(Group A)
ENGLAND
Captain: Stuart Broad
England defend the World Twenty20 title they won in the Caribbean two years ago without 2010 man of the tournament Kevin Pietersen, who remains in international exile after repeated run-ins with team officials.
Much will depend on how the likes of Alex Hales, effectively Pietersen's replacement, and the rest of the top order cope on the kind of spin-friendly pitches where England's batsmen have so often struggled in the past. Left-arm spinner Danny Briggs, a star performer for English domestic Twenty20 champions Hampshire, could be important especially if experienced off-spinner Graeme Swann remains troubled by an elbow problem. Pace bowling all-rounder Stuart Broad, one of eight survivors from the 2010 squad, captains the side, with Jade Dernbach's various slower deliveries set for their sternest test yet.
SQUAD: Stuart Broad (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright.
(Group A)
Inida
Captain: Ms Dhoni
Former champions and one-day World Cup-holders India will bank on their depth in batting and cancer survivor Yuvraj Singh's excellence to regain glory in the shortest format of the game. India won the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007, but couldn't live up to their billing in the next two editions.. Batting will be India's main strength as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj and Dhoni are all capable of dominating any attack with their exciting strokeplay. Yuvraj impressed with his power-hitting in the inaugural edition, smashing six sixes in an over from England Stuart Broad in his 16-ball 58. He also played a big role in India's ODI World Cup triumph with 362 runs and 15 wickets and named man of the tournament.
SQUAD: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Ashok Dinda, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, H Singh, Manoj Tiwary.
(Group A)
AFGHANISTAN
Captain: Nawroz Mangal
Afghanistan's rise in world cricket is one of the most exciting developments in a sport that is attempting to break new ground. It was less than a decade ago that the war-ravaged nation began taking cricket seriously and their rapid progress has been widely acclaimed. They go to Sri Lanka for their second World Twenty20, having made their debut in the Caribbean two years ago. Twenty20 cricket suits the maverick style of Afghan cricketers. Their batsmen are not afraid to play shots in the air and take great delight in smashing the best bowlers out of the ground. The batsmen to watch out for are opener Karim Sadiq, wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Nabi and Asghar Stanikzai, who are all attractive strokemakers.
SQUAD: Nawroz Mangal (capt), Dawlat Zadran, Gulbodin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Izatullah Dawlatzai, Karim Sadiq, Javed Ahmadi, Mohammad Nasim Baras, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Asghar Stanikzai, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shenwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shapoor Zadran.
(Group B)
australia
Captain: george bailey
For such a highly successful cricket nation, Australia's modest T20 record is a blemish. They have won four 50-over World Cups but their best finish in three previous World Twenty20 tournaments was as runner-up to England in 2010. In the ICC ratings, Australia are ranked ninth, below New Zealand and Bangladesh. George Bailey leads the T20 squad looking to win the only major title that has eluded Australia. Desperate situations call for desperate measures and 41-year-old Brad Hogg has been brought in to bolster the spin attack. If Hogg will be the oldest player in the event, 19-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins will be one of the youngest. Cameron White has also been brought back in a middle-order that includes the Hussey brothers, while David Warner is expected to provide an aggressive start.
SQUAD: George Bailey (capt), David Warner, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Cameron White, Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Hogg, Xavier Doherty, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Ben Hilfenhaus.
(Group B)
west indies
Captain: darren sammy
The best performance by the West Indies in the three previous editions of World Twenty20 came in England in 2009, when they reached the semi-finals. But no rival will take the West Indies lightly in Sri Lanka due to what many refer to as the "Indian Premier League (IPL) effect". The IPL has thrown up several match-winners from the Caribbean in the shortest format of the game. Any side that possesses explosive batsmen such as Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, backed by solid all-rounders in Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell, and a superb spinner in Sunil Narine, can never be counted out. Attacking cricket, the hallmark of the West Indies game, is ideally suited to the T20 version. And with conditions in Sri Lanka -- slow, batsmen-oriented wickets -- the West Indies will not find it tough to adjust.
SQUAD: Darren Sammy (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith.
(Group B)
ireland
Captain: willian porterfield
Ireland, with two former Test players in their backroom staff now that ex-Australia paceman Craig McDermott has joined West Indian coach Phil Simmons, will be in search of fresh giant-killing success to match their one-day international exploits.
Their squad has plenty of subcontinental experience, with Kevin O'Brien having compiled the fastest-ever hundred in the 50-over World Cup during Ireland's stunning win over England in Bangalore last year. William Porterfield, the captain and one of several county cricketers in the squad, will aim to lead from the front with the bat, as newcomer Tim Murtagh looks to bolster a seam attack featuring Australia-born veteran Trent Johnston. Much will be expected of talented Somerset left-arm spinner George Dockrell, 20, on Sri Lankan pitches renowned for taking turn.
SQUAD: William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.
