Cricket news: How are England shaping up ahead of the T20 World Cup?

What everyone associated with English cricket would give for some tournament success after a miserable winter, particularly none more so than Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum, who are both facing intense media scrutiny.

An impressive whitewash series victory in Sri Lanka has provided some cause for optimism as England now prepare to take on Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday morning, ahead of further Group C clashes with West Indies, Scotland and Italy.

So how are England shaping up as the 2022 champions look to put behind a disappointing cycle of ICC global events in Brook’s first tournament as white-ball captain?

For exclusive stories and all the detailed cricket news you need, subscribe to The Cricket Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.

A morale-lifting tour

English cricket was in disarray post-Ashes series defeat, and whilst the fallout from errors both on and off the field will linger until the Test summer, McCullum will be relieved that the white-ball squad has at least delivered some positivity ahead of his first ICC global event in charge.

Brook’s side rallied from defeat in the first ODI against Sri Lanka to clinch their first overseas series win in the format since March 2023, before completing a superb 3-0 victory in the T20I leg with a settled side and clear roles as preparations ramped up ahead of the start of their World Cup campaign.

Brook is also under fire, but on the field is looking his brutal best with a superb 36 off 12 balls in the second T20I, off the back of his astonishing century in the final ODI, with his trademark dispatch over cover in full effect.

Bilateral series may count for very little, but two series victories in subcontinent conditions is certainly a boost for this England side, by contrast to the Australians, who have been on the receiving end of a convincing whitewash themselves at the hands of Pakistan, whilst New Zealand were the latest side to be swept away by a relentless India.

Tom Banton grabs his opportunity

The 27-year-old batter Tom Banton has been on the periphery of the England white-ball side since making his debut in 2019, often restricted to the role of a spare batter – a position even under threat by the emergence of Jordan Cox.

There were calls for Ben Duckett to be taken out of the firing line following a hugely disappointing Ashes series, but his inclusion meant an expectation he would feature in the XI until a finger injury ruled out his involvement in the first two T20I’s.

Banton, an opener by trade, stepped in at no.4 and has been England’s standout batter against spin with two match-winning contributions – including an unbeaten 54 off 33 balls in the second T20I – displaying a level of maturity to go with the flamboyant stroke play.

A powerful ball-striker but with doubts around his consistency at international level, the Somerset man – who averages 28 with a strike rate in excess of 150 in 27 T20I’s – will now be eager to cement his position in England’s middle order.

An experienced spin partnership

It is hard to imagine a future without Adil Rashid in the England side, but at the age of 37, the wrist-spinner is still going strong as one of the masters – and yet still somewhat underrated – of his craft.

England’s all-time leading T20I wicket-taker has once again been crucial in the middle overs to suffocate Sri Lanka during the recent series and is now forming a strong partnership with fellow experienced spinner Liam Dawson.

Bowling in tandem, the pair complement each other well to both squeeze and create wicket-taking opportunities, providing a reliable eight overs for Brook in the field as England look to capitalise on the conditions in store.

An opportunity on the World Cup stage has been a long time coming for Dawson, with England in a strong position to boast two high-quality spinners in their XI after previously being too reliant on part-timers such as Will Jacks or Liam Livingstone to fulfil an allocation since Moeen Ali’s retirement.

Batting looks strong but is something missing?

On paper, England certainly have a batting lineup with the power to go far in this tournament – particularly at the top of the order with Phil Salt and Jos Buttler – but there are still a few question marks when it comes to application in subcontinent conditions.

IPL experience and boundary-hitters in abundance, but batters with the mindset to tee off from ball one is not always a recipe for success, even in the shortest format – do England lack a more steady accumulator in that top order, say a Joe Root type figure?

Jacob Bethell may well be entrusted with that role when circumstances arise, but the 22-year-old has endured an underwhelming tour to Sri Lanka at no.3 with 25 runs in three T20I innings, with Duckett waiting in the wings as another potential option.

When it comes to the role of the finishers, Sam Curran’s form with the bat has been a huge plus, but Jacks has not had much time out in the middle of late in white-ball cricket and has yet to play an innings of note at no.6 or 7, whilst Jamie Overton’s ball-striking ability has not truly been realised in the international arena.

Is the pace attack a tournament-winning one?

England’s pace unit failed to live up to expectations in the Ashes series, but how will the T20I attack fare against some imposing batting lineups?

Jofra Archer will spearhead the attack as England’s most consistent wicket-taking threat, with Curran’s left-arm variations throughout the innings providing a useful point of difference – notably becoming the second England player to take a T20I hat-trick last Friday.

However, the Sri Lanka series has raised concerns around England’s new-ball options if specialist swing bowler Luke Wood is not a starter, and Overton’s performances have also left a lot to be desired, with squad member Josh Tongue remaining untried in T20I cricket.

A pace attack that, unlike the Test group, does have varied options, but feels lacking in the consistency which the likes of Chris Jordan and David Willey provided to good effect when England came agonisingly close to winning the tournament in India ten years ago.

READ MORE: Cricket news: T20 World Cup Group-by-Group preview – favourites, players to watch