(AP Photo)
Former England captain Michael Vaughan emphasized that for England to reclaim the T20 World Cup in 2024, it is crucial for captain Jos Buttler and fast-bowler Jofra Archer to deliver their top performances starting from the Super Eights onwards.
England secured their place in the Super Eight stage of the tournament after defeating Namibia by 41 runs in a rain-affected Group B match held in Antigua. Their advancement was also aided by Australia’s victory over Scotland, which knocked Scotland out of contention in a match played in St Lucia.
In the upcoming Super Eights phase, England is scheduled to face co-hosts West Indies and USA, along with South Africa in Group 2.
“To get to the semi-finals and even further, England need two players at their best. Jofra Archer is hugely important for England. He’s that bowler who can bowl every over of the 20, and his return has been very good so far.
“And then Jos Buttler has got to find form. The skipper needs to find a bit of rhythm with the bat. Jos is the kind of player that can win a game on his own. England are going to need him,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Daily Telegraph on Monday.
He commented that if England were to successfully defend their title, it wouldn’t be unexpected for him. Vaughan drew parallels to the last T20 World Cup in Australia 18 months ago, noting how England faced initial setbacks, including a loss to Ireland, and a challenging week that raised doubts about their progress. However, they rebounded strongly, winning four consecutive matches to clinch the championship.
“That tournament, I reckon they played one pure game – the semi-final against India – but they still did enough. England are a very dangerous team. I worry that they can play incredibly well, but they can produce a very average performance. They’ve become a team that’s quite inconsistent, which is not what we’re used to from the white-ball team.
“In the Super Eight, they’re in what people would term the easier of the groups, meaning no disrespect to the United States. But you would expect the three major teams to win against them. So it comes down to the two big games against South Africa and West Indies – England will have to win at least one. It’s not the worst position to be in at all,” he elaborated.
Vaughan concluded by emphasizing the increasing significance of leg-spinner Adil Rashid for England in the Super Eight phase, given the slower pitches in the Caribbean. He also expressed his desire to see Moeen Ali take on the role of batting at number three, leading England’s charge against spinners from the opposing teams.
“Spin’s going to play a big part in the last stages of the tournament, as we play on some used pitches, especially in the day games. Adil Rashid will become more and more important in the game.
“If I was playing England, I’d make sure that there was a great player of spin to target Rashid in the seventh over, which he always seems to bowl. Hit Rashid out the attack and you’d mess with England’s plans.
“The crucial question is going to be how England play spin. England has got very good players of spin but they also need to be smart. We’ve seen India use Rishabh Pant at number three.
“So I’d like to see Moeen at number three, to break up the right-handers. If there’s a short boundary to target, or the wind’s a factor, you want a left and right-hand combination out there, especially as West Indies will pick two left-arm spinners.”
