Captain Harry Brook feels England’s ability to get through the “tough” early matches of the T20 World Cup will stand them in good stead for Thursday’s blockbuster semi-final against hosts India in Mumbai.
Brook’s side staggered to wins over associate nations Nepal, Scotland and Italy in the first round, but suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of fellow two-time champions West Indies.
They stayed unbeaten and improved their form in the Super 8s, defeating Sri Lanka and Pakistan thanks to their captain’s incredible 50-ball century, and finally catching up as New Zealand needed 43 balls from their last 18 deliveries.
Will Jacks, England’s MVP and four-time Player of the Match, and Rehan Ahmed, making his T20 World Cup debut, scored a duck and two runs respectively in an unbroken 44 points from 16 balls after opening pair Jos Buttler and Phil Salt struggled again against the Black Caps.
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Full highlights from Colombo as Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed lead England to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup
I always watch T20 cricket thinking about the reward, not the risk. It’s a case of backing yourself up and thinking about what good will come out of it instead of what might come out of it. I never criticize those who choose the aggressive option. I don’t think I have the legs to stand there.
England captain Harry Brook
Brook told Sky Sports Cricket’s Ian Ward:
“I’ve learned that I’m never out of the game. I know there are players out there who have a lot of character, a will to win, a lot of wins, but also calmness under pressure.”
“If one of our hitters misses, it’s going to be a headache for the opponent.”
Buttler averaged only 8.85 points in the tournament despite scoring in single digits in five straight games, while Salt’s only standout came in the Super 8 game against Sri Lanka, when he scored 62 points.
However, Brook feels the top-order pairing can thrive against India, who England play in their bid to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the third successive year after their thrashing of India in Adelaide in 2022 and their disastrous defeat in Guyana in 2024.
Jos Buttler’s goals so far during his T20 World Cup campaign
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Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali supports Buttler in rediscovering his best form after another disappointing innings against New Zealand
The Yorkshireman added: “We’re all really excited. I’ve already heard some players say they want to play against India anyway. It’s going to be a big tournament with a lot of pressure on both sides.”
“There’s obviously a lot of support in India and I don’t know if we’ll have a lot of people behind us. It’s going to be noisy. I hope we can play our best cricket.”
“I’m excited about the players up top. I feel they’re one step closer to taking games out of the wings. I don’t think there’s any weakness in the top order at all. The players just struggled a little bit and we didn’t score as often as we usually do.”
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Check out the best shots of Brooke’s 50-ball century against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. It was a knock that featured 10 fours and four sixes.
“I think Jos should be left alone. He’s one of the best players to ever play in this game and I can see him getting better.”
“It’s great that the other players have stepped up. There were performances throughout. There’s a lot of strong players in the top seven, so when you take someone off, it leaves opponents scratching their heads and they don’t really know where to go.”
Jacks plays key role for England after ‘Thank you for coming’ game
Jacks contributed for England, scoring 191 runs at number seven, including nerve-wracking wins against Nepal, Italy, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and took seven wickets with his off-spin.
Brook said of Surrey’s all-rounder: “Jacks was outstanding. To play every game in his first real World Cup is phenomenal.”
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Out of Jacks’ first 50 T20 international innings, the innings that saved England vs. Italy and helped the team advance to the World Cup Super 8 was the highest.
“We spoke to him in Sri Lanka (on a pre-World Cup tour) when we were playing an appreciation match. He didn’t bowl, he didn’t bat, he only got the ball in the field once or twice.
“We told him that it is a role that gives you a lot of reward when you win games and if you don’t play this role it’s difficult to get into the side.
“He accepted the position and did very well. The character he showed was great.”
“We want to make it as uncomfortable as possible for batters to come in all the time.”
Brook’s level-headed captaincy was a key factor in England reaching the T20 World Cup semi-finals for the fifth year in a row, but how has he been managing his side?
“We had a lot of high-pressure games, so being calm as captain helps us in all aspects of the game.
“You can see me holding the ball a little bit more. I want to have a conversation with the bowlers, make sure they understand what they’re going to bowl and get them thinking about one thing.”
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Brooke gives Sky Sports Cricket’s Ian Ward an insight into his leadership as captain
“For example, if you have a wide yorker, you don’t really care about the line of the bowling, you just want it to match the length of the yorker.
“Nobody is going to hit fours or sixes unless the batter scoops them. You can set up some funky fields, but if you nail the length it’s usually a one, a dot or a wicket.”
“We’re bowling more spin now, so we’re trying to get ahead of the overrate and slow down the game. It works better in certain situations than others, but that’s the beauty of playing spin. You get the most out of the time you’re given.”
“When you’re away, you have options in your head. You’re telling the players who are going to bowl in the second over who is likely to bowl. Sometimes things change, sometimes they don’t. After that, you watch the game, see how it unfolds and try to get the most effective bowler in the situation.”
“We want to make it as uncomfortable as possible for batters to come in all the time.”
Watch the T20 World Cup semi-final between England and India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 1pm (1.30pm first pitch) on Thursday.
England T20 World Cup results and match schedule
round 1
super 8
Semi-final
vs India (Mumbai) – Thursday, March 5 (1:30 p.m.)
