Ricky Ponting predicts top performers for T20 World Cup 2024

The tournament will commence on 1 June with co-hosts USA taking on neighbors Canada

PHOTO: AFP

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has made his predictions for the top performers in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place in the USA and West Indies next month.

Speaking to The ICC Review, Ponting highlighted India's Jasprit Bumrah as his pick for the leading wicket-taker and Australia's Travis Head as the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

“My leading wicket-taker for the tournament will be Jasprit Bumrah,” Ponting said.

“I just think an outstanding performer, contributor for a number of years now. He's just come off an outstanding IPL.

“What he can do with the new ball, he swings the new ball, he has the seam up. But at the end, his economy rate at the end of the IPL was less than seven runs an over.

“He takes wickets. He does bowl a lot of the hard overs too. When you bowl the hard overs in T20 cricket, it gives you a chance to pick up a lot of wickets along the way. So, I'm going with him."

Meanwhile, the former skipper chose Australian player Travis Head as his prediction for the tournament's top run-scorer.

“My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head,” he said.

“I just think everything he's done, whether it be red-ball or white-ball in the last couple of years, has been of the highest quality. I think he's playing fearless cricket at the moment,” he added.

The tournament will commence on 1 June with co-hosts USA taking on neighbors Canada, while fellow hosts the West Indies will play Papua New Guinea in Guyana on the second day of group play.

Pakistan's schedule for T20 World Cup 2024