Captains from T20 World Cup 2016 - Where are they now?

After being delayed , the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is set to commence from October 17 in Oman and UAE. This will be the seventh edition of the showpiece event after the 2016 edition. Interestingly, it was after this edition of the T20 World Cup it was decided by the ICC that the global event will be played every four years. India were declared as the host nation and was all set to host it before the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on hold. Although BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was contemplating it to be held in India, the second wave of the pandemic could not let it happen. Nonetheless, India are still the co-hosts and the pitches in UAE should suit their style of play. The 2016 edition was a great one for top teams like England, India, West Indies and New Zealand. It also was great for few newer teams like Hong Kong and Oman. But it’s been over five years and a lot has changed and added in terms of cricket. Some teams like England and New Zealand have gone from strength to strength in the shortest format, while some teams like South Africa and Sri Lanka have slipped a bit. It’s been over five years since T20 World Cup and it is a good time to look at what the captains from the 2016 edition are doing now: 1. Asghar Afghan – Afghanistan Asghar Afghan. (Photo Source: Twitter) It won’t be wrong to say that former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan made the team one of the tough sides under his leadership. That the team could give a tough fight to even top teams like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka was down to how well he marshaled his resources. During the T20 World Cup, 2016 to Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe and qualified for the second stage of the global event for the first time. Due to some politics and mismanagement, Afghan was sacked from the captaincy in April 2019 before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Since then, he has been on the team as a middle-order batter. Recently he got married and is gearing up for this edition’s T20 World Cup. Although he is not the captain anymore, Afghan is still the team’s most reliable batter. 2. Steven Smith – Australia Steven Smith. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) Earmarked as a leader who would succeed Ricky Ponting in terms of numbers and records, Steven Smith’s life turned upside down when he was embroiled in the sandpaper controversy in 2018. After serving a ban of one year Smith returned as an even stronger person and batter. The Ashes series in England catapulted him altogether in different league and talks were circulating within Australian experts and critics that he should be reinstated as captain. The right-hand batter has not been given captaincy but is still entrusted to mane the middle-order during the T20 World Cup. Currently, he is in UAE playing IPL for Delhi Capitals. His T20I numbers are not jaw-dropping as his Test numbers but trust Smith to deliver whenever the chips are down. 3. Mashrafe Mortaza – Bangladesh Mashrafe Mortaza. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza is best remembered for his fearless and aggressive qualities as a leader. Mortaza has been in forefront of many of the team’s highs ranging from upsetting England in the 2015 Cricket World to beating India in a limited-overs series in 2016. Mortaza is also the team’s most successful captain, leading the team to 50 victories in 88 matches as ODI captain. He relinquished captaincy in 2020 after the Zimbabwe series. After that, he joined politics and is helping in the development of the nation. The former Bangladesh captain though took some time off from his busy schedule and is currently helping the pacers for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Bangladesh will play the Qualifiers beginning on October 17 in Oman. 4. Eoin Morgan – England Eoin Morgan of England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images for ECB) The man who has transformed England’s white-ball setup and also took them to their maiden 50-over World Cup title, Eoin Morgan, will again be leading his troops in this year’s T20 World Cup. Last time he came agonizingly close to winning the title only to be denied by a rampaging Carlos Braithwaite. But Morgan has a chance to go one step ahead. The highs of the 2019 World Cup must still be fresh in minds of fans and supporters, and the southpaw will again have to inspire his teammates to give their best. Morgan’s tremendous leadership abilities have skyrocketed him to the big league. Currently, he is lading KKR in the IPL in UAE. Although he has failed to get going with the bat, he still is accurate in taking decisions for the franchise in purple and gold. 5. Tanwir Afzal – Hong Kong Tanwir Afzal. (Photo by PRASHANT BHOOT/AFP via