England is blessed with the coveted possession of a T20 outfit that is steeped in extraordinarily exhilarating talent, especially in the batting department. However, immense depth in quality can often lead to a bountiful of seemingly unfathomable dilemmas: this is the welcome state that England find themselves in.

Due to the looming presence of the T20 World Cup, it is beyond imperative that they begin to form an initial idea of their best XI. It is evident that this is at the forefront of their planning as they have selected what looks like a full-strength squad. To achieve this goal, England will need to solve 3 head-splitting selection puzzles during this T20 series against South Africa.

Here are 3 selection puzzles that England need to solve during the SA T20I series

1. Where does Jos Buttler bat?

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-467841" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467841" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jos-buttler-gets-interrupted-by-his-daughter-georgia-while-talking-to-the-reporters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jos Buttler </a>is a player capable of conjuring some truly astonishing displays of sheer brilliance regardless of what batting position he is assigned to. Perhaps as a result of his own undeniable genius, the heated debate regarding his place in the order is one that has endured for an eternity. However, it is now a ripe time that England makes a decisive decision on this matter as it is certain that they will wish to harness the maximum potential of this T20 titan.

Here are his potential roles and their respective pros and cons:

Jos Buttler has openly expressed that opening the innings “is his favourite position to bat” and this is comprehensively reflected in the ruthless contempt that he treats bowlers within the powerplay. When he opens, it complies with the T20 ideology of giving your best batsman as many balls as possible to influence the outcome of the game single-handedly, a strategy lauded by many. However, appointing Jos Buttler as an opener does come with its fair share of caveats: it subtly tilts the balance of the team into a slightly top-heavy lineup that maybe be susceptible to potential collapse.

Perhaps it would be shrewder to employ Jos Buttler as a floater/finisher while allowing two of the plethora English top-order batsmen, who are of a high calibre themselves, to perform a successful opening pair. Buttler would add poise and brutal-minded clarity to one of the hardest roles to execute in T20. However, is Buttler’s audacious level of belligerence and dominance in the first 6 overs too hard to ignore?

While it is looking certain that Buttler will open initially, England will contemplate a move for their linchpin if results don’t go their way.

2. How should they construct their fast bowling attack?

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-467839" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Chris-Jordan.jpg" alt="Chris Jordan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467839" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Jordan. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Ahead of this T20 series against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/star-india-acquires-cricket-south-africas-media-rights-till-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">South Africa</a>, England have selected a batch of fast bowlers who all, despite failing to fall into the bracket of “elite” fast bowlers, provide valuable variety. However, these fine bowlers are still not as versatile as Jofra Archer, the mainstay of this attack, yet they bring monumental skill in ultra-specific roles to the table.

For example, Tom Curran and Chris Jordan are both fine exponents of the art of death bowling as a result of their metronomic command over subtle changes of pace and yorkers. However, their skills do not extend to the realms of the powerplay and middle overs and can be suspect to ineffectively in those respective phases.

England’s squad contains many more bowlers who, like Jordan and Curran, are outstanding in one phase, ordinary in the other. This immensely wide skill set distribution is tailor-made horses for courses selection policy. This policy entails selecting players depending on the match-ups, opponent, conditions and etc.

This strategy ensures that you can exploit flaws in the opposition with ease and you can select bowlers who have a high chance of being effective in certain conditions. This is mostly used in franchise cricket but England have the resources to use the horses for courses policy to great effect in international cricket.

The pitfall of this ideology is that it may disrupt the sense of continuity and consistency in the England side. If players are constantly in and out of the side, it is impossible to cultivate a playing style and it can cause the best-laid plans to become cluttered and hence wholly superfluous.

If you field a regular bowling attack, the group will begin to hunt in a pack and truly know each other’s weakness’s inside out. This is definitely what you want from your bowlers ahead of a T20 World Cup.

In the end, it will come down to whether England believe that data is more important than consistency when it comes to T20 selection. I think we will see glimpses of England’s answer to that query in this series.

3. Is Moeen Ali a liability?

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-467840" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Moeen-Ali.jpg" alt="Moeen Ali" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467840" class="wp-caption-text">Moeen Ali. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption>

We have to concede that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/yeh-ek-nahin-yeh-gyarah-hai-saqlain-mushtaq-reveals-his-advice-for-moeen-ali-and-adil-rashid-to-dismiss-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moeen Ali </a>is a mere shadow of his former self. For the past few years, his confidence has gradually waned until he is no longer the irresistible force he once was. One could even state that Moeen Ali is the sole weak link in a side with unassailable depth in batting and bowling. Can England really afford to support his constantly below-par performances?

