With a blend of seasoned veterans, exciting fresh faces, and world-class individuals, there’s plenty of excitement around what the current crop of England players can do at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

While hosts Australia and powerhouses India are also expected to challenge for the title, England head coach Matthew Mott will be hoping his players can deliver in the high-pressure games Down Under this autumn.

Overcoming Bairstow Loss

England’s preparations for the tournament have been hampered by the news batter Jonny Bairstow will be taking no part in the competition. England, who are 15/4 in the T20 World Cup betting, learned the news in September that Bairstow would play no part in the tournament after a freak accident while playing golf. The 33-year-old slipped while walking to a tee box and suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle. Having had surgery to resolve the injuries, it has since been confirmed Bairstow won’t return to action until next year.

The news of Bairstow's serious injury was a significant blow, especially considering the Yorkshire star’s impressive form this year. The wicketkeeper’s efforts for his country saw him named England's player of the year by the Cricket Writers' Club. With Bairstow set to watch the T20 World Cup from the comforts of his own home as he recovers, coach Mott will be looking to other key players to step up to the challenge.

Pressure Turned Up On Buttler And Stokes

With one of England’s batting stars ruled out, there will be extra pressure on fellow big hitters Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes to deliver positive innings. Skipper Buttler has had his own injury troubles in the build-up to the World Cup but it looks like the man with the armband will have recovered from his calf issue before the Super 12 games against Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand, and two qualifiers in Group 1. Buttler showed in the Indian Premier League this season how skilled he is with a bat in hand in this shortest form of cricket. Expect the captain to lead from the front with the potential for some explosive innings in the upcoming high-pressure games.

Star all-rounder Stokes is another player Mott will be looking to for big performances as England look to reach the business end of the World Cup. Despite making a positive start to his captaincy reign at the Test level, Stokes might well appreciate leaving the leadership responsibilities to one side for the T20 tournament. Being able to focus on his batting and bowling, and not the distractions of captaincy can only be a good thing for the Durham star at this World Cup.

Brook Has Potential To Shine Down Under

Following some impressive performances with England in Pakistan, there is plenty of excitement for what Harry Brook can achieve at the T20 World Cup. Establishing himself as the new number five in the England batting order, Brook hit an impressive 238 runs in the seven-match series against Pakistan. Helping England to a 4-3 series win and maintaining their place in second in the T20 world rankings, Brook is starting to emerge as the next star of English cricket.

The World Cup will provide Brook with the biggest challenge of his fledgling career to date and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the potentially fiery atmosphere at the Australian grounds. At the age of 23, it doesn’t seem like all that much phases Yorkshire’s rising star. With far more experienced heads around him in the England squad, Brook will be able to learn from some of the best players in the sport. Mott has other experienced stars to call upon for runs, with the likes of Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan, and Alex Hales looking to play big roles in the competition. Spending time with these knowledgeable players through the competition will only serve Brook well in the future.

England managed to win the T20 World Cup back in 2010 and this current crop of players certainly looks like it has the potential to repeat the feat, but this time in their old rivals’ backyard.

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