England have been so impressive in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and a big part of that has been the performance of Moeen Ali.
He is bowling so well and looks really confident at the moment. He’s coming into the competition off the back of winning the IPL and giving up Test cricket as well is probably a weight off his mind. He looks really focused on the job and it’s great to see Mo bowling like this, especially when you think that he hasn’t bowled much in T20 cricket recently.
Mo’s performances when opening the bowling brings real balance to the team and then you also have his batting which makes him really effective for England, particularly in these conditions. He’s going to be crucial for them.
I’ve also been really impressed by the returning Tymal Mills, who brings another dimension to the team, especially with his bowling at the death. When you add in the batting, they look a really daunting team.
Then there is Liam Livingstone, who is a great all-round player. He’s a great fielder, a destructive batter and with his bowling, the fact he can bowl leg spin or off spin, depending on whether he is bowling to left-handers or right-handers, is very useful.
It is all brought together by captain Eoin Morgan, who has been brilliant using his bowlers and he is just so good with his tactics. It’s funny to think there were people questioning him coming into the tournament. He gets it right almost every time.
That is reflected in the team. I think part of the reason they have looked so good is that everyone seems to be settled in their role, the plans are very clear.
The next ones are the Aussies and as I’m over in Australia at the moment, I’m getting plenty of gip!
Australia have a very good team, and on paper they should be able to compete with anyone in the tournament. It’s going to be a big game against England and I’d say they are probably the two teams who will qualify from Group 1.
From an England perspective, they have not really been tested yet – it’s a lot easier chasing when you face totals like the ones they have so far. I am looking forward to seeing how they get on if they have to chase a bigger total or if they are batting first. That might happen against Australia. They will go in with a lot of confidence with the way they are playing and the form the guys are in.
By contrast, the West Indies have not clicked at all yet. They were just blown away in that England game and it felt like they were a little tentative against South Africa. They did not get enough runs batting first in that game.
It is hard to put your finger on exactly what is not going well for them but it can be a tough game when things are not going your way. When you look at the team, it does also feel like potentially a lot of those players have played a lot of cricket and it is certainly not the youngest team.
I still would not write them off though, even with two defeats, if they can win the rest of their matches, there is a chance they could get through. I’ll certainly be watching their games closely.
I have been quite impressed by South Africa, and it is clear that their strength is in the bowling. Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi offer real quality with the ball. The two quicks have been bowling in the IPL and are in great form.
The batting is where they might struggle a bit, but they got a great win against the West Indies and were in position to beat Australia at one point, so you cannot take them lightly.
Article courtesy: ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2020 via Online Media Zone.
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