The unbeaten in the tournament so far, West Indies will take on England in their first Super Eight clash of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia on Thursday. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
The Jos Buttler-led English side have been lucky to qualify for Super Eight after Australia defeated Scotland in the final league stage match which helped England qualify for the next stage.
England and West Indies are the only two teams to win the T20 World Cup twice and both are the strong contenders to win the title this year as well. Defending champions England's performance so far in the tournament has not been up to their reputation.
On the other hand, Men In Maroon looked determined to work as a unit and have a golden chance to win the title on their home soil. Nicholas Pooran and Obed McCoy's performance in the last match against Afghanistan helped them register a big 104-run win.
As two-time champions each, England and West Indies are set to clash in the Super Eight fixture, three key player battles are worth looking out for in the WI vs ENG match:-
1. Nicholas Pooran vs Jofra Archer
Nicholas Pooran is in red-hot form and is very determined to help West Indies win this year's title anyhow. He has made 164 runs in four innings and is currently second in the race for the most run-scorers behind Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz. He is timing the ball beautifully and batting at no. 3 has given him more freedom to play aerial shots and make good use of the powerplay. Jofra Archer has sheer pace and can surprise Pooran with his lethal bouncers and deadly Yorkers. The battle between the two will be a treat to watch.
2. Jos Buttler vs Akeal Hosein
Jos Buttler has a very good record in the West Indies and has the potential of winning the match single-handedly on any given day. He has not performed very well in the tournament but marking him off will be a very big mistake. He will surely step up when needed the most. Akeal Hosein, the left-arm spinner has been very accurate and economical for West Indies. He comes to bowl in the powerplay and could pose a threat to Buttler.
3. Rovman Powell vs Adil Rashid
Rovman Powell is the skipper of the West Indies side and is one of the best strikers of the ball in the team. He can change the game at any point with the help of his destructive batting. England's leg-spinner Adil Rashid may trap him in his spin web on Thursday. Rashid is an experienced bowler and will use his mystery spin to tackle Powell at the batting-friendly pitch of Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium.
WI vs ENG Full Squads:
West Indies: Rovman Powell (c), Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy, Shamar Joseph, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley and Mark Wood.
