Jos a big hit with former No.1 Malan
DAWID MALAN is hoping to be inspired by the form of Jos Buttler after being knocked off top spot in the T20 batting rankings.
Malan has been bumped down into second place behind Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who is likely to be the main target of England’s attack if the in-form teams meet in the World Cup final as expected.
England will have to get there without the help of Tymal Mills, though, with the left-arm quick ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a thigh strain. Reece Topley has replaced him in the squad.
It is desperately cruel luck for Mills, right, who had battled back from injury to take his place in the side, but it is now up to players such as Malan to finish the job in his absence. And Malan believes top run-scorer Buttler is the perfect person for him to learn from as he tries to make his own mark on the tournament.
“The No.1 tag was a great tag to have,” said Malan. “But I wasn’t going to have it much longer if I kept missing balls like I did in the last game.
“I think if you look at this England team there’s a lot of other guys that the bowlers would like to get out instead, like Jos at the moment.
“When he gets going he is an absolute freak.
“You don’t know where to bowl to him. I sit there watching him and thinking, ‘I wish I could do that’.
“Everyone at this level hits the ball well and clean but there’s a different sound with Jos. It’s an inspiration to all of us to watch him keep getting better and keep improving.”
First up Malan can look forward to taking on South Africa on Saturday, a team against whom he has scored three fifties, including 99 not out the last time he faced them 11 months ago.
“I’m hitting the ball well, I just need to get a bit of time in the middle,” he said.