T20 World Cup 2024: Nasser Hussain perplexed by England’s bowling choices against Australia

Nasser Hussain during the 2nd ODI Royal London One-Day match between England and India at Lord’s Cricket Ground. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England’s ambition to qualify for the Super 8 of the ongoing T20 World Cup took a sharp turn after their defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Australia. The Jos Buttler-led side produced a lacklustre performance with the ball and the batters failed to deliver in key moments. Former cricketer Nasser Hussain was stunned by some of England’s choices with the ball and believes it cost them the game.

Hussain noted that the skipper’s decision to bowl Will Jacks backfired. The youngster leaked 22 runs in the second over of the game, which gave Australia a lot of momentum. David Warner and Travis Head smacked three sixes in the over, which put pressure on the England team. Hussain added that Australia outclassed England and believes that the Three Lions leaked too many runs despite the short boundary in Barbados.

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“Australia outclassed England, it was a complete team performance. A total of 201 was too many on that pitch, even with that short boundary. The decision to bowl Jacks backfired but I didn’t like how they were too slow to go to their slower balls and cutters. I saw them obsessed by blowing away opposition with pace and I think it was a pace-off pitch and they didn’t adapt quickly enough,” Hussain told Sky Sports Cricket.

Hussain’s former teammate Michael Atherton echoed the same and stated that bowling Jacks at that juncture of the game was a mistake. He stated that Buttler had plenty of choices available in the form of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood but the skipper backed a high-risk choice which backfired.

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“England have gone with pace in their line-up with Wood and Jofra Archer and also because Jacks is pretty inexperienced and the type of off-spinner that is quite floaty. It could have paid off against the lefties but it was a high-risk strategy and one that cost 22 runs,” Atherton said.

England will face Namibia and Oman in their remaining two matches in the T20 World Cup. They need to win both their matches and still depend on the results of other teams to progress to Super 8.