I See His Name Getting Overlooked Too Much In The Importance Of What England Achieved – Nick Knight Names Key Player For England In World Cup 2023

by SW DeskSeptember 30, 2023

Former England opener Nick Knight has named a key player, who can play vital for the England side on flat wickets for their title defence in the Indian conditions. He believes that India will be the “favourites” this year given the home circumstances, which would be a significant boost for the hosts heading into the marquee event in the country.

England are the reigning world champion and are one of the hot favourites to win the ICC World Cup 2023. They will open their campaign against New Zealand on October 5 in Ahmedabad.

Jos Buttler-led side has been on the roll in World Cricket producing remarkable performances starting with World Cup victory in 2019 and T20 World Cup in 2022 alongside their domination in Test Cricket.

Speaking to sports journalist and anchor Jamie Alter on his YouTube channel, Nick Knight highlighted the importance of Adil Rashid in the World Cup in India. Knight believes he can be lethal for the team in the sub-continental conditions and feels that the defending champions will look to post big totals before defending it with the help of their primary spinner.

“I think when you look at this England side, you look back at winning the World Cup in 2019, you look at the top order blasting those early runs. Muscular, belligerent players whacking fours and sixes. England setting big totals. England going past 400. England going to the late 300s, then defending. The key player for me in that is Adil Rashid,” Nick Knight said.

After their disappointing performance in the 2015 World Cup, England has transformed into a strong team by adding more firepower to their batting and bowling departments. This eventually led them to win the championship on their home soil last time and the Jos Buttler-led side will look to defend their title in India after four years.

Adil Rashid Can Break Partnership When the Wicket Is Flat – Nick Knight

Nick Knight believes that Adil Rashid has been an underrated star in England’s white-ball evolution in recent years. He feels that Rashid has the ability to break crucial partnerships in the middle overs of the game, asserting that he could be the go-to bowler for Jos Buttler if players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli get going in the middle.

“Sometimes I see his name getting overlooked too much in the importance of what England achieved in the last cycle and winning that World Cup. When you look at the difference between T20 cricket and 50-over cricket, you are looking essentially from the bowling perspective, who have you got that can break that stubborn partnership?

“When Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are flying and they’re going 150 partnership and the wicket is flat and things are not going your way, who can you turn to as a captain and say, right, break me this partnership? Adil Rashid,” Nick Knight added.

England’s dramatic progress in white-ball cricket is frequently attributed to their batting prowess. However, Adil Rashid, an experienced bowler, has continued to grow stronger and stronger and possesses the ability to excel in all conditions and phases of a match. Rashid could prove to be a crucial player for the Jos Buttler-led side in the 2023 ODI World Cup.