T20 World Cup 2022: 3 reasons why Mark Wood could be a big miss for England
England made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 after finishing second in Group 1. They won three of their five matches in the Super 12s, losing one game against Ireland but eventually sealing their qualification with a win against Sri Lanka.
England will meet India in the semi-finals of the tournament on Thursday (November 10) at the Adelaide Oval. In a game where everything is on the line, England are expected to be without a few significant stars.
In what could be a pivotal blow to the Poms, Dawid Malan and Mark Wood will miss out on the semi-finals due to injuries. The two players haven't recovered in time, said Jos Buttler at the toss.
BREAKING: Cricketer Mark Wood has been ruled out of England's T20 World Cup semi-final against India 🏏 https://t.co/MKjptv3zQu
With that being the case, here are three reasons why the injury to Mark Wood could be a big miss for England.
#1 There is no substitute for pace
Mark Wood in his own league. https://t.co/eoD2zU4C5s
Mark Wood is one of the quickest bowlers going around in world cricket right now. Despite only returning from injury recently, the right-arm fast bowler hasn't lost a yard of pace.
The 32-year-old has bowled the most 150kmph-plus deliveries in the T20 World Cup this year. With conditions suitable for him in Australia, he has been a constant threat to the other side and a lethal weapon for the Poms.
#2 He is England's enforcer
Mark Wood has been sensational in this tournament so far. In the four matches that he has played so far, he has taken nine wickets with an economy rate of 7.71. He is striking at a rate of 9.3 too, being a constant menace to the opposition batters.
Mark Wood is a critical factor in this England side because of the role and flexibility he offers to the team. He is a wicket-taker for the team and someone the captain banks on for breakthroughs.
In the middle overs, he has taken three wickets at an economy rate of just 6.20. Executing the enforcer's role, the tireless fast bowler is a priceless asset to the side and could be crucial against a power-packed Indian top order.
#3 He could have taken advantage of India's vulnerabilities
A few Indian batters have struggled against high pace on a few occasions. When someone's firing thunderbolts at over 150 clicks constantly, putting them away can be quite the challenge.
The Indian batters will have to be more than up for it, most notably Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. The Indian captain has a reputation for taking on the short ball instinctively and has fallen into the trap against England before.
His former Mumbai Indians teammate, too, struggles against pacers who can crank it up and hit hard lengths. In the only T20I they battled it out against each other, Hardik was dismissed by Wood after scoring 16 off 19 balls, which included 11 dot balls.
It was a match-up the Poms could have certainly opted for had the spearhead of their bowling unit been available.