England is set to face Pakistan in their Super 8 match in Pallekele. When asked about their strategy for dealing with Pakistan’s spinner, Usman Tariq, England spinner Liam Dawson stated they aren’t making specific plans for him.
A victory against Pakistan would secure England a spot in the semifinals. Tariq has gained attention for his unique delivery style. In a press conference before the match, Dawson acknowledged Tariq’s skills but emphasized the strength of the entire Pakistan team, saying,
“It’s not all about Tariq. They’re a very good team with some dangerous players, and Tariq’s obviously a very good bowler. But we’re not going to just look at him. We’ll look at the whole team and see how we can nullify them.”
England recently won against Sri Lanka by 51 runs, with Dawson taking 2 wickets for 27 runs. Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 95 while chasing a target of 147. Will Jacks led England’s bowling with three wickets, followed by Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer with two each, and Jamie Overton with one.
However, England’s performance against Sri Lanka’s spin attack has raised concerns, as it dismissed all of England’s top five batters. Pakistan is preparing for the match with a squad including Tariq, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, and Mohammad Nawaz. Notably, England’s Harry Brook has been trying out Tariq’s style during practice.
Dawson discusses England’s spin bowling dynamics
Liam Dawson also spoke about his role in the team and the different styles of England’s spinners. He compared his defensive approach to Adil Rashid’s variations and Will Jacks’ bounce. He mentioned,
“We’re all very different types of spinners. Jacksy gets a lot of overspin and a lot of bounce. Dilly (Rashid) has all his variations. Me – I sort of don’t get the bounce that the other two get. It will be a different challenge on Tuesday night. We might get a better batting wicket. We’ll have to see.”
He added,
“Out of the three or four of us, I’m probably more the defensive spinner in this, and I know that’s my role, and I’m just trying to be consistent for the captain. Adil can use all his tricks, and he comes on us to get the wickets and get us back in games or put us ahead in games.”
Dawson further emphasized their experience, noting the extensive Cricket played by himself, Adil, and Jacks, with only Beth having slightly less experience. He expressed strong confidence in their ability to implement their strategies effectively.
