England - the dark http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20 2012 - Part 2 – Opinion
Despite that victory and other shock performances in the shortest format of the game, it is fair to say that England have been blessed with quality players that they could boast about time and time again. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/C-Kieswetter-c1206 for example, is arguably the best
striker of the cricket ball in T20 cricket that England has produced, and will be expected to play a key role in Sri Lanka. Cricket fans could recall his partnerships with fellow opening batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Lumb-c1981 in the Caribbean, which proved to be invaluable
to England in terms of securing a final spot. That opening combo was also instrumental in helping England lift the World T20 for the very first time, since the tournament’s inception in 2007.
In addition to their previously powerful opening combinations, England had been blessed with middle-order specialists such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RS-Bopara-c2373, who have cemented themselves as T20 specialists in the modern game. Bopara’s impressive wrist work
and ability to play a pivotal role for his team have proven to be handy for England on the slow, turning pitches of Sri Lanka. His slow medium pacers, especially on the Pallekele wicket, could trouble some of the most astute batsmen who are playing in this
tournament.
England will be led by their skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SCJ-Broad-c2465, who is a mighty fine cricketer himself. Broad has demonstrated considerable strength of character and has lead England with tenacity ever since taking over. His ability to marshal his troops goes hand-in-hand
with putting in a match winning performance when it is most desired by his team. Broad has also benefitted from the prowess of players such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LJ-Wright-c1841, who have contributed significantly to the team in the past. Wright, as a player, is an
outright T20 specialist, and has the ability to bowl a nagging line and length which goes along with his flashy stroke play.
England’s weapon in this tournament however, would be the crafty and canny http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sunil-Philip-Narine-c91869 of the West Indies, has never really been
in question at all. Swann’s ability to turn the ball on glass like surfaces would make him a genuine threat for opposition batsmen, of which many are accustomed to toying with mediocre spinners in the T20 format. Swann’s variation in flight and ability to
bowl straighter ones to fox batsmen has made him a tricky customer, and there is a strong possibility that his presence would yield significant dividends for himself and his team this time around.
The fact that the English team is playing in the subcontinent, would mean that it would be easy to write off their chances of retaining their crown. On the slow, turning wickets of the Emerald Isle, teams such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760
would be fancied due to the close proximity of Sri Lanka to many of the subcontinent nations and their ability to acclimatize. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 might start off as second favourites to win the title, yet there is no denying the fact that Broad’s team could prove to
be the surprise package this time around. The truth is that only a fool would write off England.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: