"There’s a chance that England could actually go with four spinners" - Paul Collingwood ahead of IND vs ENG T20 World Cup match
Former England captain Paul Collingwood believes England could potentially go in with four spin options in their T20 World Cup encounter against India in Guyana on Thursday (June 27). The conditions in Guyana have suited the spinners and England have their leggie Adil Rashid in top form.
Collingwood shed light on how handy the likes of Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone can be in conditions that aid the spinners. He also spoke about Will Jacks, who has been on the bench but could come in as a handy off-spin option.
Speaking on Star Sports Press Room, here's what Paul Collingwood had to say:
"I think Adil Rashid, the way that he is bowling at the moment, we just have to wait and see what the conditions are like. There’s a chance that England could actually go with four spinners themselves.
"Obviously, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, who is actually an all-rounder who can bowl leg-spin and off-spin. And you never know, if the wickets are so dry, you can go with Will Jacks as well."
England will be confident as they had beaten India by ten wickets the last time the two teams met in the semi-final of the previous edition of the T20 World Cup.
Adil Rashid is on top of his game: Paul Collingwood
Adil Rashid has been in terrific form for England, especially in the middle overs, and has been applying the breaks on the scoring from the opposition. In seven matches, he has picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of just 6.70.
Elaborating on how crucial Rashid is for England, Paul Collingwood said:
"I think Adil Rashid is on top of his game and this is the beauty of the World Cup. He is a golden nugget for the England cricket team. When he comes on naturally in the sixth over, I think the one thing about Rashid is, his wrong'uns seem to be so difficult to pick. And he's got real good deception. Now in T20 cricket, deception is key."
India do have left-handers like Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube in their squad to counter Adil Rashid's threat. It will be interesting to see how the Men in Blue deal with the match-up as the leg-spinner could be their biggest threat in Guyana.