"It wouldn’t surprise me if" - Michael Vaughan predicts the winner of T20 World Cup 2024
It's time for the Super Eight stage in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as eight teams will be vying for the four semi-final spots. The group stage was closely fought with USA being a surprise entry into the Super Eight stage. But Pakistan's early exit was a shocking one as the team failed to go past the group stage for the first time in history.
The Super Eight stage comprises two groups. Group 1 involves India, Australia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Group 2 involves South Africa, England, the West Indies, and the USA. The matches in the Super Eight stage will start on June 19 with South Africa taking on the USA in Antigua.
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Michael Vaughan predicts the winner of T20 World Cup 2024
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has predicted the winner of the T29 World Cup 2024. While writing for his column in The Telegraph, Vaughan picked defending champions England as the team who could emerge as the winners of the tournament.
"It wouldn’t surprise me if England won the tournament. England are a very dangerous team. My worry is that they can play incredibly well, but they can produce a performance that is very average. They’ve become a team that’s quite inconsistent, which is not what we’re used to from the white-ball team," Vaughan wrote in his column.
Vaughan picked Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler as two key players who will be important for England's chances.
"To get to the semi-finals and even further, England need two players at their best. Jofra Archer is hugely important for England. He’s that bowler who can bowl every over of the 20, and his return has been very good so far," the former England batter wrote.
"And then Jos Buttler has got to find form. The skipper needs to find a bit of rhythm with the bat. Jos is the kind of player that can win a game on his own. England are going to need him," he added.
Michael Vaughan backs Reece Topley and Sam Curran
Vaughan also added that the addition of Reece Topley and Sam Curran to England's bowling line-up has added variety to the attack. According to him, Curran's all-round capabilities will be crucial in the upcoming games.
"In the last two games, England have rectified their big mistake at the start of the World Cup. How England didn’t play Reece Topley for the first two matches is beyond me. He bowls that first over, swinging the new ball as a left-arm."
"I also liked England’s change in team formation against Scotland, bringing in Sam Curran. He’s the T20 expert; he’s got all the tools. A man who bats and bowls left-handed is so valuable – can bowl in the different phases of an innings, can smash the ball, and is an excellent fielder too," he further added.
England's qualification was in danger at one time when Scotland threatened to beat Australia, which would have meant an early exit for the defending champions. But Scotland lost to Australia in their final group game while England defeated Namibia to in a rain-hit match to become the second team to qualify from Group B behind Australia.
