Carlos Brathwaite led West Indies past England to win a World Twenty20 final thriller on Sunday but this tournament had plenty of memeroable moments. Here are five of the best.
1 Best quote Marlon Samuels
“Every team I play for, Shane Warne has a problem with me,” Marlon Samuels said after leading West Indies to a second World Twenty20 title. “I don’t know what. I’ve never disrespected him. I don’t appreciate the way that he continues to talk about me, and the things he keeps doing. I don’t know, maybe it is because my face is real and his face is not.” What is it they say about payback?
2 Worst fallout Pakistan
Where else but in Pakistan? They were easily the least prepared of the sides in the Super 10 stage. They were fortunate that Bangladesh froze on the big stage in that first game, otherwise they could have ended winless. Back in Pakistan, it is as good as if they did. Inquiry committees are being set up like they are going out of fashion. The captain has left the post. The coach is gone. Members of the management, even the board might also pay. The way things are going, it sounds as if the entire government is in danger of being overturned.
3 Best finish India v Bangladesh
Nothing beats a finish of four consecutive sixes in a game played for the trophy. But sometimes a batting implosion can be as compelling. Against India in Bangalore, Bangladesh needed 11 off the last over. Mushfiqur Rahim celebrated prematurely after hitting a boundary with nine coming off the first three balls. He holed out trying to hit out in style when a single would have sufficed. Mahmudullah panicked and holed out, too. And when MS Dhoni pulled off a run-out off the last ball, Bangladesh had blown the script.
4 Best bowling Mitchell Santner
New Zealand were quick to read the pitch perfectly against India in Nagpur and adapt. They let go of the world’s best fast bowling pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult and played three spinners. Mitchell Santner out-bowled India’s spinners on a viciously turning track. The key wicket was Rohit Sharma’s, beautifully drawn out and beaten on the turn, and ultimately left stranded. He took three more.
5 Best innings Mohammad Shahzad
You can have your Virat Kohli masterpiece. You can have your exhibitions of Joe Root’s genius. You can have your Chris Gayle explosions as well. But the best innings was played by the portly Afghanistan opener. Chasing South Africa’s 210 in Mumbai was never realistically on but, for four brief overs, it seemed like the impossible might happen. Having got to 44 off 19 balls, it took a speedy corker from Chris Morris to dismiss him.
