England at the World T20: Five Talking Points

On the eve of their tournament opener against West Indies in Mumbai, Vithushan Ehantharajah looks at five things ahead of England’s 2016 World T20 campaign…

THE BEST CHANCE SINCE 2010?

Since England surprised themselves and won the 2010 World T20 with forward thinking cricket – wide yorkers, pinged in darts, loads of boundaries – they stood still. While they only missed out on the knock-out stages of the 2012 tournament in a Super Over against Sri Lanka, they put on a horrendous show in 2014, signing off by getting bowled out for 88 by the Netherlands (click on that scorecard if you dare – it’s an absolute horror show). Of course, it’s all new era, lap sweeps, great hair and Jos Buttler now: England go into this tournament with the same level of excitement and familiar whiff of “this could easily go horribly wrong” as they did when 2010 came around. They won’t die wondering and it’ll definitely be a lot of fun to watch, whoever you’re rooting for.

ROY TO SHOW HIS TRUE COLOURS

After struggling in South Africa – “I put too much pressure on myself to go out there and whack it from ball one,” he admitted last week – Roy has been refinding his form in the warm-up matches against New Zealand (55) and a Mumbai and England collective (32). Peculiarly - and this is probably down to how little international T20 cricket Roy has played – he has yet to pass 30 for England, despite the format being his strongest by some distance. Despite his three half-centuries and one hundred in ODIs, we’re still waiting for Roy to really click. And by “click”, I mean go nuts on one of these Indian flat belters.

THE JORDAN CONUNDRUM

Have England fans ever flip-flopped as much over one player? At the top of the order he’s “a liability” who “doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near the team”. He haemorrhages runs in the Power Play and often means Eoin Morgan has to readdress his set list. Then he returns for the final throes, amid the shrill tweets of his uselessness and serves up 85mph+ yorkers at will. The T20 portion of Jordan’s career should be donated to science so that they can dissect and probe it to discover just how it is possible for the same bowler to be so scatter gun up top and so lethal at the death. Until then, would it be worth just using him with an old ball in the final 10?

WILLEY OR PLUNKETT?

It seems strange that, after searching high and low for a quality left arm seamer that England could go back to type with a big, tall quick. Already having Reece Topley helps, of course. But Liam Plunkett’s extra pace, particularly in non-swinging conditions, is vital. Then again, if Jordan will be working solely with the old ball – I know, but let’s just say he is because I suggested so – Willey might be the one to go for because of his ability to manipulate the fresh white ball. There is also his batting, which has been underused by England so far.

“NO CONSEQUENCES”

Quite whether Eoin Morgan believed himself when he said this as he spoke about England needing to play without fear and, essentially, embrace their inexperience, remains to be seen. He observed at close quarters just what can happen when a tournament goes awry, with a severe cull of personnel after the embarrassment of the 2015 World Cup. And, as the most experienced cricketer in the line-up, he has seen what pressure can do to a player’s ability to perform: the timidness with the bat, miscalculations with the ball and basic errors in the field that creep in when the pressure is on. English cricket is in a better place than this time last year, but if history has taught us anything, it doesn’t take much to drag it back into the doldrums. Sharing Group A with South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Afghanistan… well, that uneasiness you felt reading those teams? That.