As the ICC Cricket World Cup draws nearer, cricket teams around the world are actively participating in high-profile series to polish their skills and strategies. One such highly anticipated series is poised to unfold, featuring the defending champions, England, facing off against the runners-up in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, New Zealand.
New Zealand are presently on a tour of England, set to engage in a challenging series comprising four T20Is and four ODIs. The tour kicks off with the inaugural T20I scheduled for Wednesday, August 30, taking place at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. Both teams are eager to kickstart the tour with a victorious performance.
For England, this series marks their return to T20I action since their disappointing 3-0 series loss to Bangladesh in March. After their triumphant World Cup campaign in Australia at the end of 2022, England faced a starkly different scenario in subcontinent, where they suffered defeats in all three encounters.
Now, five months later and after a domestic white-ball season, England are determined to demonstrate their prowess as reigning world champions. Leading the charge is Jos Buttler, who captains a well-rounded team comprising experienced stalwarts like Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone, along with promising newcomers. Surrey’s fast bowler Gus Atkinson has earned his first call-up, adding depth to the squad.
However, John Turner, initially set for his debut, sustained an injury and has been replaced by Brydon Carse, while Chris Jordan steps in for Josh Tongue.
Also READ: Jos Buttler provides Harry Brook a glimmer of hope for the ODI World Cup 2023
England’s top-choice XI for the T20I series against New Zealand
Openers and Middle Order
Buttler is a dynamic wicketkeeper-batter, known for his explosive batting in the powerplay. He provides the team with a solid start alongside Bairstow, who is another accomplished opening batter with a proven track record in T20 cricket. Bairstow complements Buttler at the top and can take on the bowlers right from the first ball.
In the middle order, Dawid Malan adds stability with his consistent top-order batting, anchoring the innings when needed. He is often joined by Livingstone, a versatile all-rounder who can contribute both with the bat and the ball. Livingstone’s aggressive batting style and ability to pick up crucial wickets with his off-spin make him a valuable asset.
All-rounders
The team boasts a strong all-round department with Moeen, a seasoned all-rounder who bat at five in the middle order and can provide crucial breakthroughs with his off-spin bowling. Will Jacks, a promising all-rounder, adds depth to the team’s resources, playing a crucial role in the middle overs with both bat and ball. Sam Curran, a multi-dimensional all-rounder, is known for his aggressive batting in the lower middle order and his ability to provide breakthroughs with his left-arm pace bowling.
Bowlers
The bowling attack is led by Chris Jordan, a reliable fast bowler with experience and skill in executing yorkers in the death overs. Rashid, a world-class leg-spin bowler, provides crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs and can control the run flow with his spin variations. Atkinson, a debutant fast bowler, adds a fresh dimension to the attack with his pace and seam movement. Carse, another fast bowler, can hit the deck hard and extract bounce, making him a valuable asset in English conditions.
This balanced lineup combines experience, youth, batting prowess, all-round capabilities, and a potent bowling attack, making it a competitive unit for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
England’s best XI for the T20I series against New Zealand:
Jos Buttler (c), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse
England’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series:
Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood
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