Former English cricketer and the brand ambassador of Betway, Kevin Pietersen, picked up his T20 World Cup XI just after the end of the ICC World T20 that was won by Australia defeating New Zealand by eight wickets.
Kevin Pietersen’s XI:
Mohammad Rizwan, Jos Butler, Babar Azam, Charith Asalanka, Aiden Markram, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasranga, Adam Zampa, Trent Boult, Anrich Nortje, Shaheen Afridi
Players from Australia (1), England (2), New Zealand (1), Pakistan (3), South Africa (2) and Sri Lanka (2) made it to Peterson’s XI. Players from India, West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland could not find a place in the XI.
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Wickets |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 6 | 281 | – |
| Jos Butler | England | 6 | 269 | – |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 6 | 303 | – |
| Charith Asalanka | Sri Lanka | 6 | 231 | |
| Aiden Markram | South Africa | 5 | 162 | – |
| Moeen Ali | England | 6 | 92 | 7 |
| Wanindu Hasranga | Sri Lanka | 8 | 119 | 16 |
| Adam Zampa | Australia | 7 | – | 13 |
| Trent Boult | New Zealand | 7 | – | 13 |
| Anrich Nortje | South Africa | 5 | – | 9 |
| Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan | 6 | – | 7 |
Mohammad Rizwan: Pakistan’s wicket-keeper and opening bat hammered 281 runs in six matches. Together with his skipper Babar Azam, he provided solid starts to the team in the majority of the matches. He averaged 70.25 and his strike rate was 127.73. He struck 23 boundaries and a dozen sixes.
Jos Butler: The swashbuckling wicket-keeper bat from England was the only centurion in the tournament. The opening batter muscled 269 runs in six matches at an average of 89.67 and strike rate of 151.12. He struck 22 boundaries and 13 sixes.
Babar Azam: Pakistan’s captain was the leading run-getter in the tournament with 303 runs in six matches at an average of 60.60. His strike rate was 126.25. The right hand opening bat smashed 28 boundaries and five sixes in the competition. He registered four half-centuries, which was the highest in the tournament.
Charith Asalanka: The left hand middle order bat from Sri Lanka was the leading run-getter for his side in the competition. He piled up 231 runs in six matches at an average of 46.20 and strike rate of 147.13. He plundered 23 boundaries and nine sixes.
Aiden Markram: The South African all-rounder proved to be a utility player as he contributed with bat, ball as well as on the field with his electric fielding. The right hand batter smacked 162 runs in five matches. He also bowled with the new ball during the powerplay and was effective with his off spin.
Moeen Ali: The English all-rounder made useful contributions with both bat and ball in the tournament. The left-hander scored 92 runs and scalped seven wickets with his off spin in the six matches. With the bat, he could use the long handle at will and with the ball, he could keep the batters at bay.
Wanindu Hasranga: The Sri Lankan mystery spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 wickets from eight matches. He bowled at an economy of under six and averaged just 9.75. He bowled as many as 30 overs giving away 156 runs. With the bat, he scored 119 useful runs for his team.
Adam Zampa: The Australian leg spinner was the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 13 wickets from seven matches. He was one of the two bowlers in the tournament to claim a five wicket haul. He bowled at an economy of less than six and averaged 12.08. He was one of the key players in Australia that helped the team clinch the championship.
Trent Boult: The left arm speedster from New Zealand led the Kiwi bowling attack picking up 13 wickets in seven matches. His economy rate was less than seven which is great for a fast bowler who bowls in the powerplay and also in the death. He averaged 13.31 and was key to New Zealand making it to the finals.
Anrich Nortje: The tall South African quick was the most successful bowler for Proteas as he accounted for nine wickets in five matches, at an average of 11.56 and an envious economy of less than six for a pace bowler. He was the sixth highest wicket-taker in the tournament and was among the top 10 bowlers with the lowest economy rate.
Shaheen Afridi: Pakistan’s new ball bowler wrecked havoc with the ball more often than not in the tournament. He threatened the batters with his raw pace and lethal bouncers. He struck with seven wickets in six matches. Though the number of wickets may not tell the impact that he had, Pakistan banked on him to provide them with early breakthroughs.
Loves all things female cricket
