Well here we are then, it’s been a while since I decided to write something(-ish) and whilst a lot has changed and we’ve thankfully had some cricket to keep us sane there are still many of the same fundamental issues England need to iron out ahead of back-to-back World T20 campaigns in India and Australia respectively.

Part 1 : Batting

Who will open the batting?

England’s T20 side is cluttered with valid opening options but as we head closer and closer to the World T20 in India it looks as though they are likely pick two from the trio of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy.

Jonny Bairstow can consider himself a lock in the top three given his pedigree opening the batting in both international cricket and the IPL, as well as slipping down to the #3 slot in the last tour to South Africa. There is a case for Bairstow taking up more of a middle order role given his skillset against spin(which will come in handy in India), as well as to help break up the flurry of left-handers likely to come after England’s top three, but that is better saved for another time.

The case for Jason Roy’s importance in this T20 side has been slowly whittled away, although partly through no fault of his own as others simply took their opportunities after he missed out on all 6 T20Is during the English summer. There are still question marks regarding his ability to play quality spin, something which was exposed during a stint in the Pakistan Super League and in the previous T20I series against South Africa, where he also showed the ‘post powerplay lull’ side of his game that will worry an England side trying to play with a more ‘complete’ and ‘free-flowing’ batting style as they have done under Eoin Morgan. In India, against quality bowling units likely to possess multiple spinners, you can’t have such a significant flaw in your game, now is the time to make his case heard again.

As always there is still a debate flowing on Jos Buttler’s batting position. As an opener since the last World T20, he averages 40.83 and strikes at 151.96, which is a stark contrast to the 26.18 average and 132.69 strike rate he registers not opening. England are an aggressive outfit and this is something which will go in favour of Buttler opening, the think-tank will continue to try other options down the order to make this Buttler move work, as the upside is simply too good to simply give up on so quickly.

Eoin Morgan’s recent role switch and relative success at KKR suggests that he may be the one to take on the finishing burden for England, whilst Ben Stokes has untapped potential as a pure pace hitter at the death, adding plenty of ‘funky’ shots to his armoury too. Both Sam Curran and Jofra Archer also showed plenty of ability with the bat to add depth in this regard too, with Sam Curran used as a flexible option for CSK depending on what was required, meanwhile Jofra Archer’s six hitting capability papered over the cracks in a weak RR batting unit.

This is not to say that England will stick with Buttler opening no matter what, there will come a time when Morgan and co will elect to ‘give up’ and settle for him down the order given the high quality options lining up to replace him at the top, but I doubt they will lose this battle without a fight.

The other aspect to consider is how little exposure Buttler has had as a T20 finisher in recent years, arguably the role has changed since he last succeeded there and even Buttler himself would admit he was a little rusty in the role for Rajasthan in the IPL. Finishing isn’t easy and England would be foolish to wait until right before the World T20 and dropping him down the order, expecting an immediate return to the finisher Buttler we have become accustom to in ODI cricket and T20 cricket previously.

How will England use Moeen?

After seeing his KKR side use Sunil Narine in a pinch-hitting middle over role with some success, the question is whether Eoin Morgan will feel inspired by the move made by his side under the guidance of himself and Brendon McCullum.

Moeen Ali returns to the RCB line-up today.

Fastest scorers against spin since start of 2018 (min 300 balls):

Moeen Ali – 10.3rpo
Adam Hose – 9.5rpo
Mayank Agarwal – 9.4rpo
Colin de Grandhomme – 9.3rpo
Andre Russell – 9.3rpo#IPL2020 #RCBvCSK

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 25, 2020

England have long used Moeen in an ‘ineffective’ role, especially when compared to how other sides have made the most of his ability against spin (as the CricViz stats suggest), which is hardly bowled at the death where England have tried to use him. There is of course the argument for dropping Moeen considering his lack of bowling form but as mentioned previously, picking a player with a unique skillset like Moeen is an aggressive choice, Morgan’s stint as KKR captain could help to unlock that potential.

Is Dawid Malan good?

This must seem like a weird subject to talk about but don’t think about it as a debate around Malan’s ability, he is a quality T20 batter (#1 ranked if you care about that kind of thing), but it is more so his approach that has come under question, and whether or not this fits in with the England ‘philosophy’ that Eoin Morgan is trying to create.

Starting slowly is Malan's biggest flaw in T20 cricket & sets him apart from the rest of England's top order options. None of them, however, boast the same consistency as Malan at this level. He uses those slow starts to his advantage. #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/2zeQd5UVwI

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) September 8, 2020

As seen by the CricViz graphic above, Dawid Malan has a slight flaw in his game. He starts slowly….very slowly. The only reason you may not have noticed this is because he has such a good (unsustainable?) record of converting these slow starts into high scores through his excellent acceleration game and ability to take on spin and pace alike as and when required by the situation he has found himself in. But the question is what happens if he gets out early? What if he ends up with 8 off 10? This is something we are yet to see but no doubt this is in the thinking of those in charge of the side and arguably the reason he was left out of the side previously, despite his excellent record. Whether or not he is just an insurance policy style stopgap, an upgraded Root perhaps, and they elect to go for a more free-flowing, higher risk batter remains to be seen.

