ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: Oman Team Preview, Squad, Key Players and Probable Playing XI
Hosts Oman enter the T20 World Cup with massive aspirations and some great firepower as well. Having made their first-ever appearance in this tournament five years ago, they have proven themselves as a side to take note of in recent years. Despite losing the two T20Is to Sri Lanka recently, their fighting spirit was taken note by most units and they impressed in the warm up games, making them a prospect to be wary of.
They will be contesting against Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and Scotland in Group B, and although they might not stand a chance against the mighty Bangla Tigers, there is a chance they could sneak a win against the other two sides and make it to the Super 12 stages. A lot rests on the shoulders of the experienced shoulders of Zeeshan Maqsood, Mohammed Nadeem and Sandeep Goud.
Captain: Zeeshan Maqsood
Head Coach: Duleep Mendis
Claim To Fame
This is just their second major appearance in an ICC tournament, and they do stand a decent chance of going into the Super 12s. Having recently received the ODI status as well, the Omanis are keen on building their reputation further in the shorter format.
Also Read: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: All you need to know about Calum MacLeod, Scotland’s Talisman
Full Oman Squad for T20 World Cup 2021
Zeeshan Maqsood (captain), Aqib Ilyas, Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Ayaan Khan, Suraj Kumar, Sandeep Goud, Nester Dhamba, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Naseem Khushi, Sufyan Mehmood, Fayyaz Butt, Khurram Khan
Sialkot-born Aqib Ilyas is their most prolific batter in the side, who averages over 60 in ODIs.
Strengths
Their spin attack will remain their key strength for this competition. Ayaan Khan and Nester Dhamba, who played domestic cricket in India, are adding to wrist spinning prowess of Khawar Ali, giving them a well-rounded look.
Weaknesses
Their middle order has not chipped in with runs consistently, and the onus always falls on the shoulders of the top order, especially Aqib Ilyas and Jatinder Singh. They have some decent strikers of the ball like Kaleemullah, but they lack match-winning players in the middle, which could prove to be fatal for the side.
Key Oman Players
Kaleemullah: The 30-year-old all-rounder is well capable of producing some big performances with the ball, and is handy with the bat. He picked up five wickets in the two warm-up games Oman played leading into the tournament, including an impressive 4-wicket haul against a much-stronger Namibian side. He bats with a strike rate in excess of 170, and will be a crucial player down the order for Oman.
Zeeshan Maqsood: Maqsood’s slow left-arm can be a very dangerous prospect for batters, add to it the experience and skill he brings. He has a good arm delivery but does not try to loop it too much and keeps things economical. Since attaining international status in ODIs and T20Is, he has picked nearly 50 international wickets and continues to be one of their major presences in the side.
Aqib Ilyas: Easily the most recognized and renowned name in the Omanis setup, Aqib Ilyas would be desperate to showcase his exploits at Cricket’s most grandiose stage this time. A fact that the group games are happening in his home country will add to his confidence. He scored a sensational 48-ball 78 against the Netherlands in the warmup game, and averages nearly 30 in T20Is.
Probable Oman Playing XI for T20 World Cup 2021
Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Aqib Ilyas, Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Ayaan Khan, Naseem Khushi (wk), Sandeep Goud, Mohammad Nadeem, Fayyaz Butt, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan