The last time that the West Indies hosted the T20 World Cup in 2010, England waltzed to the title-winning both their semi-final and final against Sri Lanka and Australia respectively by seven wickets
The last time that the West Indies hosted the T20 World Cup in 2010, England waltzed to the title-winning both their semi-final and final against Sri Lanka and Australia respectively by seven wickets.
It could be considered a good omen ahead of the 2024 edition, with the Caribbean islands once again welcoming the action alongside the United States.
England will play their Group B games in the West Indies, while the competition’s final will be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados – English seamer Jofra Archer was born a stone’s throw from the stadium.
It would be fitting if, after such a lengthy injury lay-off, Archer could bowl England to the trophy.
Familiar Territory
The ICC World Twenty20 2024 odds have India (9/4) as the most likely champion – despite the fact that they haven’t won this tournament since its inaugural year in 2007.
Those betting on cricket may feel that the hard, fast and flat pitches in the Caribbean favour Australia (7/2), but there’s no doubting the credentials of defending champions England (5/1) either.
Jos Buttler will captain a side well-stocked with specialists in the shortest format of the game, with Phil Salt set to lead the way with the bat after bludgeoning more than 400 runs in the IPL in the spring.
Sam Curran once again showed his class with bat and ball in the Indian competition, Jonny Bairstow fired a magnificent century for the Punjab Kings, and the likes of Will Jacks, Reece Topley and Buttler himself all showed their pedigree at the highest level of domestic T20 cricket.
JONNY BAIRSTOW IS BACK AND HOW…!!!
IPL century in 45 balls in a 262 run chase. 🫡pic.twitter.com/UonVYSesYD
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 26, 2024
Confidence is not in short supply in the England camp, with the welcome return of Archer only serving to bolster such feeling.
The paceman has been battling a series of injuries for more than a year, but seems to have finally found his fitness – marking his return to action with a couple of wickets against Pakistan in May.
Most pleasing for England fans is that Archer routinely cranked the speedometer up past 90mph – the hallmarks of a fast bowler in great shape and rhythm.
Could he be the joker in the pack for England at the World Cup?
Happy Memories
It would be true to say that this England squad is every bit as talented as the one that swept all before it at the last ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies back in 2010.
They defeated Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand in the group phase, with half-centuries from Kevin Pietersen (x2) and Eoin Morgan backed by fine bowling efforts from the likes of Graeme Swann and Ryan Sidebottom.
Sri Lanka were swept aside in the semi-finals. They posted a score of just 128 from their 20 overs, with Stuart Broad taking a couple of wickets. England found their reply much easier work, with Pietersen again hitting the ball cleanly to all parts of the ground to set up victory.
The final, against old rivals Australia, should have been a much closer affair, with the Aussies posting a low – but competitive – 147/6 from their allocated overs.
T20 World Champions! 🏆 #OnThisDay in 2010. pic.twitter.com/co2ZZfHGVA
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 16, 2021
But more destructive hitting from Pietersen (47 off 31) paved the way for Craig Kieswetter to guide England home, with the wicketkeeper-batsman scoring at a strike rate of 128 in his knock of 63.
It was a first T20 World Cup crown for England, which they followed up in 2022. But can they make it a hat-trick in 2024?