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There has been a lot of talk about how three teams from the sub-continent have made it to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in English conditions, but I personally feel it is more a sign of the pitches than anything else.
Admittedly, the tournament is being played in England and Wales, but that’s about it. To me, these aren’t necessarily ‘English’ conditions; you call them that only when the ball nips around, it moves in the air and off the deck. If the pitches are flat and there is not a lot of movement, then it comes down to a battle of skill, it doesn’t really matter where you play. Every team is competitive when the pitches are flat; I remember New Zealand went to India last year and only lost a five-match one-day international series 2-3.
Given the depth and muscle in its batting, England will hope to turn up for its first semi-final against Pakistan in Cardiff on Wednesday and find a flat deck with no movement, so that it can out-skill the opposition. This tournament has already produced a number of high scores, and I don’t see that changing.
If you look at both the semi-finals, there are two clear favourites, and you would most likely pick a repeat of the last ICC Champions Trophy when India and England contested the final.
England has been the dominant team all tournament long, though I agree that you never know with Pakistan. Cricket matches are not played on paper, admittedly, though on paper, England is the clear favourite. Pakistan has a dangerous bowling attack, like it has had over the years, and there is a little bit of experience in its batting.
But I honestly can’t see Pakistan winning this game. England has just too much firepower and it is playing too well at the moment to slip on a banana skin.
England has been tested at various stages in the tournament, it has had its moments when it has been pushed to a corner. In the first game, Bangladesh made 300 and England lost an early wicket. New Zealand had reached 170 for two in the next game. And against Australia, chasing 278, it was 35 for three.
But whenever the game has been in the balance, it has bounced back incredibly strongly and rolled the opposition over. It has played very positively and been too good, winning games with some comfort. That is the sign of a really good team. England has got its tail up, it is on a roll and it has been playing very, very well for a really long time now.
The transformation since its first-round elimination from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has been astonishing. It has talked a little bit about learning from New Zealand’s approach in that tournament, which revolves around talking the game to the opposition. It left out a player of the calibre of Ben Stokes for that event and picked what I could call was a conservative team. Leaving Stokes out then was a real surprise to many of us.
But since then, it has changed its attitude to the limited-overs game. It has a number of dynamic players, individuals who can win games on their own. And it backs its talent to come good. That’s what the game is all about. A number of teams fall over in the middle overs because they are a little straitjacketed in the way they go about things.
Not this English side, though. It just keeps coming at you, and it keeps taking the game forward. It goes for broke – if it gets bowled out for 300, so be it because 300 is still a good score. But if its aggression pays off, then it can end up getting 360 or more, effectively sealing the game.
I like the way England is playing white-ball cricket these days.
Sometimes, you need to go through the pain to realise the need for change, and that pain burst through during the last World Cup.
To turn things around, a number of other factors also needed to fall in place – such as a forward-thing coach, as well as good talent. England has been fortunate that all three pieces came together at the right time. It has an excellent coach in Trevor Bayliss, it has the World Cup pain to feed off, and it has seriously good talent, which is a deadly combination. And then, there is Andrew Strauss involved behind the scenes as the director of cricket. What it has done over the last two years is little short of phenomenal.
Pakistan has some new players, players that I have never heard of before. That’s one of the standout features of Pakistan cricket – it has never lacked talent.
It has forever had an attack that is dangerous in a wicket-taking sense, so it is never out of the game. Especially in a match like a semi-final, if it puts runs on the board, then given its bowling riches, it is a chance.
But you know what they say about Pakistan, about how mercurial it is. It could either be awful on the day, or simply brilliant. That’s the danger with its team. I saw it go down 0-5 in Australia earlier this year, but it was competitive in a lot of those games. If it turn ups and plays its best game, it will give England a run, perhaps.
But to me, England has the advantage of form, confidence, momentum and playing at home, so it is difficult for me to look past it
Admittedly, the tournament is being played in England and Wales, but that’s about it. To me, these aren’t necessarily ‘English’ conditions; you call them that only when the ball nips around, it moves in the air and off the deck. If the pitches are flat and there is not a lot of movement, then it comes down to a battle of skill, it doesn’t really matter where you play. Every team is competitive when the pitches are flat; I remember New Zealand went to India last year and only lost a five-match one-day international series 2-3.
Given the depth and muscle in its batting, England will hope to turn up for its first semi-final against Pakistan in Cardiff on Wednesday and find a flat deck with no movement, so that it can out-skill the opposition. This tournament has already produced a number of high scores, and I don’t see that changing.
If you look at both the semi-finals, there are two clear favourites, and you would most likely pick a repeat of the last ICC Champions Trophy when India and England contested the final.
England has been the dominant team all tournament long, though I agree that you never know with Pakistan. Cricket matches are not played on paper, admittedly, though on paper, England is the clear favourite. Pakistan has a dangerous bowling attack, like it has had over the years, and there is a little bit of experience in its batting.
But I honestly can’t see Pakistan winning this game. England has just too much firepower and it is playing too well at the moment to slip on a banana skin.
England has been tested at various stages in the tournament, it has had its moments when it has been pushed to a corner. In the first game, Bangladesh made 300 and England lost an early wicket. New Zealand had reached 170 for two in the next game. And against Australia, chasing 278, it was 35 for three.
But whenever the game has been in the balance, it has bounced back incredibly strongly and rolled the opposition over. It has played very positively and been too good, winning games with some comfort. That is the sign of a really good team. England has got its tail up, it is on a roll and it has been playing very, very well for a really long time now.
The transformation since its first-round elimination from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has been astonishing. It has talked a little bit about learning from New Zealand’s approach in that tournament, which revolves around talking the game to the opposition. It left out a player of the calibre of Ben Stokes for that event and picked what I could call was a conservative team. Leaving Stokes out then was a real surprise to many of us.
But since then, it has changed its attitude to the limited-overs game. It has a number of dynamic players, individuals who can win games on their own. And it backs its talent to come good. That’s what the game is all about. A number of teams fall over in the middle overs because they are a little straitjacketed in the way they go about things.
Not this English side, though. It just keeps coming at you, and it keeps taking the game forward. It goes for broke – if it gets bowled out for 300, so be it because 300 is still a good score. But if its aggression pays off, then it can end up getting 360 or more, effectively sealing the game.
I like the way England is playing white-ball cricket these days.
Sometimes, you need to go through the pain to realise the need for change, and that pain burst through during the last World Cup.
To turn things around, a number of other factors also needed to fall in place – such as a forward-thing coach, as well as good talent. England has been fortunate that all three pieces came together at the right time. It has an excellent coach in Trevor Bayliss, it has the World Cup pain to feed off, and it has seriously good talent, which is a deadly combination. And then, there is Andrew Strauss involved behind the scenes as the director of cricket. What it has done over the last two years is little short of phenomenal.
Pakistan has some new players, players that I have never heard of before. That’s one of the standout features of Pakistan cricket – it has never lacked talent.
It has forever had an attack that is dangerous in a wicket-taking sense, so it is never out of the game. Especially in a match like a semi-final, if it puts runs on the board, then given its bowling riches, it is a chance.
But you know what they say about Pakistan, about how mercurial it is. It could either be awful on the day, or simply brilliant. That’s the danger with its team. I saw it go down 0-5 in Australia earlier this year, but it was competitive in a lot of those games. If it turn ups and plays its best game, it will give England a run, perhaps.
But to me, England has the advantage of form, confidence, momentum and playing at home, so it is difficult for me to look past it
) 
