MS Dhoni to their ranks as their coolness quotient shot through the roof. Khaleel Ahmed, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav’s reputations in the IPL fetched them spots in the fourth round as well.

Final picks

• The idea behind the fifth round was to add a 12th member to the squads to lend balance. Four more Indian players found takers.

How the teams stack up

With the players selected, we now look at how the teams stack up and how the squad “managers” approached the draft.

Pakistan

(By the folks at changeofpacelive.com. Twitter: @ChangeofPace414)

It’s the age old Pakistani problem, who’s going to get the runs? That’s what we set out to solve with our six draft picks, early sights set on a wicketkeeper batsman. With Babar in the lineup, the best available fit was Banton – some Somerset synergy, there too.

With back-to-back picks, to our surprise Jason Roy was still available, a natural pick considering his strike rate.

Eighteen picks later our much desired Neesham, who would function as a pinch hitting all rounder, was picked in the turn before ours. The strategy shifted to strengthen the middle order and with it the Pakistan-English nexus grew, as Malan made the side offering a healthy average and a T20I strike rate of over 150.

Our focus shifted to overs 14-20 and the ability to hit sixes, something the Pakistan side has lacked of late. With Roussow, Cutting, and Afridi all being picked up earlier in the draft, we went with Miller. The only doubt in our mind was his current form, but a risk worth taking.

The luxury of a fifth pick meant we could realize the dream of having a fast-bowling six-hitting all-rounder in the side. We narrowed it down to Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, DJ Bravo, David Willey, and Thisara Perera. With Thisara out of the equation the best out of the lot was Chris Woakes. Depending on form and the wicket, we’d choose between Miller and Woakes, but that’ll go down as a luxury, not a problem.

Australia

(By Clive Azavedo, freelance cricket writer and Scroll contributor. Twitter: @vanillawallah)

Given that I had gone heavy on batsmen in retentions, the first goal was to pick bowlers who could compliment Starc and Cummins. Bowlers win you tournaments and batsmen win you matches. With my batting sorted, I hoped to build a complete bowling unit with close to no weak links.

With my first pick I went for Shahid Afridi, who is admittedly old even by his standards. But he has been one of the best leg spinners in the format for a while. Afridi as a batsman also does a good enough job to lengthen my team’s batting attack.

With a wrist spinner picked, I needed a bowler who could bowl at any stage of the innings (primarily in the death overs) and it would be an added bonus if this bowler was a left-hander as it would give a new line of attack in my bowling. I picked Harry Gurney for this role. His bundle of variations is an asset in the death overs; opposition would have task on their hand scoring runs against him and Starc.

With the exception of Steve Smith, I have picked quick scoring batsmen. So for my third pick I needed an all-rounder who could also score quick runs, which was Neesham who, along with Maxwell, can bowl crucial overs.

With my bowling now looking more complete with 24 possible overs, I wanted to pick a hard-hitting batsman who was equally adept against the spin threats of the opposition teams. For this I picked Suryakumar Yadav. His role in the side will be that of a floater.

With my final pick of the draft I decided to go in for another all-rounder, this time of the left arm spin variety in Krunal. Krunal’s ability to play as a pure batsman or bowler works well for him.

England

(By Freddie Wilde, analyst at CricViz and co-author of award-winning book Cricket 2.0. Twitter: @fwildecricket)

With five batsmen locked in, my priority for the draft was frontline bowlers. I also wanted to have - if possible - a spin-heavy attack. I already had Moeen and Rashid but promised myself I would remain open to a third frontline spinner.

My first pick was Rabada who — whilst not quite as good in T20 as he is in Tests and ODIs — was the best quick available and could lead the attack alongside Archer.

With my second pick I had my eyes on Gurney. However, he was taken in the pick immediately before mine. As a result my attention turned to who I saw to be the best remaining player in the draft in Lewis. While my batting was already very strong Lewis is one of the world’s best T20 openers and was too good to risk being taken by another team.

With my third round pick I plumped for one of the world’s most undervalued T20 players in Shreyas Gopal. His useful lower order batting meant if I missed Tanvir (my left-arm preference but also someone who can contribute with the bat) I would at least have some batting depth cover. I seriously considered drafting Chahal as my second wrist spinner. But Gopal’s bowling is actually as good as Chahal’s and he contributes more with the bat. I also saw Chahal and Rashid as similar wrist spinners while Gopal is slightly quicker through the air.

In my quest for a left-arm seamer, Tanvir was available in the fourth round. This left me with a vast array of bowling options. With my fifth and final pick I drafted Thisara, giving me the flexibility to go with greater batting depth if required.

I intend on opening with Bairstow and Lewis and then having a very fluid #3 to #5. I see Stokes as the perfect firewall who has the technique to survive the new ball and accelerate rapidly once set. If we are playing a spin-heavy team then Moeen is a good option at three. If we get off to a flier, Buttler - in the AB de Villiers role - is well-suited. Who we deploy in this spot may also be determined by whether Bairstow or Lewis is the first to fall. With Tanvir at seven there is an argument I lack batting depth but with Archer, Gopal and Rashid below him I have at least the illusion of depth. I could always bring Thisara in at seven for Tanvir, Rabada or Rashid depending on form and conditions.

