I’m fairly certain India will win the Twenty20 World Cup. It will take one thing actually particular for an additional group to knock them out on residence soil.
Such is their energy in depth that India might pool their sources over two squads and nonetheless have an opportunity of lifting the trophy. And I reckon there is just one group that may cease them: England.
Australia are all the time extremely aggressive, however they’re lacking one thing on the minute. South Africa? In all probability not. Pakistan? No. New Zealand are spectacular and have a behavior of all the time being there or thereabouts at main tournaments. However on paper, England are the one ones I can see stopping India changing into world champions for a 3rd time on this format.
That could be a shock to folks given England’s latest outcomes. However in limited-overs cricket, it was the 50-over stuff that had been a wrestle up till the boldness increase of a sequence win in Sri Lanka, whereas the T20 facet has felt extra settled.
Crucially, there are additionally sufficient gamers in that squad who’ve bought expertise of being in profitable groups, dominating competitions with particular person performances or profitable main silverware like World Cups and the IPL. There’s sufficient expertise and high quality to offer it a great problem.
One factor that shall be essential for his or her possibilities, I imagine, is consistency of choice, one thing I discovered as a part of the 2010 T20 World Cup-winning squad. Having a group that hardly ever modified all through the entire event was a key factor to our success.
There is just one group that may cease India on the T20 World Cup: England. There’s sufficient expertise and high quality within the squad to offer it a great problem
Captain Harry Brook is in super type after placing his Ashes blues behind him within the sequence towards Sri Lanka
England will want considered one of their match-winners like Jos Buttler (left) and Phil Salt, who’ve expertise of performing below stress, to face up and carry out at this month’s event
Andy Flower and Paul Collingwood, as coach and captain, got here up with a method based mostly on circumstances and our out there personnel, caught to it, and it labored more often than not. In event cricket, you need gamers to be clear on their roles. You additionally want a clear invoice of well being, after all.
As soon as the event begins, you don’t need to be enjoying round with issues, tinkering an excessive amount of, so that you want readability earlier than the primary ball is bowled.
In the event you go in uncertain of your finest assault, then you definitely’re already struggling, so you have to discover your finest bowlers for what you need to do after which decide to that from the opening group recreation – in England’s case, towards Nepal on Sunday.
This was a coverage I really suffered from in 2010, when it was determined that they did not need what I might provide. Or at the very least they did not really feel like that was as nice as what Ryan Sidebottom might provide, notably late within the innings, or Stuart Broad bowling across the wicket to right-handers.
I used to be bowling very well on the time, so I used to be upset, however because the years have passed by I’ve come to know what they have been attempting to do and the way it labored so nicely for us within the Caribbean.
During that group, folks performed nicely, knitting collectively by committing to their roles.
Issues got here collectively on the final minute due to the inclusions of Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter however permitting them to play with freedom labored. I additionally felt that having a world-class participant like Kevin Pietersen coming in after them, adopted by Collingwood, allowed them to be adventurous.
Pietersen was distinctive in that event and England will want considered one of their match winners like Jos Buttler and Phil Salt – who’ve expertise of performing below stress – to face up and hearth this time.
Then there’s Harry Brook. His latest hundred within the third ODI in Sri Lanka was probably the most spectacular, however his innings within the second match of that sequence represented the turning level of his winter for me.
In being a part of the 2010 T20 World Cup-winning squad, I noticed how necessary it was to have constant group choice in a event — even when it meant I missed out!
Brook hit a powerful ton within the third ODI towards Sri Lanka final week, however it was his extra measured efficiency within the second match that actually caught my eye
Why? As a result of he took his time. Within the third match in Colombo – simply as in Sunday’s T20, when he hit an explosive 12-ball 36 – he had licence to go hell for leather-based, the scoreboard studying 166 for 3, with Joe Root 65 not out and Buttler in subsequent. However in that second ODI, he didn’t attempt to play at that very same tempo, as an alternative reining it in and batting for the group’s necessities.
It virtually appears like he’s reaped the rewards of entering into rhythm since, displaying why everybody within the English recreation thinks he is a genius expertise. A few of his stroke play has been outstanding.
He bought caught up in all of it within the Ashes, enjoying photographs he wished he hadn’t, when he wanted to play the scenario extra, and so in his present type, T20 will swimsuit him as a result of much less time dictates on the spot aggression.
Spin dominated on the tour of Sri Lanka, however in the event you take proof from the IPL, it isn’t going to be so one-dimensional, as a result of seamers do a job in that competitors.
Clearly, you could play spin in the appropriate approach when batting, and it could be used at totally different phases of the innings relying on the venue’s circumstances, however I do not assume you must put all of your eggs within the spin basket.
And in terms of England’s bowling assault, there’s nonetheless a necessity for good fast bowlers and never simply these blessed with excessive tempo. Final 12 months when England toured India, it was balls-out tempo and the ball flew in all places.
England’s arms are tied to some extent this 12 months as a result of Mark Wooden is injured. However studying from the expertise of shedding 4-1 to India in 2025, Jofra Archer is an absolute must-pick as somebody who shouldn’t be solely fast however skilful too, with a great IPL file. He’s nailed on for that new ball function, and after 12-18 months of remarkable performances, Sam Curran deserves an opportunity on the different finish.
Curran generally is a actually helpful bowler in Indian circumstances, and it felt like a backward step from the choice viewpoint to go all weapons blazing 12 months in the past, since you really want management at instances.
Jofra Archer is an absolute must-pick as somebody who shouldn’t be solely fast however skilful too, with a great IPL file
And Sam Curran (proper) deserves to take the brand new ball on the different finish, given his spectacular performances within the final 18 months
Particularly in India, initially of an innings, you may get smashed in all places with tempo on the ball. Equally, in the event you get slowed down when batting, the sport can run away from you, so it’s important to start nicely.
England’s progress from the group stage needs to be simple sufficient with three affiliate nations offering the opposition, however in T20 cricket, as we have seen earlier than, in the event you take your foot off the fuel, you possibly can come unstuck.
Had it not rained on the final World Cup, Scotland might have delivered England a shock defeat.
Groups around the globe are a lot better now than they was, there are many good gamers round and so it’s about constructing momentum one recreation at a time, fairly than interested by the second stage.
Profitable’s additionally a pleasant behavior to develop, and England have gamers who can lean on their expertise in stress conditions in large tournaments — in the event that they attain the latter phases this time.
