"They cannot make the same errors again" - Michael Vaughan warns England cannot afford a repeat of 2023 World Cup in 2024 T20 WC
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the management's position will be untenable if the national team doesn't perform well in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Vaughan underlined that the Englishmen cannot afford to repeat the mistakes they did in India.
England, defending champions ahead of the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, were also defending their title in the 50-over edition last year. However, they suffered a group-stage exit after winning only three matches out of nine.
In his column for The Telegraph, Vaughan stated that good decision-making under pressure will be critical.
"This England leadership group is under pressure. They failed miserably in India and if we see a similar defence of their 20-over World Cup trophy then I’m afraid people are not going to keep their jobs. You get judged as captain and coach on decisions at the toss, selections on the morning of the match, ensuring the mindset is right and playing the correct style at the right times. Let’s be honest, England made a lot of mistakes in India. Over the next four weeks they cannot make the same errors again."
The 49-year-old expressed concern about England's performance across formats in the Caribbean, where the environment can make the players feel a bit too relaxed.
"The one worry for England is they are not very successful in the Caribbean, apart from lifting the T20 World Cup in 2010. We have not won a Test series there since 2004, England lost both white-ball series in December. Sometimes in the Caribbean you become too relaxed. You are on the beach and the jet skis and in Barbados it almost feels like you are on holiday playing a bit of cricket on the side. It is trying to find that balance of not being too intense like they were in India, while also not being too relaxed as if on holiday."
The Englishmen captured their first global title in the Caribbean in 2010 by winning the T20 World Cup. The final saw them beat Australia, with Kevin Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter delivering standout performances.
"I think India are below that in terms of power" - Michael Vaughan on India chasing big totals
Vaughan went on to point out that India have an advantage if the pitches are free of dew, but warned they will be found out in case of high-scoring matches. He elaborated:
"The majority of India games start at 10.30 in the morning which will surely help them. Pitches will be drier, there will be no dew and spin will play more of a role which suits India. If the World Cup is a 170-par score then all the teams I have mentioned can win it."
"If it goes to 210-240 par on small grounds and flat pitches I think England, South Africa, Australia and West Indies are the teams with the most power in their batting line-ups, closely followed by New Zealand. I think India are below that in terms of power. But if it is a 170 par, India are right in the hunt with their bowling."
The Men in Blue beat Bangladesh by 60 runs in their only practice fixture on Saturday.