This year, the hosts Australia are the widely received favourites to go all the way. They were the team who lifted this exact trophy nearly twelve months ago and have only strengthened what was an already strong squad of players. Their credentials, however, were dented by the arrival of England down under earlier in the month.
England's new short-form captain, Jos Buttler, has taken England into this tournament following the retirement of Eoin Morgan to international cricket. After a superbly entertaining seven match series win over Pakistan, the spirit of cricket prevailed as the overall winner in England’s first visit to Pakistan in seventeen years.
strap yourself in for the drama and intensity
Just two weeks later, Buttler’s side continued their excellent pre-tournament form with a rain-affected two-nil victory over Australia. Debate over selection simmered away into insignificance, with Dawid Malan once again silencing his doubters, with a majestically constructed eighty-two off just forty-nine balls. Sam Curran reinforced his skillset and versatility to the selectors with some vital late-innings runs being combined with the persistent, wicket-taking bowling that England fans are accustomed to seeing from the Surrey all-rounder. However, the main debate, that has not diminished amidst the victories, lies at the door of England’s talisman and Test captain, Ben Stokes.
Since the New Zealand born all-rounder emerged as a raw and talented prospect in an England shirt nine years ago, Stokes has taken on the mantle as the face of English and world cricket. Having recovered admirably from both cricket and non-cricket related incidents, he now leads the English Test side in an exciting era, which appears to have no ceiling. However, it has been over a year and a half since Stokes last featured in the T20 format. Can Stokes’ reputation alone force a place in this exciting, short format team? The likes of Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook and Phil Salt have all established themselves in this team, with excellent contributions, and it looks likely that one of these three batsmen will be axed to pave the way for Stokes.
His performances in the warm-up matches against Australia certainly offered glimpses to English cricket lovers that their talisman is firing, however his lack of a noticeable score with the bat does act as a cause for concern. Whilst Stokes has sensational major tournament pedigree, it will be fascinating to see whether he can regain his T20 form on the biggest stage.
As always, the favourites to lift the trophy are England, Australia, India, and New Zealand. Although, the emergence of Pakistan as a short-format force once again and the new breadth of South African talent does mean that we are in for a hugely compelling and competitive tournament. It promises to be a superb three weeks of cricket, so strap yourself in for the drama and intensity that only a World Cup can offer you.