Getty Images) After taking part in the 2016 edition of the T20 World Cup, Hong Kong are not part of this year’s edition. Tanwir Afzal led the team in India and is currently playing Hong Kong Men’s Premier League in a T20 tournament. His miserly spell of fast bowling kept his team in the hunt. The Pakistani-born cricketer made quite a name for himself by displaying his all-around skills for his country. Lack of opportunities made him shift to Hong Kong. His diverse skills were appreciated by the board and soon he led Hong Kong to a win in ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2015. Afzal has been one of the consistent performers of the team and his pace bowling has too improved by leaps and bounds since the 2016 edition of the T20 World Cup. 6. MS Dhoni – India MS Dhoni batting. (Photo Source: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images) MS Dhoni remains the only captain to win all three ICC events, and that should be enough to get him a role of mentor in any team. India were wise and sprung as a surprise in naming him the mentor for the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup. Coincidentally, the 40-year-old has been the captain for India in all editions of the T20 World Cup that have gone by. And now, he will again be with the team, but this time guiding youngsters and calling the shots from the dressing room. Without a doubt, Dhoni remains tactically the best leader of the game, as evidenced by his leadership skills for CSK in the ongoing IPL. India has not won any showpiece event since 2013 and has not won a T20 World Cup since 2007. Dhoni comes with a plethora of leadership experience under his belt, and that should come in handy in crunch situations during the T20 World Cup matches. 7. William Porterfield – Ireland William Porterfield. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) One of the most improved teams in the recent past, Ireland have played some phenomenal cricket post the 2016 edition. Ireland are placed in Group A and will have to play Qualifiers of the T20 World Cup before they can stake a claim for a place in Super 12. A lot has changed since 2016 and William Porterfield, who led the team in 2016, does not find a place in this edition of the World Cup as a player but like Dhoni, he will be with the team as a coach. The southpaw is currently ODI captain, and his experience and deep insights of the game could prove to be beneficial for the team during the global event. Recently, Ireland tied the ODI series against South Africa, and that should give hope to Ireland to upset a few big teams during the T20 World Cup. Besides Porterfield, Ireland have also added Gary Wilson as one of the additional coaches. 8. Peter Borren – Netherlands Peter Borren of The Netherlands (Photo by Julian Herbert-IDI/IDI via Getty Images) Life has not been the same for former Netherlands captain Peter Borren. Although there is a handsome amount of money generated by a team like India, England, and Australia, the same cannot be said about the associate nations, who largely get very little revenue by playing cricket. The Netherlands is one such country that does not generate enough profit by playing cricket. Borren came into the news when one of the fans asked if the Netherlands cricket team, exists to which the former skipper replied it exits and struggles to pay rent. Yet, we sport the orange color with pride. Borren has played 41 T20Is scoring 632 runs and picking 17 wickets. 9. Kane Williamson – New Zealand Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Getty Images) When Kane Williamson led New Zealand in the 2016 edition of the T20 World Cup, the team was still considered as underdogs and an opponent who can punch above their weight. The scenario has completely changed in 2021, with Blackcaps winning the WTC final against India after reaching the finals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England. Williamson has been at the forefront of the revival and has led the team wonderfully. New Zealand are not considered underdogs anymore and that is due to the team’s stupendous rise in the white-ball formats. Williamson has carried the vision built by former Blackcaps skipper Brendon McCullum, and has followed his template by playing a fearless brand of cricket. Currently, he is captaining SRH in the IPL and will again be at the helm for New Zealand during the global event. 10 Sultan Ahmed – Oman Sultan Ahmed. (Photo by Ritam Banerjee/ICC via Getty Images) The former Oman captain Sultan Ahmed is not part of the squad for this year’s T20 World Cup. The former wicketkeeper-batter played few domestic matches for Oman in 2017 before he was suspended three matches during a Premier Division match. He took a controversial catch that the officials felt was incorrect. That particular match was historic in sense for Oman as that was the first time CCTV cameras were installed during a local match. For Ahmed, it turned sour as his catch was caught by cameras. Ahmed has played 17 T20Is and scored 104 runs from 2015 to 17. 