Mark Boucher said teams will have an idea after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League as to what is a par score for the upcoming T20 World Cup, both of which will be held in the UAE. He added that spinners will play a major role in matches.
Mark Boucher: The Wickets After The IPL 2021 Are Going To Be A Bit Dry
The remainder of the Indian Premier League being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will affect the pitches, which might get worn out and help the spinners “massively” during the ICC T20 World Cup, feels South Africa head coach Mark Boucher.
The 2021 IPL, which was suspended following Covid-19 cases inside the bio-bubble, will be completed in UAE, which will also host the T20 World Cup after the ICC decided to shift the showpiece event from India due to the 2nd wave of Covid-19 prevailing in India.
“We are probably going to be playing in conditions like this in the UAE. The wickets after the IPL are going to be a bit dry,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Boucher as saying.
“It’s not the same as we’re used to back in South Africa where you can go out and bash your way to 180 to 200 runs. You’ve got to be skillful here; you’ve got to be smart,” he added.
The second leg of the IPL is scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 15, while the T20 World Cup will begin on October 17.
Mark Boucher Expect Spinners Will Play A Massive Role In T20 World Cup
Mark Boucher said teams participating in T20 World Cup will have an idea after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as to what is a par score in the UAE for the upcoming marquee event.
“It’s going to be tough to bat on especially at the back end as we saw here. We will have an idea of what scores are going to be by watching the IPL and then taking a look and assess how the wickets are playing during the beginning part of the World Cup. I suspect spinners will play a massive role,” said Boucher.
The South Africa coach hopes the players who are going through a lean patch will regain form in the upcoming series against Ireland. South Africa will next tour Ireland and play 3 ODIs and as many T20Is.
“If we can get all the guys firing on all cylinders, we’ve got an idea of what could be our strongest line-up and once that happens, then you end up finding an extra 15-20 runs which, in these conditions it becomes a very difficult total to face, especially when it’s so dry,” he said.
The upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be staged in the UAE and Oman due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation in India. The tournament will start two days after the IPL 2021 final — October 15.
The BCCI will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held in Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, from October 17 to November 14, 2021.
Left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi had claimed seven wickets as South Africa won a five-match T20I series against the West Indies 3-2 at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s, Grenada. Quinton de Kock of Proteas amassed the most 255 runs from 5 games averaging 51 while Dwayne Bravo of West Indies picked 10 wickets.