(Group C)
south africa
Captain: ab de villiers
Adjusting to conditions in Sri Lanka, especially the slow wickets, after a long tour of England, will be crucial to South Africa's chances in the tournament. South Africa remain strong contenders in any form of the game, including Twenty20. Opening batsman Richard Levi is able to hit ferociously in the power-play overs and is backed by more orthodox world-class batsmen in AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla. Then there is Albie Morkel, the hard-hitting 'finisher'. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel provide top-quality fast bowling, Lonwabo Tsotsobe is a naggingly accurate left-armer and there are capable spin bowlers in Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, Faf Du Plessis and JP Duminy. South Africa have not won a 50-over World Cup or the World Twenty20 despite consistently being among the favourites.
SQUAD: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
(Group C)
Sri lanka
Captain: mahela jayawardene
Hosts Sri Lanka have already showcased their all-round skill in the World Twenty20, reaching the final in England in 2009 and the last four in the next edition in the West Indies the following year. Inspired by crowd support and aided by familiar conditions, Mahela Jayawardene's team start as unofficial favourites with batsmen and bowlers to rise to the big occasion. The home team will not be short of T20 experience, having played two matches against Pakistan and one against India in recent months. Most of their players also recently figured in the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League. They have excellent batsmen in Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, and talented all-rounders in Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera. Sri Lanka also have a match-winning paceman in Lasith Malinga, and the return of unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis adds variety to their attack.
SQUAD: M Jayawardene (cap), A Mathews, K Sangakkara, T Dilshan, L Thirimanne, J Mendis, D Munaweera, T Perera, L Malinga, N Kulasekara, R Herath, A Mendis, D Chandimal, S Eranga, A Dananjaya.
(Group C)
zimbabwe
Captain: brendan taylor
Zimbabwe are not expected to trouble the big boys, but the 20-over format provides lot of scope for upsets. Zimbabwe proved the point when they shocked Australia in the inaugural World T20 in 2007, with current captain Brendan Taylor sealing a five-wicket win with an unbeaten 60 off 45 balls. Zimbabwe have only a small number of potential match-winners, but if they perform at their peak they are a side that cannot be discounted. Their bowling is steady, with the spin of Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya and veteran Ray Price likely to be a key factor on the slow pitches of Sri Lanka, and they are an athletic fielding team. Although Zimbabwe have lost their last 12 official T20 internationals, they had two morale-boosting wins in three matches against a strong South African XI in a triangular tournament in Harare in June.
SQUAD: Brendan Taylor (capt), Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer, Ray Price, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu, Richard Muzhange, Brian Vitori, Prosper Utseya, Forster Mutizwa.
(Group D)
pakistan
Captain: M hafeez
Little has changed about Pakistan's cricketers over the years. They remain as unpredictable as ever, capable of losing badly one day and then beating the same side comfortably the next day. And the talent never dries up, whether it is finding young batsmen such as Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali, or adding to their crop of promising fast bowlers like Junaid Khan. Pakistan's World T20 record also shows they are a side not to be taken lightly. They were runners-up to India in the 2007, won the next one in England in 2009 and lost in the semi-finals of the last tournament. Pakistan have a strong batting line-up with the recalled Kamran Akmal and M Hafeez at the top order, with Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq providing a power-packed middle-order. They have one of the most potent bowling attack, with Umar Gul backed by Saeed Ajmal, Afridi and Hafeez.
SQUAD: M Hafeez (capt), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, A Razzaq, S Afridi, Sohail Tanveer, Umar Gul, S Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Yasir Arafat, M Sami.
(Group D)
New zealand
Captain: ross taylor
It is tough to be positive about a team that lies eighth in both the Test and one-day rankings. New Zealand have slipped badly in recent years, but the Black Caps now get a chance to show they belong among cricket's elite. Ross Taylor's side will be glad to have the influential Daniel Vettori back in the side after recovering from a nagging groin injury. The former captain not only adds the necessary experience at the top level but remains one of the most potent let-arm spinners in the game and a reliable batsman down the order. Brendon McCullum is the go-to man for the Kiwis, capable of destroying any bowling attack on his day. Taylor, Martin Guptill, Jacob Oram and James Franklin are others who New Zealand will bank on to deliver. The Black Caps are known to rise to the big occasion, after shocking favourites South Africa in the quarter-finals of last year's 50-over World Cup.
SQUAD: Ross Taylor (cap), M Guptill, Rob Nicol, B McCullum, Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, J Franklin, Jacob Oram, N McCullum, D Vettori, Kyle Mills, D Bracewell, Tim Southee, Ronnie Hira, Adam Milne.
(Group D)
Bangladesh
Captain: mushfiqur rahim
Unfashionable Bangladesh are hardly among the favourites, but their knack of surprising big teams in limited-overs contests means they need to be taken seriously. They began the inaugural 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa on a sensational note when they knocked the West Indies out of the tournament. Bangladesh failed to make it to the second round in the next two editions in England (2009) and the West Indies (2010), but have produced some encouraging results in recent months. They beat World Cup champions India, and runners-up Sri Lanka, in the Asia Cup at home in March before losing to Pakistan in the final. Led by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh have a hard-hitting opener in Tamim Iqbal and talented all-rounder in Shakib Al Hasan who are capable of winning matches.
SQUAD: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mohammad Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Junaid Siddique, Jahurul Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Ziaur Rahman, Elias Sunny, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shafiul Islam, Farhad Reza, Abul Hasan.