England have announced their 15-man squad for the 2016 ICC World T20 to be held in India from March 8 to April 3, with uncapped Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson being the surprise entrant. Eoin Morgan would lead the side as usual, whose statement of ‘the doors being shut’ on fellow Englishman Kevin Pietersen proved out to be true as well.
Neither Pietersen nor Luke Wright, who the former had rallied behind, were included the squad, despite their impressive performances in franchise-based T20 cricket.
A settled line-up
Joe Root, perhaps England’s best batsman across formats would spearhead their batting line-up while it would be interesting to see how Jos Butler fares in India, who has already garnered the attention of people as well as the T20 leagues all over the world with his run-scoring prowess.
Other batsmen in the squad, who are also playing South Africa at the moment, are Jason Roy and Alex Hales, who have provided solidity to their side at the openers’ slots. Sam Billings and James Vince have also been included based on their performances in the last T20 series that England played- against Pakistan in the UAE.
Ben Stokes, who has been a revelation for England since the Ashes 2015 is the lone mainstream all-rounder in the squad, while Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have both been included keeping in mind the spin-friendly Indian tracks.
England have decided to go with a fast-bowling quartet of Steven Finn, Chris Jordan, David Willey, and Reece Topley, as Stuart Broad, perhaps England’s best bowler in the longer format for a couple of years now, found no place in the squad.
Ironically, Broad was the captain in the last edition of the World T20 held in Bangladesh in 2014.
Dawson, the surprise inclusion, has played 73 T20 matches and has scored 495 runs at 15 while he has also taken 39 wickets at an economy rate of 7.48.
No place for Pietersen, Wright
With this squad announcement, England have further substantiated on the fact that no amount of belligerent performances can earn Kevin Pietersen- once an Ashes hero, now a despised villain- a place in the England dressing room.
Pietersen has been in fine form in T20 cricket, plundering runs aplenty- 323 in 9 innings- in the Big Bash League for Melbourne Stars, including a match-winning knock of 62 in the semi-final, and a 74 in the final.
Another compatriot of Pietersen, Luke Wright, who was also amongst the runs of late in T20 cricket, including a hundred against Melbourne Renegades in the Melbourne derby in the Big Bash this year, has also been ignored.
England World T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey.
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