HOWZAT FOR OPENERS
Eoin praise for star he refused to pick Jos hopes it’s all Oval for Adelaide misery
JOS BUTTLER is hoping to create happier World Cup memories at the Adelaide Oval than he experienced in 2015.
On that occasion England were dumped out of the tournament by Bangladesh in the 50-over version – a result which made them completely reboot their approach to white-ball cricket.
Now Buttler (seen walking off after that horror defeat, inset) will lead out a team that is likely to contain five players from that fateful day.
And he hopes they will demonstrate just how far England have come in the shorter formats in the past seven years.
“We are all really excited about the match,” said Buttler
(practising yesterday, right). “It’s going to be a great occasion and these are the times you want to be involved as a player.
“A few of us were talking about 2015 in the dressing room.
“Any time you go back to certain grounds, there are some moments and memories and they are not always good ones, unfortunately.
“I think it’s been clear to see the change in mindset of English cricket towards the white-ball game since that day.
“The way we’ve played has given us better results. So that gives us a lot of trust in that process, that it works and it seems an ingrained way of playing now for England. It’s been a fantastic journey to be involved in. Going back to that point, it was a real line-in-the-sand moment. “To now be going into a semi-final and going to tournaments with a level of expectation that we should perform well is a great place to be as a team.”
Moeen Ali, Alex Hales and Chris Woakes are three of the other players who will be lining up alongside Buttler again in South Australia but they could also be joined by Chris Jordan. He is preparing to replace Mark Wood, who appeared to be struggling with his right leg during a fitness test. Jordan is perfectly well equipped to do a job for England in a high-pressure game but the loss of Wood’s extreme pace would be a huge blow.
Of the bowlers who have sent down the most balls over 150kph (93 mph) in the tournament, Wood has bowled 62 per cent of them. An astonishing level of consistent speed that may ultimately have cost him a semi-final berth. Phil Salt replaces Dawid Malan, who is missing the match with a groin strain but hopes to be fit for the final on Sunday if England get past India.
EOIN MORGAN has heaped praise on Alex Hales after his two explosive innings helped fire England into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
And on a good-looking surface with conditions to suit, Morgan would be delighted if Hales could spark once more against India to send England into the final on Sunday.
It is a generous turnaround from the former skipper who refused to pick Hales in his side as a matter of trust following his axing on the eve of the 2019 World Cup for a recreational drugs ban.
Hales neither regained that trust nor could force his way past the likes of Jason Roy or Jonny Bairstow and back into the side while Morgan was captain.
But after swapping his bat for a microphone as a Sky Cricket pundit, he is full of admiration for the way Hales has returned to the side, scoring 52 against New Zealand and 47 against Sri Lanka in must-win games.
“I have been impressed with Alex,” said Morgan. “Both times in the tournament he has performed, it was in key periods.
“The fifth over against New Zealand at the Gabba where he took Tim Southee on was a crucial moment because Jos (Buttler) hadn’t faced a lot of balls at that stage. “Alex took on that responsibility and executed it. Then at the SCG he was outstanding. I don’t think Sri Lanka bowled well to him. “But still some of the shots were unbelievable. That ondrive for six down the ground was an incredible shot. He’s done brilliantly.
“I suppose the only thing that’s changed between the transition from one captain to the other is that Jos has had the bad end of the stick with injuries, so it’s a completely different circumstance. But everybody’s happy for him, which is important for the team and for him.
“And for the semi-final the pitch and weather look good, so I expect things to be back to normal for how England set up.”
Morgan (inset) left an incredible legacy after revolutionising England’s white-ball cricket from 2015 to 2022.
Now that he has left the dressing room, he is not only pleased with how Buttler is doing in the hot seat, but is delighted to see him doing it his own way. “Jos has been brilliant and has been very authentic,” added the 36-yearold. “He nailed every decision against New Zealand, which was great for the team.
“Since he took over he’s gone with decisions that he feels are right. Whether it’s the balance of the side, the makeup of the team, how they want to play, he is making the calls and being true to himself.” Cutting a relaxed figure in Adelaide with his Australian wife and son, Morgan has enjoyed the switch to commentary.
But surely there must be a part of him that would love to be trying to capture that second World Cup?
“There’s not one bit of me that wants to play in that game or even play on Sunday,” he added. “I’ve loved the new role. It is the first time in 17 or 18 years I can turn up to an event like this and enjoy it as a fan.”
■ WATCH England’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final against India exclusively live on Sky Sports Cricket this morning, with build-up from 7am.
■ JIMMY ANDERSON could lead England’s bowling attack on and off the field in Pakistan.
England have yet to replace fast bowling coach Jon Lewis, who left last summer.
David Saker, who is coaching the T20 side, will return for the Ashes but Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes could ask Anderson to take up an interim role in Pakistan for next month’s three-Test tour.