India

(By Vinayakk Mohanarangan, Scroll.in staff writer. Twitter: @vinayakkm)

Having chosen not to retain any, a wrist spinner was top priority. Kuldeep was picked early in the first round (while Chahal did not have any takers even after five rounds of drafting, which came as a massive surprise). When Lamichchane got picked too, I decided to wait and, worst-case, go for an Indian option later on.

Hence the first pick turned out to be who I think is one of the best seamers in the shortest format going around. Jordan is a bowler with great control over his yorker and a sensational fielder; he will tie-up nicely with Bumrah to sort out my death bowling options.

With my second pick, Zampa was still available and I picked him over Chahal because a) I would prefer my T20 players to be good at least two out of the three departments; b) The assumption was that this team would be playing in Australia; c) If Zampa is in Kohli’s team, he cannot dismiss Kohli.

The third pick was about strengthening the middle order and I had no hesitation in going for Hetmyer if he was still available.

Fourth pick was where the confusion set in. I was unable to decide whether I needed an all-rounder to increase batting depth or go for a bowler (because Hardik cannot be my fifth bowling option). I settled for the latter when Neesham was picked. A left-arm seamer slot was still vacant; between Sam Curran and Cottrell, I went for the latter because of more T20 exposure.

Fifth pick was about getting in a good young player that can float in the batting order and bowl in the powerplay. And additionally, Sundar gave me the chance to pick a player from the state I hail. (Too bad R Ashwin was rightly picked in the earlier rounds).

New Zealand

(By Michael Wagener, a freelance writer and statistician from NZ. Twitter: @Mykuhl)

I wanted a leg spinner who had a bit of mystery. I feel that batsmen have started to work out Ish Sodhi so going for Lamichhane with the first pick gave me that air of mystery.

To complement the pacers I had, I needed someone who operated in the mid-130 kph range, used a lot of slower balls and took his stock ball away from the batsmen. For his stand-out slower ball, Andrew Tye was my second pick.

This gave me five genuine bowlers, with two part-timers, but I would have loved to have an off-spinner. So I looked for a batsman who could bat in the top 3 and could also bowl. Duminy was a good fit here. He also seemed to be a good squad man.

The final spot in my eleven needed to be a wicket keeper, but I also wanted them to fulfil a role with the bat. I would like to have a hitter and a worker batting together as much as possible.

The hitters (in order) up until this point would be Munro, de Grandhomme, Taylor, while the workers would be Williamson, Duminy, Tayor and Santner. What I really needed was another player who could be in both groups. Someone who could go big if needed, but who could also hit the gaps and run if that was what was called for.

There was one obvious name that was available: Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Dhoni would slot in after Taylor as either a hitter or as a worker. Having players who can change their approach is really helpful when putting together a batting line up.

For the twelfth man, I needed someone who could do a bit of everything. Glenn Phillips can bat at the top of the order, he can bat lower in the order, he can keep wickets and he can bowl off-spin. He’s a really, really useful extra player, and made up what I feel will be a well balanced squad that can win games in lots of different conditions.

South Africa

(By Rohit Sankar, freelance cricket writer and co-founder Cricxtasy. Twitter: @imRohit_SN)

The retentions left me with a lop-sided squad. There was a hole in my batting lineup but the bowling was sorted. I was looking for an anchor in the middle who can also hit the ball well, a gun opener alongside de Kock and a middle-order batsman who can play spin well. I was more flexible with the fourth option although I’d like to add one more all-rounder, who can do the finishing job too.

Ingram was my first choice pick as someone who can nurdle, anchor and hit big. I was looking for someone who hits boundaries frequently (a good balls per boundary ratio), yet anchors the innings well. Ingram was a no-brainer in that regard and I really didn’t have a back-up plan for him.

Alongside de Kock, I again wanted a good hitter at the top. Maximising the powerplay was my aim and Ronchi fit the bill perfectly. I did think about David Willey and Phil Salt for this position but settled on Ronchi.

A finisher who can also bowl was on my mind and the first few names that came up from those available were Dan Christian, Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik. But I wanted someone who bowls too which ruled out Karthik and Dhoni. Bopara refuses to believe he is ideal for No 6, but for me, is a perfect fit in the position.

I then wanted someone who could play pace and spin equally well in the middle-order to complement Ingram and Klaasen, so went for Madsen. He scored at over a strike rate of 140 against pace and spin in the last three Blast seasons.

Finally, Raina was my back-up option to cover for Madsen. A gun T20 player, I was a tad surprised that he was available for this round. He also gives a decent part-time spin option.

Sri Lanka

(By Andrew Fidel Fernando, author of Upon a Sleepless Isle. Twitter: @afidelf)

My overseas picks were largely down to who was available. I wanted Lynn in at No. 3, to ensure that each of the top four in my side were all capable of playing the kind of devastating innings that can leave oppositions gasping.

