Picking a combined West Indies-England playing 11 for 2024 T20 World Cup ft. Nicholas Pooran and Jos Buttler
The 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup is the first since 2016 to draw a festival-like interest and emotions since 2016. The two in between just got a bit lost in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taking it to the next level in the Super-Eights will be England and West Indies, the two finalists eight years ago in one of the best summit clashes in all sports. The wounds and joys of that kind of match run deep and its effects are likely to be felt again when these teams clash on June 20.
Below, we have tried to add a bit of spice to this picture by picking a combined 11 from the two teams, based on recent form, team balance, and other factors.
Check it out:
Openers: Phil Salt and Jos Buttler (wk)
Despite a couple of decent showings from the West Indian openers, it's hard to pick them over Jos Buttler and Phil Salt. They might not have comparable experience in these conditions but their 66 and 60 runs come at excellent strike rates of 165 and 176.47, respectively.
Their tendency to attack the new ball instead of trying to anchor the innings sits well for a team like this with an excellent middle-order (see below). In such a team, both would be able to make the best use of the powerplay - which is important in the West Indies - while also not wasting too many deliveries if they get out early.
Middle order: Nicholas Pooran, Harry Brook, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell (c), and Andre Russell
This is the engine room of this lineup. It starts with one of the highest run-scorers of this World Cup so far, Nicholas Pooran. The left-hander's 98 against Afghanistan encompassed his entire skill set - the ability to smash every kind of bowler at will, with the smarts to not go after negative match-ups. A bit like Virat Kohli in 2016, Pooran is the perfect number three in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Harry Brook has been one of the few English middle-order batters to show form and promise so far in the tournament. And unlike the others, like Jonny Bairstow, he's the one who seems to fit in the role. The youngster's 47* against Namibia in that crucial rain-marred game earned him a place in this 11.
Similarly, Sherfane Rutherford's 68* against New Zealand was not only the best knock so far this World Cup -- considering the match situation, the context of the game, the bowling line-up, and pure class - but also one of the best in the tournament history. It'll be criminal to keep him out, especially considering the competition.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell and Andre Russell complete the batting set-up. While Powell has played a couple of good cameos while also leading the team exceptionally well, Russell has done the job with the bat more often than not while proving to be a game-changer with the ball in the middle overs.
Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, and Alzarri Joseph
Akeal Hosein and Jofra Archer were among the first picks in this lineup. The left-arm spinner has been brilliant in the 2024 T20 World Cup and overall for the last few years. His wicket-taking ability in the powerplay is special and gives West Indies a lot of balance and flexibility in using the pacers in the middle overs.
His nine wickets in the group stage, including the five-wicket haul against Uganda are enough to make any team play him out cautiously for the rest of the tournament. Now, imagine Archer at his side in the powerplay.
The English pacer has slowly started to look close to his best since making a comeback weeks before the World Cup. His performances here so far have been brilliant too - five wickets in four games at an average of 13.40. His pace and incisiveness combined with Hosein's guile and tricks make for a lethal combination.
To back them in the middle overs would be the hosts' other two best bowlers so far in this World Cup - Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie. Although Adil Rashid made a big part of our initial thoughts because he's a wrist spinner, Gudakesh's form has been better and he has seemed more suitable to the conditions.
Joseph, meanwhile, has shrugged off poor IPL numbers to take nine wickets in four matches at 9.88 at the World Cup. His middle-overs skills are perfect for the conditions and alongside Russell and Rutherford, he makes it a well-rounded bowling attack.