Twenty20 World Cup: the players to watch at the tournament

The first knockings of the eighth edition of the men’s T20 World Cup will get under way in Australia on Sunday, with eight teams duking it out for four spots in the Super 12.

After crunching the numbers, cranking the algorithms, tapping up the experts and relying a bit too much on “gut feel”, here are the Spin’s players to watch over the next month of white ball action.

Don’t be fooled by the humdrum nomenclature. David might have the name of a backbench MP, but his long-levered biffings over the past year or so have been truly box office. They’ve seen him blow up from something of a hipster’s choice for those in the know to being touted by the likes of Ricky Ponting as potential star of the tournament.

Born in Singapore but raised in Australia, David had a spluttering start to his career – a so-so stint with Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash and a handful of games for his birth country didn’t mark him out as anything special. All that changed in 2020-21 when he signed for Hobart Hurricanes and in modern cricketing parlance “started pulling up trees”.

Towering sixes and a phenomenal strike-rate, married with more than handy off-spin, saw his stock rise. David was suddenly a man in demand and impressed further with stints for Lahore, Surrey and Southern Brave. This past year has seen him dominate in the PSL for Multan Sultans and get snapped up by Mumbai Indians in the IPL. At 6ft 5in with strapping shoulders, an uncomplicated technique and a penchant for clearing the ropes – his hold-the-pose bazooka of a straight drive is something to behold – David could easily become a World Cup winner despite never having played a game of first-class cricket.

West Indies have made news pre-tournament due to Shimron Hetmyer’s