- Jos Buttler: Preparations for T20 World Cup Different but Possible
- England’s White-Ball Schedule Packed with Opportunities and Challenges
- Focus on Managing Players to Avoid Overwork and Injuries
There have likely been books, documentaries, and post-doctoral dissertations written about the four years England’s men spent preparing for the 2019 World Cup. Jos Buttler, the white-ball captain, has acknowledged that their six-week preparation for this year’s tournament will be quite different.
Buttler, speaking on the eve of England’s Twenty20 series against New Zealand, stated, “The landscape has changed considerably in that time.” This is his first England appearance since March when he played against Bangladesh. “By no means is it an ideal method for preparing for major tournaments. But I believe the T20 World Cup demonstrated that it is possible.” That would be the tournament England won last year.
The Twenty20 match at the Riverside on Wednesday evening is the first of four between the two teams, serving as a warm-up for the four one-day internationals that will follow. While England’s squad features eight different players from the 50-over version, no one is feigning that this is anything other than the first step on the road to October 5, when the 2019 World Cup finalists will meet again in the opening match of the tournament.
In the intervening five weeks, there will be a total of 13 white-ball matches, including three ODIs against Ireland and two warm-up games in India.
Pandemic postponements have had a domino effect on the schedule, giving England’s white-ball captain ample opportunities to test out his combinations.
It also means that England must be cautious of overwork and injury, according to Buttler. It’s going to be a lengthy tournament, with a lot of time spent in India and a lot of travel. So we’ll need to manage our team members carefully over the next month. It would be humiliating to convince Ben Stokes to return from his ODI retirement only to break him.
The Test captain of England has returned to the 50-over squad as a batsman, not an all-rounder – “I’m very comfortable with that, Ben’s batting is exceptional,” said Buttler, adding that Ben’s batting is exceptional in many other ways as well. “When he’s on your team, everyone feels a foot taller, and he raises the bar as well.” Mark Wood in optimal condition will be handled with the greatest care. Buttler remarked, “He’s like your best racehorse, isn’t he?”
Harry Brook, who missed a timid World Cup 15 packed of power hitters, will excel in the T20 series without Wood.
Buttler maintains that England’s rising star has nothing to prove, but Brook can at least raise doubts if only to secure a spot on the flight to India as one of three traveling reserves.
The much-discussed pace prodigy Gus Atkinson, who was selected for both squads, is unlikely to make his England debut at the Riverside after helping Oval Invincibles win the Hundred for the first time. Buttler, who led Manchester Originals against Invincibles in Sunday’s final, stated, “He’s a player we want to look after very carefully.”
The England captain is also excited to play with Atkinson after facing his fastest deliveries this summer. The Hundred may have aided England’s white-ball selection efforts already. Buttler thinks the company’s TV visibility inspires people to “step up and perform” and highlights them.
Jimmy Neesham’s return to New Zealand to have his first child has eliminated the chance of retribution for his performance in Sunday’s loss. Kane Williamson is traveling with the New Zealand squad as he endeavors to prove his fitness after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April by the 28 September World Cup selection deadline.
“It’s still a long way off, but he’s doing everything he can to give himself the best chance,” said Tim Southee, the captain of New Zealand’s Twenty20 team.