On the bowling front, I constructed as varied an attack as possible, and opted for a balance of youth and experience. With Hasaranga’s stock legbreak, R Ashwin would turn the ball in the opposite direction and is capable of operating in the Powerplay.

Khaleel brought in the left-arm angle, and has been used effectively by Sunrisers Hyderabad inside both the Powerplay and at the death. His wicket-haul of 19 was the fifth-highest (and best for a left-arm bowler) in last year’s IPL.

Hasnain, meanwhile, is one of the quickest bowlers in world cricket at present, and topped the wicket charts at the recent PSL. While youngsters Khaleel and Hasnain would go hunting for wickets, Malinga can slot in at any stage of an innings to reassert control, though he can clearly be a threat when required as well.

The way I see an ideal bowling innings going — Mathews, Khaleel and Ashwin would share the Powerplay overs between them, Hasaranga and Hasnain would hunt for wickets during the middle overs, and Malinga - with help from Khaleel, perhaps - would look after the death overs.

Afghanistan

(By Karthik Raj, a freelance cricket writer and keen follower of Afghanistan cricket. Twitter: @kartcric)

It helped that the seven players who were retained prior to the draft had well defined roles.

Alex Hales was the first target as his current form would have meant that other teams were lining up for his services. He is a proven T20 batsman who could both bat long and also score quickly at the same time.

For second round, the focus moved onto an all-round option who could ideally take on the quick bowlers. There was no better than option than Cutting, who strengthened my middle-order too.

There was still more work to be done to give a solid look to the batting line-up and that is why Rossouw was an attractive option. He has always been reliable and has taken his big-hitting skills to another level in the last couple of years.

An area that has been always talked about as a weak point for Afghanistan has to be the fast-bowling resources. The need for an out and out pacer resulted in the selection of Milne, who might be injury prone but has a superb T20 record.

Livingstone was selected as 12th man. Well-known as a exciting stroke-maker, Livingstone took the BBL by storm in his debut season for Perth Scorchers. Apart from providing the advantage of batting anywhere in the order, Livingstone can also chip in with some handy part-time spin bowling.

Bangladesh

By Umid Kumar Dey, freelance cricket writer based out of Chittagong. Twitter: @TehSeriousJoker)

When compared to the rest of the teams, Bangladesh might look like the weakest side on paper. Cricket, however, is a game played on the field, where the past has no significance.

With Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das as openers, Tamim Iqbal at No 3 and Mushfiqur Rahim at No 4, my top four was set, followed by Shakib as the all-rounder.

The two spinners drafted into the side are Kuldeep Yadav (first pick) and Khawar Ali (third pick). Both have been incredible in T20Is, with the latter picking up 35 wickets from 31 matches at an average of under 17. Kuldeep, meanwhile, has a strike-rate of less than 12 in T20Is.

Along with Shakib, Ryan ten Doeschate is an excellent batsmen who can accelerate right at the very end. They also provide options with the ball.

With Saifuddin and Mustafizur retained, the other pacer in the team to be drafted was Karan KC. The Nepal international has raw pace coupled with discipline, qualities which have allowed him to take 37 international T20 wickets at an average of 19.05 from just 28 matches.

The 12th and final pick of the team was D’Arcy Short. The Australian is an aggressive opener who is also a useful left arm wrist-spin bowler in T20s, which gives the team an extra option.

West Indies

(By Karthikeya Manchala, Cricket enthusiast learning Data Science at UC, San Diego. Twitter: @Static_a357)

The West Indies, between 2012 and 2016, were arguably the greatest T20 team seen on this planet. The recent demise which has brought them down to number 10 in the ICC T20I rankings may not be the fairest reflection of the team’s strength, but definitely indicates there were some shortcomings. Those are the chinks I tried to iron out in this draft process.

In a normal situation, I may have picked Lewis or Hetmyer but having the power to make the first pick prompted me to lock in AB de Villiers. I won’t waste your time on why I made that pick. De Villiers’ recent issues against spin means I think he’d be most effective on the opening spot. Considering I already have a high class middle order, de Villiers facing maximum balls will be a massive luxury.

For my second pick, I wanted a wristspinner who could bowl at good pace and turn the ball both ways; ruling out Chahal, Sodhi and Zampa. Qais Ahmad fit the criteria and is a highly exciting future prospect. His batting is a bonus too.

To further shore up my bowling and add more variety, my next pick was Tymal Mills. Besides providing a left arm option, he can adapt to different conditions by mixing up bowling rapid pace, or canny slower balls.

I deliberately left a batting spot open for my last pick because of the excess supply in the draft. Sanju Samson may not have much international experience but is a great number three and has different gears to his batting. I felt I need that in a lineup of hitters, without calling him an “anchor”. Phillips and Shubman Gill missed out.

My 12th man needed to be another bowler because it was obviously the side’s weaker suit. Fawad Ahmed’s recent numbers show he is a great backup for Qais or Mills. Behrendorff, Chahal (again) and Nortje missed out.

Would you have selected anyone different, given the order of the draft? What did you make of the final squads? Would this sort of exercise interest you for other formats? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or tweet to us at @thefield_in.