Integer optimisation for the selection of a Twenty20 cricket team

The attraction of Twenty20 cricket for spectators has sparked huge commercial interest in the marketing of the concept. The International Cricket Council has sanctioned world tournaments, the inaugural tournament in South Africa and the recent 2009 event, while the 2008 and 2009 Indian Premier League tournaments have generated profitable returns for both players and franchise owners. This paper describes methods for quantifying a cricket player's performance based on his ability to score runs and take wickets. These performance measures are then used to determine the optimal team using an integer programme. An illustration of the method is provided using data from the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup held in South Africa in 2007. © 2011 Operational Research Society Ltd. All rights reserved.