The greatest T20 player: Tahir or Ashwin? Afridi or Watson?

Here's the first set of match-ups to kickstart the quest to pick the greatest T20 cricketer. The player with more votes progresses to the round of 16.

Note: Voting closes at 6.30am GMT on Thursday, 2nd April. Click here to refresh the page if the polls don't load.

Imran Tahir
Wickets 365 Ave 19.85 ER 7.00

The second-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in T20Is - only three behind Dale Steyn. IPL winner with the Chennai Super Kings. Hat-trick for the Multan Sultans in the PSL. Thirty-two wickets for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL at an incredible economy rate of 5.79. Tahir's fizzing variations and celebratory sprints have also lit up the T20 Blast in England. He has been thrifty in T20 World Cups, maintaining an excellent economy rate of 5.94 in nine games.

R Ashwin
Wickets 235 Ave 24.34 ER 6.88

The Chennai Super Kings' go-to powerplay bowler played starring roles in the side's back-to-back IPL title wins in 2010 and 2011. Ashwin was the Player of the Tournament at the 2010 Champions League T20 in South Africa for his 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.51. And until recently, he was India's top wicket-taker in T20Is. He showed great control over his variations during his stint with Kings XI Punjab as captain in 2018 and 2019, taking 25 wickets in 28 matches at an economy rate of 7.66.

Shane Watson
Runs 8522 Ave 29.28 SR 138.99
Wickets 216 Ave 27.02 ER 7.90

Watson led the less-fancied Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural IPL title in 2008, and was Player of the Tournament with 472 runs at a strike rate of over 150 and 17 wickets at an economy rate of just over 7. Injuries over the years forced Watson to give up bowling, but he still continues to win games - and tournaments - with the bat. Watson cracked a 57-ball 117 for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL final. More recently, the Australian took Quetta Gladiators to the Pakistan Super League title in 2019, with a chart-topping 430 runs at a strike rate of 143.81.

Shahid Afridi
Runs 4310 Ave 18.49 SR 153.87
Wickets 339 Average 22.26 ER 6.71

The T20 format seemed tailormade for Afridi the batsman, but it's his consistent bowling that's made him a highly-valued T20 player, with his ability to clear the boundaries an added bonus. He was the Player of the Tournament at the 2007 T20 World Cup - where Pakistan reached the final - and was one of the star performers in their title win in 2009. Eight years after spurring Pakistan to glory, he clattered his maiden T20 hundred in the Blast in England, off 42 balls. In T20Is, Afridi is second only to Lasith Malinga in terms of wickets, with 98 scalps.

Thanks for voting. You can nominate the 32nd player to feature in the match-ups for the round of 32 here (Google form). Please send in your choice by Sunday, April 5.