England have to make a cold-hearted and emotionless decision on whether Moeen Ali’s time has to come to an abrupt end, agonisingly close to a World Cup.

However, it is important to acknowledge just how essential a firing Moeen Ali is to England; at his best he offers 4 overs of top-class off-spin while blasting a few in the latter overs. An in-form Ali could potentially be the answer to England’s finisher conundrum and also eradicate the need for Buttler to be shifted down the order. Perhaps all England need to show some support and backing Moeen Ali during this series. Maybe he would miraculously emerge as a rejuvenated player and as an essential cog in England’s T20 world cup bid. It would definitely be worth a try!

Looking forward to the T20 World Cup, it will be vital to have two spin bowling options in the dust bowls of India. Being a spin-bowling all-rounder, Moeen Ali would be a priceless commodity as his presence would add depth and poise to the batting in pressure scenarios while simultaneously providing valuable overs in spin-friendly conditions. His inclusion would also reduce the need of playing an inexperienced and potentially overawed spinner: this could prove fatal in a must-win game. If he could nail his role in the world cup, he will essentially be 2 players in 1 and that could be tournament-defining!

In all, England have to decide if Ali is far too valuable to drop, considering the World Cup in India, and attempt to resurrect his obvious class during the South Africa series. Or are they going to go down the route of dropping him in the belief that his poor form could seriously cost them down the line?

England have some serious thinking to do!

Written by Rahul Palaninathan

England is blessed with the coveted possession of a T20 outfit that is steeped in extraordinarily exhilarating talent, especially in the batting department. However, immense depth in quality can often lead to a bountiful of seemingly unfathomable dilemmas: this is the welcome state that England find themselves in.
Due to the looming presence of the T20 World Cup, it is beyond imperative that they begin to form an initial idea of their best XI. It is evident that this is at the forefront of their planning as they have selected what looks like a full-strength squad. To achieve this goal, England will need to solve 3 head-splitting selection puzzles during this T20 series against South Africa.
<h3>Here are 3 selection puzzles that England need to solve during the SA T20I series</h3>
<h3>1. Where does Jos Buttler bat?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_467841" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467841" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-467841" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467841" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jos-buttler-gets-interrupted-by-his-daughter-georgia-while-talking-to-the-reporters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jos Buttler </a>is a player capable of conjuring some truly astonishing displays of sheer brilliance regardless of what batting position he is assigned to. Perhaps as a result of his own undeniable genius, the heated debate regarding his place in the order is one that has endured for an eternity. However, it is now a ripe time that England makes a decisive decision on this matter as it is certain that they will wish to harness the maximum potential of this T20 titan.
Here are his potential roles and their respective pros and cons:
Jos Buttler has openly expressed that opening the innings “is his favourite position to bat” and this is comprehensively reflected in the ruthless contempt that he treats bowlers within the powerplay. When he opens, it complies with the T20 ideology of giving your best batsman as many balls as possible to influence the outcome of the game single-handedly, a strategy lauded by many. However, appointing Jos Buttler as an opener does come with its fair share of caveats: it subtly tilts the balance of the team into a slightly top-heavy lineup that maybe be susceptible to potential collapse.
Perhaps it would be shrewder to employ Jos Buttler as a floater/finisher while allowing two of the plethora English top-order batsmen, who are of a high calibre themselves, to perform a successful opening pair. Buttler would add poise and brutal-minded clarity to one of the hardest roles to execute in T20. However, is Buttler’s audacious level of belligerence and dominance in the first 6 overs too hard to ignore?
While it is looking certain that Buttler will open initially, England will contemplate a move for their linchpin if results don’t go their way.
