Former England captain Michael Vaughan has shared that England will be the team to beat in the next few years after winning their second T20 World Cup title as well. The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that England will also be firm favourites for the upcoming World Cup in India next year.
Notably, England won their second T20 World Cup trophy after defeating Pakistan by five wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 52 off 49 guided England to seal the deal while defending a below-par total of 137. However, in his column for The Telegraph, Vaughan said that the 2023 World Cup should be in England’s sights and he also doesn’t expect the hosts, India to start as the favourites as well.
“The next big ticket is to win the 50 over World Cup in India next year. They have good spin options, and you have to put them down as favourites for that tournament as well. When the tournament starts, people will have India as favourites on home soil. Utter nonsense. England will be the team to beat without any question, and that is going to be the case for a few more years to come,” Michael Vaughan added.
The veteran has also observed that England’s data use has been so amazing which could be seen by their stunning victory against India. Notably, they beat India by 10 wickets in the semifinal after electing to field first. At first, they restricted India to 168 and then Jos Buttler and Alex Hales reached the target in 16 overs without losing a wicket.
Michael Vaughan continued: “The way England use data is smart. The semi final was a masterclass in beating India. Bowling first was a brave step but they knew Virat Kohli likes a number to aim for. They front-loaded Adil Rashid which meant Rishabh Pant did not come in until later.”
He also reckons Buttler had his deputy Moeen Ali actively involved in the game after the latter led England to a series win in Pakistan as well.
“I like the fact he has used Moeen Ali as his sounding board and deputy. Moeen did a great job as captain in Pakistan, and Jos is not the kind of leader who wants to take everything on himself. He looks to take advice and ensure everyone is involved,” Michael Vaughan concluded.
However, England will now play a three-match ODI series against Australia, starting on November 17th in Adelaide.
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