Left Arm Around

Well here we are.

Who would have imagined this?

Coming into this 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies & USA, Jos Buttler’s side were defending champions.

Yes they may be battered and bruised by the humiliating defence of their ODI World Cup title in India last year, however another global event in the shortest format presented England with an opportunity to right some wrongs and show the world just how startingly good they can be when the puzzle pieces fit together.

With Jofra Archer returning and a number of new kids on the block, optimism was fairly high.

But after a frustrating no-result against local neighbours Scotland, followed by a humbling 36-run defeat to the old enemy Australia in Barbados on Saturday, England now face an extraordinary uphill battle to simply make it to the ‘Super 8’ stage.

When the original groups were selected and the Three Lions were placed alongside Namibia, Oman, Scotland and Australia, it seemed incredibly obviously to say that England and Australia would be waltzing through to the next round without any real issues. And that’s no slight on the burgeoning, ever-increasing talent of minnow sides like Scotland, Namibia and Oman.

However, in a World Cup littered with great bowling, low-scores, difficult pitches and some monumental shocks (picture USA v Pakistan), England know they MUST beat both Oman and Namibia convincingly before hoping other results go in their favour.

After Scotland themselves comfortably beat Namibia and bulldozed over the line in 13 overs against Oman days later, it’s scary for England supporters to imagine that their fate could yet be decided by Australia when they play Scotland in St Lucia on Sunday morning (UK time).

Will the Aussies put bitter rivalries aside and produce their best cricket to maintain confidence going into the next phase? Or will they let Scotland slip through the proverbial back door by winning a close contest or possibly even taking a loss?

Australia quick Josh Hazlewood remarked it would be in his side’s ‘best interests’ to knock out a team like England who could pose a dangerous threat later on in the tournament, but one wonders if these comments were ‘tongue in cheek’ or playful banter to rile up the English media and players as they look towards two huge games.

Only approximately 18 months ago, English white-ball cricket was riding the crest of the wave as they lifted the T20 World Cup at the famous MCG and held both limited-overs World Cups simultaneously- the first time this has EVER been achieved.

But after catastrophic failures in India and another world event on the brink of a disaster here, what direction do England head in should the worst come to fruition?

Matthew Mott is a World Cup winning coach and Jos Buttler is almost certainly the greatest white-ball batter England has ever produced.

And yet despite their proven success, a number of key questions still remain.

When is enough, enough? How much time do you grant?

You could argue they deserve patience and another crack at progressing the team forward, but many fans will be clambering for fresh ideas and a team that starts to win again.

As harsh as it sounds, change might be the only option!

Sometimes being ruthless is the way to go…