PlanetCricket
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- Jan 13, 2010
Following my last look at the batting side of England?s World Twenty20 team, we conclude with by checking out the bowlers.
Tim Bresnan had a great trip to Bangladesh, and really established himself in the England line-up. His useful batting ability means he is almost a certainty to start the first match against the West Indies in Guyana, unless Ryan Sidebottom is chosen. The lad with the scraggly hair came back to play international cricket having been out of the scene for six years against the West Indies in 2007 and impressed immediately. Despite performing solidly since then, he has been blighted by nagging injuries, and the lack of match fitness seems to suggest Bresnan gets the nod ahead of him, barring injuries.
James Anderson has also been struggling with a knee injury most of the winter, and was rested for the Bangladesh tour but seems set to go ahead of the Twenty20 and is a vital cog in the bowling machine. Stuart Broad looks set to complete the pace bowling trio. Broady hasn?t had the best of times in World T20?s over the years, memorably being hit for six 6?s in one over by Yuvraj Singh in 2007, and bowling the final over when England lost to the Netherlands last year-missing a couple of golden run out chances in the process.
If those four remain fully fit throughout the tournament, England look to have a decent pace bowling attack. Decent, but nothing special and far from a bowling line-up to set the nerves of opposing batsmen-and one that isn?t exactly as fit as a fiddle. Sidebottom is a very good back up, and Yorkshire?s Ajmal Shahzad is there as well but there is something about the bowling which doesn?t scream ?WOW?.
Good job Graeme Swann does. He has been phenomenal over the last couple of years for England, and has performed well in T20 matches as well-taking 16 wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of only 6.75. When Twenty20 cricket started domestically back in 2003, everybody though the spinners would get carted out the ground all the time-and the exact opposite has happened. A good spinner can win you games in this form of the game, and that is exactly what Swann is. Complemented by Broad, Anderson and Bresnan-then the bowling attack looks a heck of a lot better.
There are two other spinners heading out to the Caribbean. James Tredwell made his international debut in Bangladesh, but has yet to play a T20 international for England. Another player, like Lumb who has been rewarded for fine county form, but unlike Lumb, his chances of playing are smaller. The inclusion of Michael Yardy doesn?t help Tredwell?s chances either. Although the Sussex man has been out of the international setup for nearly three years, he is a true Twenty20 player and could get a game at some point.
The worry with picking these ?domestic? names is that it hasn?t worked well in the past. Picking the likes of Darren Maddy and Chris Schofield in 2007, and Rob Key and Graham Napier in 2009 seemed a good idea at the time-but was far from it in hindsight.
Elsewhere, any remaining overs will presumably bowled by a combination of Collingwood, Wright and Bopara.
That leaves my predicted squad for the first game as?
Openers: Kieswetter (WK) and Lumb
At 3: Pietersen
Middle order: Morgan, Bopara, Collingwood (cpt)
Floating: Wright
Bowlers: Bresnan, Swann, Broad and Anderson
In terms of natural ability, I think it is a pretty good team. However, England always tend to disappoint in these tournaments and just don?t look as good as the other teams. One of the things about watching the IPL is seeing how huge the depth of talent the Indians (that?s the national team, not Mumbai) have available to them-and England just don?t.
They should cruise through probably the weakest group with Ireland and the West Indian hosts, but will most likely come unstuck at the Super 8 stage. Anything further than that would be a good achievement, and realistically a semi final is as far as this team should get-and that will probably be considered a successful tournament.
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Tim Bresnan had a great trip to Bangladesh, and really established himself in the England line-up. His useful batting ability means he is almost a certainty to start the first match against the West Indies in Guyana, unless Ryan Sidebottom is chosen. The lad with the scraggly hair came back to play international cricket having been out of the scene for six years against the West Indies in 2007 and impressed immediately. Despite performing solidly since then, he has been blighted by nagging injuries, and the lack of match fitness seems to suggest Bresnan gets the nod ahead of him, barring injuries.
James Anderson has also been struggling with a knee injury most of the winter, and was rested for the Bangladesh tour but seems set to go ahead of the Twenty20 and is a vital cog in the bowling machine. Stuart Broad looks set to complete the pace bowling trio. Broady hasn?t had the best of times in World T20?s over the years, memorably being hit for six 6?s in one over by Yuvraj Singh in 2007, and bowling the final over when England lost to the Netherlands last year-missing a couple of golden run out chances in the process.
If those four remain fully fit throughout the tournament, England look to have a decent pace bowling attack. Decent, but nothing special and far from a bowling line-up to set the nerves of opposing batsmen-and one that isn?t exactly as fit as a fiddle. Sidebottom is a very good back up, and Yorkshire?s Ajmal Shahzad is there as well but there is something about the bowling which doesn?t scream ?WOW?.
Good job Graeme Swann does. He has been phenomenal over the last couple of years for England, and has performed well in T20 matches as well-taking 16 wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of only 6.75. When Twenty20 cricket started domestically back in 2003, everybody though the spinners would get carted out the ground all the time-and the exact opposite has happened. A good spinner can win you games in this form of the game, and that is exactly what Swann is. Complemented by Broad, Anderson and Bresnan-then the bowling attack looks a heck of a lot better.
There are two other spinners heading out to the Caribbean. James Tredwell made his international debut in Bangladesh, but has yet to play a T20 international for England. Another player, like Lumb who has been rewarded for fine county form, but unlike Lumb, his chances of playing are smaller. The inclusion of Michael Yardy doesn?t help Tredwell?s chances either. Although the Sussex man has been out of the international setup for nearly three years, he is a true Twenty20 player and could get a game at some point.
The worry with picking these ?domestic? names is that it hasn?t worked well in the past. Picking the likes of Darren Maddy and Chris Schofield in 2007, and Rob Key and Graham Napier in 2009 seemed a good idea at the time-but was far from it in hindsight.
Elsewhere, any remaining overs will presumably bowled by a combination of Collingwood, Wright and Bopara.
That leaves my predicted squad for the first game as?
Openers: Kieswetter (WK) and Lumb
At 3: Pietersen
Middle order: Morgan, Bopara, Collingwood (cpt)
Floating: Wright
Bowlers: Bresnan, Swann, Broad and Anderson
In terms of natural ability, I think it is a pretty good team. However, England always tend to disappoint in these tournaments and just don?t look as good as the other teams. One of the things about watching the IPL is seeing how huge the depth of talent the Indians (that?s the national team, not Mumbai) have available to them-and England just don?t.
They should cruise through probably the weakest group with Ireland and the West Indian hosts, but will most likely come unstuck at the Super 8 stage. Anything further than that would be a good achievement, and realistically a semi final is as far as this team should get-and that will probably be considered a successful tournament.
More...