Ben Stokes is another interesting subject but given the options everywhere else I cannot see a spot for him other than at #5 or #6, which will sadly limit his effectiveness. After his IPL campaign opening the batting, and *that* innings against Mumbai Indians there should be more of a case for him opening the innings, but as one of the supposed better batsmen in the side(despite a very modest T20 record), he’s expected to be used to plug gaps in the line-up as and when, maybe arrest a collapse or drop down to face Rabada purely at the death. Stokes’ slow starting game will limit him here, although his recent IPL campaign may have dusted off a few cobwebs and the hope is to see a more freeflowing version of him in the future.

Feel free to let me know your takes on any of these issues as well as other things you’d like to hear me talk about via my twitter handle @BerbaSpinCric and stay tuned for the bowling aspect of this England T20 side in Part 2.

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Chennai Super Kings as expected kept the bulk of their side during the retention phase. Their only real question marks are based around the opening combination, where Ruturaj Gaikwad is staking his claim at ousting one of Shane Watson or Faf du Plessis with an impressive SMAT campaign; and the pace bowling line-up which struggled after pre-tournament injuries to Ngidi and DJ Bravo. That issue was somewhat masked by playing on such a spin friendly home surface but their away record of 3 wins and 4 losses show the lack of quality on platter, typically pace dominant away surfaces.

Fleming and his thinktank will more than likely be looking to strengthen their pace bowling department with the remaining two overseas spots. Whilst Cummins is likely to be out of their price range Ngidi’s compatriot Chris Morris offers an alternative in the ‘top and tail’ role and his stock is on the rise with every MSL performance, with Tom Curran a viable replacement for DJ Bravo’s pure death bowling spot. You could also foresee a low bid on a back up for du Plessis and Watson, someone like Martin Guptill or Brandon King if they are snubbed initially.

Delhi made some big moves in the trade window with Ashwin’s addition strengthening their local spin core and Rahane’s arrival adding more question marks than answers. Assuming Delhi don’t go crazy and play all five of their token Indian batsman, I suspect Rahane and the returning Shaw jostling for an opening berth to be their only top order dilemma at this stage, with Lamichhane likely to play over one of the potential overseas batsman should Delhi’s home ground be spin heavy once more.

Their auction intentions are clear, with obvious gaps for a couple of overseas middle order batsman and one, if not two overseas pacers. Glenn Maxwell, who opted out of the last campaign, is a Ponting favourite and the front-runner for one of the middle order slots with Alex Carey, Eoin Morgan and Jimmy Neesham viable left-handed alternatives. The second likely to be more of a finisher type with prominent six hitters like Fabian Allen, Colin de Grandhomme and Ben Cutting potentially low-price targets with some albeit limited bowling value.

The Capitals are in desperate need of a death bowler with Ishant’s preferred role predominantly as a new ball bowler and Rabada as the only other option. A Chris Morris return is all the more likely after Starc pulled out of the auction. They could look to Chris Jordan or Romario Shepherd as cheap death bowling pieces if they don’t get Morris but instead invest in the more premium middle order assets.

Kings XI cleared out plenty of cap space through releases this year after overpaying for average-at-best assets in last years mini-auction. They have the huge yes/no decision to make on Gayle with his consistency dwindling. Does Kumble give him another year?

KXIP will approach this auction similarly to other franchises, attacking the pool of overseas middle over batsman and pace bowlers. They have enough to land premium asset Pat Cummins to lead the attack or a new ball option like Sheldon Cottrell or Sam Curran, both who are just about adequate enough at the death aren’t bad alternatives. Batting wise, Kumble favourite Karun Nair could fill in the local batting gap left above whilst Eoin Morgan looks a prime option as a late middle order option with his captaincy a welcome addition after losing Ashwin, even a move for Shimron Hetymer, CPL star Brandon King, Alex Carey or Colin Munro to replace Gayle is viable should they retain last seasons approach. Expect KXIP, with such a healthy budget to dictate proceedings at the upcoming auction.

Kolkata Knight Riders ended up as a disappointment last year after a bright start and their early off season moves reflect that frustration with the under-performing Robbie Uthappa gone and Chris Lynn’s heavy salary dispensed with. The trade for Siddhesh Lad suggests that he will take up Gill’s floater role of last season, with Gill promoted to #3. A lot of KKR’s issues came from injuries to Nagarkoti and Mavi leading to a light local pace unit, should both be fine KKR should return as a top four side once again.

In terms of auction options Lynn might be bought back at a lesser price with Aaron Finch also seen as somewhat of an upgrade as he can add captaincy skills over Dinesh Karthik, although his ability against the new ball makes him far from an ideal option alongside Narine; Tom Banton is an under the radar pick for them after an impressive T20 blast and cameos for England this winter and is somewhat capable of replicating Lynn’s brutal powerplay exploits against pace bowlers. Evin Lewis has showed recent form and was given limited opportunities for Mumbai last year, he’s an excellent moneyball pick for most sides this auction.

