T20 World Cup 2021: "It's not franchise cricket" - Aakash Chopra feels England captain Eoin Morgan's form a big concern
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra reckons England captain Eoin Morgan’s batting form is one of the major concerns for the team ahead of their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign.
Although Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ended up as finalists in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, skipper Morgan had a forgettable time with the bat, scoring only 133 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 95.68.
According to Chopra, England’s chances could be hurt owing to their captain’s poor form with the willow. Analyzing the team’s strengths and weaknesses on his YouTube channel, Chopra stated:
"Eoin Morgan's form is a big question. In the entire IPL, he just could not score any runs. He did lead Kolkata to the finals as captain. But is that going to be that simple? It's not franchise cricket. It's country vs country."
Morgan, on Tuesday, said that he would be ready to drop himself at the T20 World Cup 2021 if his poor form continues.
Chopra further felt that England would not enjoy playing their matches in Sharjah. He explained:
"Those games in Sharjah are towards the end. If they start their campaign well, then great. But if they start poorly, then Sharjah is not a ground where you want to go for catching up, especially if you are the English cricket team."
England will face a qualifier and South Africa in their last two Super 12 encounters in Sharjah.
Jos Buttler is only second to Eoin Morgan in terms of T20I runs scored for 🏴
Looking at Eoin Morgan's poor run in T20s recently, Jos Buttler will play a major role for his team at the T20 World Cup 🙌
#T20WorldCup #England https://t.co/4QBybXTgkj
Today T20 World Cup pitch report is ready for both matches, click here to read.
T20 World Cup 2021: "England players could struggle against spin" - Aakash Chopra
England have prided themselves on playing aggressive cricket over the last half a decade. The emergence of stroke-makers like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow has aided their cause in white-ball cricket.
While Chopra agreed that the English have some fantastic big-hitters, he opined that the Three Lions could struggle in spin-friendly conditions. He stated:
"England have Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow in the top four. Even Liam Livingstone likes to play in the top three. So the cream and the explosiveness is at the top. But a few players will have to bat out of position for the sake of the team.
England's players are good strokemakers but they could struggle against spin. As the tournament progresses, the pitches will get slower. In T20s, without Jofra Archer, they look like a slightly weak outfit. And they also lack a dynamic player like Ben Stokes."
The 44-year-old predicted that T20 World Cup 2021 England squad would not qualify for the T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals from their group. He concluded:
"England are in a group of death. There is West Indies, Australia, South Africa and two qualifiers as well. Both West Indies and Australia are expected to trouble England. If Australia play to their potential, England will be in a huge amount of trouble.
"I don't see them qualifying for the semi-finals. I feel West Indies and Australia will go through. And, from Group 2, Pakistan and India will qualify."
Michael Vaughan feels Eoin Morgan will be leading England to the final of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Thoughts? 👀
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England will take on T20 World Cup 2021 West Indies squad in their opening Super 12 encounter in Dubai on October 23.