I’m fairly certain India will win the Twenty20 World Cup. It might take one thing actually particular for one more workforce to knock them out on house soil.
Such is their power 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 workforce that may cease them: England.
Australia are all the time extremely aggressive, however they’re lacking one thing on the minute. South Africa? Most likely 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 turning into world champions for a 3rd time on this format.
That is perhaps a shock to folks given England’s current outcomes. However in limited-overs cricket, it was the 50-over stuff that had been a wrestle up till the boldness increase of a collection win in Sri Lanka, whereas the T20 aspect has felt extra settled.
Crucially, there are additionally sufficient gamers in that squad who’ve received expertise of being in profitable groups, dominating competitions with particular person performances or successful main silverware like World Cups and the IPL. There’s sufficient expertise and high quality to present it a very good problem.
One factor that shall be essential for his or her probabilities, I imagine, is consistency of choice, one thing I discovered as a part of the 2010 T20 World Cup-winning squad. Having a workforce that not often modified all through the entire event was a key factor to our success.
There is just one workforce that may cease India on the T20 World Cup: England. There’s sufficient expertise and high quality within the squad to present it a very good problem
Captain Harry Brook is in super type after placing his Ashes blues behind him within the collection towards Sri Lanka
England will want one in every 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 components based mostly on circumstances and our accessible 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 wish 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 greatest assault, you then’re already struggling, so you have to discover your greatest bowlers for what you wish to do after which decide to that from the opening group sport – 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 supply. Or at the least they did not really feel like that was as nice as what Ryan Sidebottom might supply, significantly late within the innings, or Stuart Broad bowling across the wicket to right-handers.
I used to be bowling rather well on the time, so I used to be dissatisfied, however because the years have passed by I’ve come to grasp what they have been attempting to do and the way it labored so nicely for us within the Caribbean.
During that workforce, 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 one in every of their match winners like Jos Buttler and Phil Salt – who’ve expertise of performing below stress – to face up and fireplace this time.
Then there’s Harry Brook. His current hundred within the third ODI in Sri Lanka was probably the most spectacular, however his innings within the second match of that collection 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 workforce choice in a event — even when it meant I missed out!
Brook hit an impressive ton within the third ODI towards Sri Lanka final week, but it surely 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 workforce’s necessities.
It virtually appears like he’s reaped the rewards of stepping into rhythm since, displaying why everybody within the English sport thinks he is a genius expertise. A few of his stroke play has been exceptional.
He received caught up in all of it within the Ashes, enjoying photographs he wished he hadn’t, when he wanted to play the state of affairs extra, and so in his present type, T20 will go well with him as a result of much less time dictates on the spot aggression.
Spin dominated on the tour of Sri Lanka, however should you take proof from the IPL, it is not going to be so one-dimensional, as a result of seamers do a job in that competitors.
Clearly, it is advisable play spin in the precise method when batting, and it is perhaps used at completely different phases of the innings relying on the venue’s circumstances, however I do not suppose you need to put all of your eggs within the spin basket.
And with regards to England’s bowling assault, there’s nonetheless a necessity for good fast bowlers and never simply these blessed with excessive tempo. Final yr when England toured India, it was balls-out tempo and the ball flew in all places.
England’s fingers are tied to some extent this yr 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 isn’t solely fast however skilful too, with a very good IPL report. He’s nailed on for that new ball position, and after 12-18 months of outstanding performances, Sam Curran deserves an opportunity on the different finish.
Curran is usually a actually helpful bowler in Indian circumstances, and it felt like a backward step from the choice standpoint 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 isn’t solely fast however skilful too, with a very good IPL report
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, at first of an innings, you will get smashed in all places with tempo on the ball. Equally, should 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 must be simple sufficient with three affiliate nations offering the opposition, however in T20 cricket, as we have seen earlier than, should you take your foot off the gasoline, 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 once, there are many good gamers round and so it’s about constructing momentum one sport at a time, quite than desirous about the second stage.
Successful’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.