Harry Gurney is arguably one of the best death ball bowlers in the world, Lockie Ferguson is probably one of the best at hostile, wicket-taking pace bowling so how do they choose between them? They could also add Chris Morris to the list to provide a combo of the two, whilst he isn’t as good at either role, he will bring more balance to the attack.

With Nagarkoti and Mavi both having injury issues and the former yet to appear since injury I wouldn’t put it past KKR to also plump for Unadkat in the hope of him adding fresh ingredients to his slower ball cocktail in recent SMAT form as opposed to leaning heavily on Krishna once again. Could they also add Ishan Porel to complete the U19 CWC winning pace attack?

The 2019 champions look set once again for a stellar campaign and the addition of Sherfane Rutherford strengthens that case. Whilst he is more likely to be an understudy to Kieron Pollard the opportunity is there for MI to unleash Hardik Pandya in his true role as an aggressive middle overs batsman.

Jayawardene’s side only have overseas pace options that they should be concerned with. Trent Boult was added as a new ball option to challenge Mitchell McClenaghan but depth will be required for the ageing Lasith Malinga. The aforementioned Tom Curran could be an option to allow Jasprit Bumrah to be used as an enforcer or bringing back Alzarri Joseph after an impressive CPL in that middle over aggressor role, with Bumrah the death over specialist also an option.

Rajasthan look to be in transition under new coach Andrew McDonald, trading Ajinkya Rahane to Delhi gives them a more flexible batting unit and adding Ankit Rajpoot leaves the new permanent captain Steve Smith alternative ways to use Jofra Archer’s varied skillset. Krishnappa Gowtham’s departure gives the Royals plenty of capital for the auction, with Mayank Markande and Rahul Tewatia rivaling as potential spin partners for Shreyas Gopal in his absence.

Unlike the other sides, Rajasthan will be looking to local talent as opposed to the saturated overseas pool in the auction, with extra batting depth required to compliment the overseas trio, Sanju Samson and new middle order starlet Riyan Parag. Depending on how Samson is used, Manan Vohra might see play time at the top of the order with Jos Buttler, or auction target Priyam Garg is a more likely candidate for that spot if they spend big, left-handed Aditya Waghmode is another opening alternative; 17-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal might spark interest as a lowball option with future upside. From the likely auction pool, Deepak Hooda is an interesting option given his talent shown at the franchise before limited opportunities in Hyderabad whilst the Virat Singh offers a consistent middle order alternative to Hooda as does all-rounder Baba Aparajith who could replicate Gowtham’s role with more hitting ability. Whilst it is unlikely he returns, Rahul Tripathi remains one of the proven IPL options in the draft and will be an asset to RR if they don’t mismanage him as done previously.

The side are in need of pace options with Varun Aaron the only competition for Rajpoot. The final piece of India’s recent U19 winning bowling trio, Ishan Porel, bowled economically in the recent SMAT, TNPL star G Periyaswamy is another asset who might be worth a shot for the franchise and left arm Roosh Kalaria will see serious attention with overseas options unlikely to see the field over the established current four.

Mike Hesson has done what many new ‘Directors of Cricket’ would’ve done, kept the bare essentials and scrapped the rest. Like most years, RCB look just a few assets away from really competing but this year they come into the mini-auction with a stripped back squad that was previously heavy on expensive benched stars. The performances of Devdutt Padikkal in the SMAT sill have them spoiled for choice, but forcing him in the side leaves the only options for overseas investment in a wicketkeeper where Alex Carey and Tom Banton should be primary targets should they go that route.

For the bowling department, they desperately need a leader to compliment the rest of the side who have somewhat defined roles. A death over bowling option in Tom Curran or wicket taker like Pat Cummins are options, even a revitalised Mustafizur Rahman bowling his left-arm variations is another, whilst Chris Morris might be a tricky purchase, he could slot in alongside Saini and Umesh well.

It will be interesting to see the auction moves of Trevor Bayliss’ new side with the new coach’s general ‘style’ a little contrasting to the squad left by previous coach Tom Moody. Sunrisers kept the core of the side but will be looking to improve on an underpowered middle order and bring some variety to a usually samey bowling attack.

In terms of middle order options Sunrisers could opt to use Mohammad Nabi’s spin hitting ability or bring in a Bayliss favourite in Eoin Morgan during the auction phase, Abhishek Sharma was given limited options despite arriving after an impressive debut season in Delhi and Bayliss could turn to him should options not arise at the auction.

For the overseas pacer slot, Billy Stanlake is already there and Alzarri Joseph, Pat Cummins and Tymal Mills are viable pure quick alternatives to spice up the attack, they may even look at death over alternatives after Bhuvi’s recent performances have lacked his consistent yorkers.