<h3>2. How should they construct their fast bowling attack?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_467839" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467839" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-467839" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Chris-Jordan.jpg" alt="Chris Jordan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467839" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Jordan. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Ahead of this T20 series against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/star-india-acquires-cricket-south-africas-media-rights-till-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">South Africa</a>, England have selected a batch of fast bowlers who all, despite failing to fall into the bracket of “elite” fast bowlers, provide valuable variety. However, these fine bowlers are still not as versatile as Jofra Archer, the mainstay of this attack, yet they bring monumental skill in ultra-specific roles to the table.
For example, Tom Curran and Chris Jordan are both fine exponents of the art of death bowling as a result of their metronomic command over subtle changes of pace and yorkers. However, their skills do not extend to the realms of the powerplay and middle overs and can be suspect to ineffectively in those respective phases.
England’s squad contains many more bowlers who, like Jordan and Curran, are outstanding in one phase, ordinary in the other. This immensely wide skill set distribution is tailor-made horses for courses selection policy. This policy entails selecting players depending on the match-ups, opponent, conditions and etc.
This strategy ensures that you can exploit flaws in the opposition with ease and you can select bowlers who have a high chance of being effective in certain conditions. This is mostly used in franchise cricket but England have the resources to use the horses for courses policy to great effect in international cricket.
The pitfall of this ideology is that it may disrupt the sense of continuity and consistency in the England side. If players are constantly in and out of the side, it is impossible to cultivate a playing style and it can cause the best-laid plans to become cluttered and hence wholly superfluous.
If you field a regular bowling attack, the group will begin to hunt in a pack and truly know each other’s weakness’s inside out. This is definitely what you want from your bowlers ahead of a T20 World Cup.
In the end, it will come down to whether England believe that data is more important than consistency when it comes to T20 selection. I think we will see glimpses of England’s answer to that query in this series.
<h3>3. Is Moeen Ali a liability?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_467840" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467840" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-467840" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Moeen-Ali.jpg" alt="Moeen Ali" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467840" class="wp-caption-text">Moeen Ali. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
We have to concede that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/yeh-ek-nahin-yeh-gyarah-hai-saqlain-mushtaq-reveals-his-advice-for-moeen-ali-and-adil-rashid-to-dismiss-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moeen Ali </a>is a mere shadow of his former self. For the past few years, his confidence has gradually waned until he is no longer the irresistible force he once was. One could even state that Moeen Ali is the sole weak link in a side with unassailable depth in batting and bowling. Can England really afford to support his constantly below-par performances?
England have to make a cold-hearted and emotionless decision on whether Moeen Ali’s time has to come to an abrupt end, agonisingly close to a World Cup.
However, it is important to acknowledge just how essential a firing Moeen Ali is to England; at his best he offers 4 overs of top-class off-spin while blasting a few in the latter overs. An in-form Ali could potentially be the answer to England’s finisher conundrum and also eradicate the need for Buttler to be shifted down the order. Perhaps all England need to show some support and backing Moeen Ali during this series. Maybe he would miraculously emerge as a rejuvenated player and as an essential cog in England’s T20 world cup bid. It would definitely be worth a try!
Looking forward to the T20 World Cup, it will be vital to have two spin bowling options in the dust bowls of India. Being a spin-bowling all-rounder, Moeen Ali would be a priceless commodity as his presence would add depth and poise to the batting in pressure scenarios while simultaneously providing valuable overs in spin-friendly conditions. His inclusion would also reduce the need of playing an inexperienced and potentially overawed spinner: this could prove fatal in a must-win game. If he could nail his role in the world cup, he will essentially be 2 players in 1 and that could be tournament-defining!
In all, England have to decide if Ali is far too valuable to drop, considering the World Cup in India, and attempt to resurrect his obvious class during the South Africa series. Or are they going to go down the route of dropping him in the belief that his poor form could seriously cost them down the line?
England have some serious thinking to do!
Written by Rahul Palaninathan

