Former England captain and cricket analyst Michael Vaughan heaped praise on the current England team after their ruthless performance in the second T20I against Pakistan on Sunday (July 18).
Vaughan has picked England as favorites for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in the UAE and Oman, saying Eoin Morgan-led side has all the bases covered and that makes them the supreme contender for the global title later this year.
His comments came after England made a stunning comeback without their regular captain Morgan to win the second T20I by 45 runs to level the three-match T20I series at 1-1 in Leeds following a surprising defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the first T20I last week.
Despite being without their leading stars in Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Ben Stokes, and Sam Curran England produced a clinical performance in Leeds and Vaughan feels such performance without their first-choice players makes the team’s T20 World Cup 2021 chances stronger.
Vaughan said on BBC after the second T20I in Leeds: “England have put themselves in a great position because they've got absolutely everything covered.”
He also hailed Liam Livingstone, who slammed the fastest T20I century among England batters in the first game, continued to impress everyone with his batting, hitting a 23-ball 38 knock laced with three sixes including a monstrous hit that went out of the park at Headingley.
The Englishman signed off by saying, “He’s becoming a class act. The hundred he got on Friday will have given him a huge amount of confidence and he was well on his way again today before he was run out."He’s one we’re going to see a lot of over the next few years.”
Noteworthy, England had lifted their first T20 World Cup trophy back in 2010 and also reached the final in 2016 but eventually lost their second title to the West Indies in India.
England will once again start as one of the favorites along with the likes of India, West Indies, and Australia in the T20 World Cup 2021.
(With BBC Inputs)
