9 Surprising selections for the ICC World T20 2016

The ICC World T20 2016 is fast approaching and the teams look to get their acts together to stake a claim on the T20 world championship. The squads have been announced and every team has gone on with the mix of players they trust to deliver the most in sub-continent conditions. A few teams, however, have opted to experiment and give a chance to the young guns. Hardly anybody placed their bet on these names before the selectors put their weight behind them. So, here we list out 9 surprising selection for the ICC World T20 2016. 1. Pawan Negi (India): Pawan Negi CSK. (Photo Source: BCCI) Pawan Negi was the most surprising pick when the squad of the World T20 was announced. It was surprising because he was never in contention for the slot in the team which already has two established star spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. His number are also not extraordinary. Negi has played 56 T20 matches to his credit, from which he averages 19.16 with the bat at a strike-rate of 134.92 and has taken 46 wickets at 26.28. In the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Negi took six wickets in nine matches at 33.66 (economy 8.71) and scored 173 runs at 86.50 with a strike-rate of 173. It would be interesting to see whether how MS Dhoni fits him into the Playing XI. 2. Sharjeel Khan (Pakistan): (Photo Source: Twitter) Sharjeel Khan’s career took a dramatic turn recently. Sharjeel’s T20I career also never really took off and he played just 3 matches, the last of which was in December 2013. However, his performance for the Islamabad United team in the first edition of the PSL put life back into his cricketing career. He was a key part of the eventual champion side. He played few crucial cameos but Pakistan selectors couldn’t ignore him after he became the first player in the PSL to score a century. His 62 balls 117 in the semi-finals made the selectors pick him as the last minute change in the squad. 3. Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan): (Photo Source: Twitter) Rookie all-rounder Muhammad Nawaz celebrated his World T20 selection with outstanding performances in the PSL. Nawaz has picked up 10 wickets so far in the PSL for Quetta Gladiators, and he will play a crucial role for his side in the playoffs. He might be handed his debut for Pakistan against India in the Asia Cup on February 27th. 4. Peter Nevill (Australia): Peter Nevill (Photo Source: Twitter) Australian wicketkeeper Peter Nevill admits that he himself did not expect a call from the Australian selectors. Nevill has been the first choice keeper in the Australian Test team. However, he never got any chance ahead of Matthew Wade in the limited overs format. However, his selection in the squad means the 30-year-old will soon make his T20 debut. 5. Liam Dawson (England): (Photo Source: Getty Images) Liam Dawson, the former U19 captain, started out as a left arm spinner but has developed steadily into a handy spin bowling all-rounder. He has been Hampshire’s most versatile cricketer and was selected on the basis of his all-around performance for the England Lions for whom he has scored he scored 267 runs and has taken 14 wickets in the last 10 games. Dawson himself admitted that this call-up came out of the blue. 6. Nathan McCullum (New Zealand): Nathan McCullum. (© Getty Images) Off-spinner Nathan McCullum was one of the unexpected names to make a cut in the New Zealand team. His selection comes mainly due to the Indian condition where his off spin bowling can come handy. In addition to that, he is handy with the bat and has the experience in playing in the foreign condition. Nathan last T20Is appearance came last year in August. 7. Nurul Hasan (Bangladesh): Bangladesh cricketer Nurul Hasan. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) The left handed wicket keeper batsman might find it very hard to get a game as a wicket keeper in the presence of Mushfiqur Rahim. However, skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza can opt him as a specialist batsman. Hasan has played 4 T20Is so far for the Bangla Tigers but has been ineffective. his inclusion wasn’t expected. His performance in the Bangladesh Premier League where he scored just 115 runs in 10 games for Sylhet Superstars was also pretty dull. However, now that an opportunity has come his way, he would like to make full use of it. 8. Ryan Campbell (Hong Kong): (Photo Source: Getty Images) Ryan Campbell, the former Australian international moved to Hong Kong after opportunities in his homeland dried up. He could play only two ODIs for Australia in 2002. Later, he moved to Hong Kong in 2012, to play for and coach the Kowloon Cricket Club. Campbell, who is also the batting coach of Hong Kong, has been a regular contributor for the club and had an impressive season for Kowloon CC with 169 runs at 33.8 including one half-century in the past five games. However, his inclusion was still surprising considering his age and a big abstinence from proper competitive cricket. 9. Ashley Nurse (West Indies): BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS – AUGUST 10: Ashley Nurse of Barbados Tridents celebrate the dismissal of Daniel Vettori of Jamaica Tallawahs during a match between Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs as part of week 5 of the Caribbean Premier League 2014 at Warner Park on August 10, 2014 in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. (Photo by Randy Brooks/LatinContent/Getty Images) Ashley Nurse is another cricketer who benefitted from the ‘venue’ factor of the World T20. However, the West Indies selectors already had the likes of Sulieman Benn and T20 star Samuel Badree in the squad and the inclusion of a relatively inexperienced off-spinner was not foreseen. He already has played 4 T20Is for West Indies but has failed to find any success. His numbers of 1 wicket in 5 matches for the Trident Barbados in the CPL also doesn’t appear to be very promising.

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9 Surprising selections for the ICC World T20 2016

5. Liam Dawson (England):

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