ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers 2019-20 standout player, biggest takeaway, best quote – Gerhard Erasmus, Norman Vanua, Brandon Glover

Standout player – Gerhard Erasmus

Erasmus’ 268 runs (strike rate 137) were the most till the third-place match. He also conceded a mere 6.57 an over. However, what stood out was the way he marshalled his troops, making the right bowling changes and placing his men in the right areas. Despite Assad Vala’s excellent show, the Player of the Tournament award was justified.

Standout moment – Norman Vanua’s yorker

Namibia needed 39 in 3 overs to qualify, but then, Erasmus was still at the crease. Papua New Guinea needed his wicket, and Vanua provided the perfect yorker. The in-form Erasmus, having made room for a shot through off, could do little but watch the stumps getting rattled.

Room to improve – television umpires

That ICC did not set up enough cameras to allow television umpires comes as a surprise, particularly in a tournament of this importance. While that has been the norm for Associate Nations in the past, it is only fair that more teams get the advantage of technology – more so because DRS is now a given in almost all men’s international cricket.

Biggest takeaway – the fielding factor

The more formidable teams may hold an advantage when it comes to batting and bowling, but Associates like PNG, Netherlands, and Namibia have figured out the relevance of fielding as a levelling ground. Barring the occasional blip, the ground fielding of the top teams in the tournament has been exemplary.

Standout quote – Brandon Glover

“Didn’t really know at what speed I was bowling.”
– Accuracy was apparently the only thing the Player of the Match in the final was concerned about.