11. Shahid Afridi – Pakistan Shahid Afridi of Pakistan. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images) Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi finally called it quits in 2018, bringing a glorious 20-year long career to an end. Considered one the greatest cricketers of Pakistan, Afridi played 99 T20Is and scored 1416 runs. He also took 98 wickets and held the record for the most wickets in T20Is before Nida Dar broke it. The former Pakistan captain is currently enjoying his time with family after playing the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL). Besides that, Afridi is always in news, for some controversial statements or for some noble causes. Recently, he was in news for his tweet on New Zealand cancelling the tour of Pakistan due to security reasons. The former Pakistan captain said educated nations should not follow India as he felt the they had a hand in Blackcaps returning home without playing a game. 12. Preston Mommsen – Scotland Preston Mommsen. (Photo by PRASHANT BOOT/AFP via Getty Images) South African-born Scotland cricketer shooked the cricketing world when he retired at the ripe age of 29. The announcement was made after he led Scotland in the 2016 edition of the T20 World Cup. He made this decision because he wanted to study further. In a statement released by Scotland Cricket, Mommsen said he received an exciting opportunity in the corporate world. He also led the team to their first victory in the 2016 edition in their 21st attempt in an ICC event. During the time he played for the team, he was one of the standout players scoring 1115 runs in 43 ODI games and 420 runs in 23 T20Is. 13. Faf du Plessis – South Africa Faf du Plessis of South Africa. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) After quitting his Test career for South Africa, Faf du Plessis wanted to pursue shorter formats for his team. The management, though, has not thought on those lines and instead has overlooked him for the global event during this year’s T20 World Cup. Du Plessis would have provided the team with extra cushion in the batting lineup. Instead, the former South African captain is playing leagues across the globe to prove a point. After playing the PSL and CPL, Du Plessis is currently playing IPL for CSK. He is one of the vital players for the team and has formed a formidable pair at the top with Ruturaj Gaikwad. He has currently played 50 T20Is and scored 1528 runs. 14. Angelo Matthews – Sri Lanka Angelo Matthews of Sri Lanka. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) Life has not been the same for the talismanic Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Matthews since the SLC’s contract dispute came to the fore. The senior statesman did not sign the annual contract and hence was not considered for selection. Worst, there were fingers pointed at him by few former Sri Lankan players for causing rifts in the team. It is still not officially known when Matthew will be back and but considering the Lankan Lions are rebuilding, it will be wise to have him in the squad as he will provide balance in the team with the bat and ball in hand. 15. Darren Sammy – West Indies Darren Sammy. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images) The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain Darren Sammy is not part of the West Indies’ side. He has left a rich legacy behind and has transformed the team into a fearless outfit. Sammy was recently in the news because he tweeted his support for Pakistan when New Zealand called off the tour. He felt what the Blackcaps did was not correct, and it was a big blow to Pakistan. The former West Indian captain is also one of the players who has applied for citizenship in Pakistan. Over the past few years, he played PSL and has traveled to the country. Apart from that, he is also seen in the role of CWI Board of Directors as one of the members. 16. Hamilton Masakadza – Zimbabwe Hamilton Masakadza. (Photo by Nigel Roddis – ICC/ICC via Getty Images) One of Zimbabwe’s greatest white-ball players, Hamilton Masakadza brought curtains to his glorious career in September 2019. In his final match against Afghanistan, he scored 71 runs off 42 balls in a T20I match. He played for 18 years and was the pivotal figure in several of Zimbabwe’s highs in cricket. Although few felt that he should have prolonged his career, Masakadza said he didn’t have any regrets bidding the game goodbye on a high. After hanging his boots, he is currently the director of Zimbabwe Cricket. Zimbabwe’s fans and supporters have high expectations from him and are hoping the team is back to winning ways after a dip in recent form. Masakadza is in the role since 2019.

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