In the absence of an empirical method, becoming the Best T20 Batsman is about building an argument, a blend of statistical excellence and intangibles. As such, the accolade is constantly up for grabs in an informal tussle. It’s a tussle that has as much to do with recency as it does ability, one or two innings more than capable of throwing a player to the top of our collective imaginations, and rankings. You need the numbers, but it’s not just about them – it needs to feel right. Right now, Nicholas Pooran has as compelling a case as anybody else in the world.
The simple data tells us plenty of the story. In the last two years of domestic cricket, Pooran has flown. His scoring rate, 9.3rpo, has been matched by a batting average of 35, tying explosive hitting to consistent run-scoring, a combination which draws the eye of traditionalists and fanatics alike. Pooran’s effectiveness in T20 domestic leagues is almost unparalleled in the last year or so; since the start of 2020, his Average Batting Impact has risen to +4.9, the second-best of any player in the major leagues.
The breadth of your domestic record is clearly an indicator of your ability, but in T20, the IPL is still the pinnacle. If you strip away the bulk of the T20 calendar and look only at performances in the most major league, Pooran has still been mixing it with the absolute elite. Over the past two seasons the only men outperforming him are established Hall of Fame T20 batsmen: David Warner, Andre Russell, and Jos Buttler.
LONDON, England (CMC) — West Indies seamer Kemar Roach believes his career-best eight-wicket haul against Hampshire was just reward for his persistence after managing only three wickets from 71 overs in his two opening matches of the County Championship for Surrey.
The 32-year-old picked up eight for 40 to end with match figures of 10 for 80 as the hosts crushed Hampshire by an innings and 289 runs inside three days at the Oval on Saturday.
“I'm extremely happy. I put a lot of work in for the two games I've played before,” Roach said after bowling Surrey to victory.
“[It was] tough work. It was a lot of overs that I bowled and I didn't get much of a reward but to come here, obviously, and put the ball in the right areas and get eight — 10 wickets in the game — it's a fantastic feeling.
“And to do it with a bunch of great guys, it's even better.”
LONDON, England (CMC) — West Indies have slumped to 10th spot in the latest International Cricket Council's Twenty20 rankings, just six months before they defend their title at the T20 World Cup in India.
Following the annual update yesterday which saw results from 2017-18 eliminated, West Indies found themselves on 222 rating points but still within striking distance of the three teams immediately ahead of them.
Bangladesh is ninth on 225 points, Sri Lanka lies eighth on 227 points, while Afghanistan is seventh on 236 points.
England, meanwhile, remains the top side in the rankings with 277 and has extended their lead over second-place India to five points.
JAMAICA Scorpions Head Coach Andre Coley has joined the list of people welcoming plans by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to organise matches within each territory to help players prepare for proposed Test series against South Africa and Pakistan.
“There is some discussion around four-day games that will coincide with international tournaments coming up. It is important for players to get the opportunity to play at a certain level and to keep that sharpness and to stake a claim for any upcoming tour,” he told the Jamaica Observer during a telephone interview.
The regional four-day competition, which would normally run from late in the year up to approximately the first quarter of the new calendar year, is traditionally the platform upon which players can stake their claim for a place in the West Indies Test team.
However, due to logistical challenges and safety concerns brought on by the novel coronavirus the competition is unlikely to be held this season.
Cricket great Sunil Gavaskar believes having Sunil Narine batting in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ middle order is a complete waste of time as the team needs quality batsmen in their line-up to be able to reverse their fortunes in the IPL this season.
KKR are currently eighth in the IPL standings after just two wins from their seven matches to date, a position that Gavaskar believes comes down to one thing.
"To be honest, they don’t have too many classy batsmen. I don’t know how many in the dugout they can look to and say, ‘Look… why don’t you come in and bat up the order.’ Because if you have a look at their batting, apart from Shubman Gill and Morgan himself, there is no class," Gavaskar said on Cricket Connected.