England is blessed with the coveted possession of a T20 outfit that is steeped in extraordinarily exhilarating talent, especially in the batting department. However, immense depth in quality can often lead to a bountiful of seemingly unfathomable dilemmas: this is the welcome state that England find themselves in.
Due to the looming presence of the T20 World Cup, it is beyond imperative that they begin to form an initial idea of their best XI. It is evident that this is at the forefront of their planning as they have selected what looks like a full-strength squad. To achieve this goal, England will need to solve 3 head-splitting selection puzzles during this T20 series against South Africa.
<h3>Here are 3 selection puzzles that England need to solve during the SA T20I series</h3>
<h3>1. Where does Jos Buttler bat?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_467841" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467841" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-467841" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467841" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jos-buttler-gets-interrupted-by-his-daughter-georgia-while-talking-to-the-reporters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jos Buttler </a>is a player capable of conjuring some truly astonishing displays of sheer brilliance regardless of what batting position he is assigned to. Perhaps as a result of his own undeniable genius, the heated debate regarding his place in the order is one that has endured for an eternity. However, it is now a ripe time that England makes a decisive decision on this matter as it is certain that they will wish to harness the maximum potential of this T20 titan.
Here are his potential roles and their respective pros and cons:
Jos Buttler has openly expressed that opening the innings “is his favourite position to bat” and this is comprehensively reflected in the ruthless contempt that he treats bowlers within the powerplay. When he opens, it complies with the T20 ideology of giving your best batsman as many balls as possible to influence the outcome of the game single-handedly, a strategy lauded by many. However, appointing Jos Buttler as an opener does come with its fair share of caveats: it subtly tilts the balance of the team into a slightly top-heavy lineup that maybe be susceptible to potential collapse.
Perhaps it would be shrewder to employ Jos Buttler as a floater/finisher while allowing two of the plethora English top-order batsmen, who are of a high calibre themselves, to perform a successful opening pair. Buttler would add poise and brutal-minded clarity to one of the hardest roles to execute in T20. However, is Buttler’s audacious level of belligerence and dominance in the first 6 overs too hard to ignore?
While it is looking certain that Buttler will open initially, England will contemplate a move for their linchpin if results don’t go their way.
<h3>2. How should they construct their fast bowling attack?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_467839" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467839" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-467839" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Chris-Jordan.jpg" alt="Chris Jordan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467839" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Jordan. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Ahead of this T20 series against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/star-india-acquires-cricket-south-africas-media-rights-till-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">South Africa</a>, England have selected a batch of fast bowlers who all, despite failing to fall into the bracket of “elite” fast bowlers, provide valuable variety. However, these fine bowlers are still not as versatile as Jofra Archer, the mainstay of this attack, yet they bring monumental skill in ultra-specific roles to the table.
For example, Tom Curran and Chris Jordan are both fine exponents of the art of death bowling as a result of their metronomic command over subtle changes of pace and yorkers. However, their skills do not extend to the realms of the powerplay and middle overs and can be suspect to ineffectively in those respective phases.
England’s squad contains many more bowlers who, like Jordan and Curran, are outstanding in one phase, ordinary in the other. This immensely wide skill set distribution is tailor-made horses for courses selection policy. This policy entails selecting players depending on the match-ups, opponent, conditions and etc.
This strategy ensures that you can exploit flaws in the opposition with ease and you can select bowlers who have a high chance of being effective in certain conditions. This is mostly used in franchise cricket but England have the resources to use the horses for courses policy to great effect in international cricket.
The pitfall of this ideology is that it may disrupt the sense of continuity and consistency in the England side. If players are constantly in and out of the side, it is impossible to cultivate a playing style and it can cause the best-laid plans to become cluttered and hence wholly superfluous.
If you field a regular bowling attack, the group will begin to hunt in a pack and truly know each other’s weakness’s inside out. This is definitely what you want from your bowlers ahead of a T20 World Cup.
In the end, it will come down to whether England believe that data is more important than consistency when it comes to T20 selection. I think we will see glimpses of England’s answer to that query in this series.
<h3>3. Is Moeen Ali a liability?</h3>
<figure id="attachment_467840" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467840" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-467840" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Moeen-Ali.jpg" alt="Moeen Ali" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467840" class="wp-caption-text">Moeen Ali. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
We have to concede that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/yeh-ek-nahin-yeh-gyarah-hai-saqlain-mushtaq-reveals-his-advice-for-moeen-ali-and-adil-rashid-to-dismiss-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moeen Ali </a>is a mere shadow of his former self. For the past few years, his confidence has gradually waned until he is no longer the irresistible force he once was. One could even state that Moeen Ali is the sole weak link in a side with unassailable depth in batting and bowling. Can England really afford to support his constantly below-par performances?
England have to make a cold-hearted and emotionless decision on whether Moeen Ali’s time has to come to an abrupt end, agonisingly close to a World Cup.
However, it is important to acknowledge just how essential a firing Moeen Ali is to England; at his best he offers 4 overs of top-class off-spin while blasting a few in the latter overs. An in-form Ali could potentially be the answer to England’s finisher conundrum and also eradicate the need for Buttler to be shifted down the order. Perhaps all England need to show some support and backing Moeen Ali during this series. Maybe he would miraculously emerge as a rejuvenated player and as an essential cog in England’s T20 world cup bid. It would definitely be worth a try!
Looking forward to the T20 World Cup, it will be vital to have two spin bowling options in the dust bowls of India. Being a spin-bowling all-rounder, Moeen Ali would be a priceless commodity as his presence would add depth and poise to the batting in pressure scenarios while simultaneously providing valuable overs in spin-friendly conditions. His inclusion would also reduce the need of playing an inexperienced and potentially overawed spinner: this could prove fatal in a must-win game. If he could nail his role in the world cup, he will essentially be 2 players in 1 and that could be tournament-defining!
In all, England have to decide if Ali is far too valuable to drop, considering the World Cup in India, and attempt to resurrect his obvious class during the South Africa series. Or are they going to go down the route of dropping him in the belief that his poor form could seriously cost them down the line?
England have some serious thinking to do!
Written by Rahul Palaninathan

3 selection puzzles that England need to solve during the South Africa T20I series

England is blessed with the coveted possession of a T20 outfit that is steeped in extraordinarily exhilarating talent, especially in the