2020 WORLD CUP - THE COMPLETE GUIDE

Find out who will be the big hitters in battle for glory

PAUL COLLINGWOOD - challenge
PAUL COLLINGWOOD - challenge

HERE'S your complete guide to the World Twenty20, with the inside info on who will be the stars of the boundary-busting show next month.

There will be four groups of three teams, with the top two in each group qualifying for the Super Eights.

In the Super Eights, the teams are paired into two groups of four and each country will play three matches.

The top two in each division reach the semi-finals, which will be staged at Trent Bridge on June 18 and The Brit Oval 24 hours later.

The final will take place at the home of cricket, Lord's when the world's top two teams collide on June 21.

England have warm-up games against Scotland at Trent Bridge on Tuesday and then tackle West Indies at the Brit Oval on Wednesday.

Paul Collingwood's men open the competition at Lord's on Friday when they faces rank outsiders Netherlands at Lord's before meeting strongly fancied Pakistan at the Brit Oval next Sunday.

Provided the competition runs to form England are almost likely to face India, Australia and South Africa in the Super Eight stages.

GROUP A

India

MS DHONI
MS DHONI

Prospects: The defending champions should romp through an easy group when Yuvraj Singh could match his feat at the 2007 tournament when he hit Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes. They should reach the final.

Key Man: MS Dhoni. India's answer to David Beckham has an army of female followers and is a brilliant one day cricketer as well.

Odds: 3-1

Bangladesh

MASHRAFE MORTAZA
MASHRAFE MORTAZA

Prospects: Mohammad Ashraful's side stunned West Indies at the inaugural competition two years ago, but preparations have been poor after matches against Pakistan were cancelled for security reasons.

Key Man: Mashrafe Mortaza. His accuracy with the ball has led to comparisons with Aussie legend Glenn McGrath but that's over-stating things.

Odds: 33-1

Ireland

PAUL STIRLING
PAUL STIRLING

Prospects: They have no chance of defeating India, but have beaten Bangladesh in a 50-over game so they could be a Super Eight shock

Key Man: Paul Stirling. The chunky teenager has been in blistering form with the bat and could spring a major upset in such a short game.

Odds: 500-1

GROUP B

Pakistan

YOUNIS KHAN
YOUNIS KHAN

Prospects: Preparations because of problems at home have severely dented their chances, but they will have no problems getting through to the second group stage.

Key Man: Younis Khan. A complete run machine who is convinced the 2007 beaten finalists' will go one better and win the world title.

Odds: 8-1

England

KEVIN PIETERSEN
KEVIN PIETERSEN

Prospects: Home advantage gives them a key advantage and a semi-final place is not beyond them if the batsman get it right in the Super Eights. But, as always with England, that is a very big 'if'.

Key Man: Kevin Pietersen. KP hasn't been in the nick he would like and is still recovering from injury but still England's best batsman by a million miles

Odds: 10-1

Netherlands

DIRK NANNES
DIRK NANNES

Prospects: Cricket's future definitely isn't Orange and there is absolutely no chance of Jeroen Smits side causing an upset.

Key Man: Dirk Nannes. Has first-class experience with Middlesex and played in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils but that still doesn't make him world-class.

Odds: 1000-1

GROUP C

Australia

DAVID WARNER
DAVID WARNER

Prospects: Ricky Ponting's men haven't been in the best form having lost to South Africa and Pakistan recently at 'disco cricket' but most dangerous when they're struggling.

Key Man: David Warner. An astonishing hitter who will smash plenty of balls out of the grounds and could be a household name by the time the tournament ends.

Odds: 4-1

Sri Lanka

SANATH JAYASURIYA
SANATH JAYASURIYA

Prospects: Only India and Pakistan have a higher ratio of Twenty20 wins, but it would be a shock if they won after several players were hospitalised following the terrorist attack in March.

Key Man: Sanath Jayasuriya. Has been around for years, but is still a prolific run-getter in all the shorter forms of cricket and capable of turning any match.

Odds: 7-1

West Indies

CHRIS GAYLE
CHRIS GAYLE

Prospects: Looked poor against England earlier this month and they have to contend with the competition's group of death. Not a great prospect for a team with no morale.

Key Man: Chris Gayle. His brutal batting can win a game within the space of a few deliveries but he's looked slightly less than interested since he arrived in England.

Odds: 11-1

GROUP D

New Zealand

BRENDON McCULLUM
BRENDON McCULLUM

Prospects: Have experience and a great record against tournament favourites India. They look a lot stronger than 2007 when they reached the semi-finals but reaching the final would still be a shock.

Key Man: Brendon McCullum. The big-hitting wicketkeeper's 158 in the IPL last year is the world's highest score by a batsman in a Twenty20 match and he could easily do something similar.

Odds: 8-1

South Africa

YUSUF ABDULLA
YUSUF ABDULLA

Prospects: Fresh from smashing the Australians in a one-day series, Graeme Smith's rampaging squad pose the biggest threat to India, provided they can cope with English conditions.

Key Man: Yusuf Abdulla. The left arm quickie was one of this season's IPL stars for Kings XI Punjab and he could be a real handful in the closing stages of big matches.

Odds: 4-1

Scotland

GAVIN HAMILTON
GAVIN HAMILTON

Prospects: Somewhere between slim and none - and far more likely to be none. Finished a very poor sixth in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers recently and struggling to find much form.

Key Man: Gavin Hamilton. Scored a pair in his only Test for England, but his middle order runs will be crucial if the tartan army are to emerge with any credit.

Odds: 500-1

SUPER EIGHT GROUPS

Group E: A1, B2, C1, D2

Group F: A2, B1, C2, D1

FIXTURES

Group stages

Friday, June 5 - England v The Netherlands 1 (Lord's, 17.30).

Saturday, June 6 - New Zealand v Scotland (Oval, 10.00); Australia v West Indies (Oval, 13.30); India v Bangladesh (Trent Bridge, 17.30).

Sunday, June 7 - South Africa v Scotland (Oval, 13.30); England v Pakistan (Oval, 17.30).

Monday, June 8 - Ireland v Bangladesh (Trent Bridge, 13.30); Australia v Sri Lanka (Trent Bridge, 17.30).

Tuesday, June 9 - Pakistan v The Netherlands (Lord's, 13.30); New Zealand v South Africa (Lord's, 17.30).

Wednesday, June 10 - Sri Lanka v West Indies (Trent Bridge, 13.30); India v Ireland (Trent Bridge, 17,30)

Super Eights

Thursday, June 11: B2 v D2 (Trent Bridge, 17.30).

Friday, June 12 - B1 v C2 (Lords, 13.30); A1 v C1 (Lord's, 17.30).

Saturday, June 13 - C1 v D2 (Oval, 13.30); D1 v B1 (Oval, 17.30).

Sunday, June 14 - A2 v C2 (Lords, 13.30); A1 v B2 (Lord's, 17.30).

Monday, June 15 - B2 v C1 (Oval, 13.30); B1 v A2 (Oval, 17.30).

Tuesday, June 16 - D1 v C2 (Trent Bridge, 13.30); D2 v A1 (Trent Bridge, 17.30)

Semi-Finals

Thursday, June 18 - Winner Group E v Runner-Up Group F (Trent Bridge, 17.30).

Friday, June 19 - Winner Group F v Runner Up Group E (Oval, 17.30).

Final

Sunday, June 21 (Lord's, 15.00)

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