LEEDS: England’s first warm-up, against Pakistan, ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup was washed out after rain poured over Headingley on Wednesday, but captain Jos Buttler eagerly looked forward to defending the title for the side.

“I’ve had a really good couple of days’ prep and everyone was really excited for the series,” Buttler said on Skysports as he expressed his disappointment over the washing out of the first of the four-match T20I series.

Buttler made England the T20 world champions when they beat Babar Azam’s men in the 2022 edition of the showpiece in Melbourne. Under the wicket-keeper’s leadership, however, they experienced a disastrous league stage exit from the 50-over World Cup in India last year.

In the Caribbean, which will co-host the T20 World Cup along with the United States, England won their first title in 2010, and Buttler is excited about the opportunity to add another whte-ball trophy to the team’s honours board.

“Time moves on and there’s a really exciting opportunity now,” he said. “Tournament cricket requires playing crunch moments really well and coming back from adversity.

“You’ve got to read the game, play well, and be able to adapt.”

Buttler and most of his England T20 team-mates joined the camp after almost a full season of the ongoing Indian Premier League, which witnessed tons of runs being scored on placid pitches.

The skipper, however, believed that the nature of the competition in the West Indies would be completely different.

“The conditions out there can be a little bit slow, and spin will play a big part,” he noted. “Extra pace will be a factor, and the wind is a big factor on those island grounds.

“The very early starts in the World Cup will be something to adapt to.”

Buttler suggested England’s experience of winning the 2010 edition in the West Indies would come handy in next month’s extravaganza. He talked about few aspects of how, then lead by Paul Collingwood, the side used the conditions.

“We just used the wind,” noted Buttler. “We didn’t bowl yorkers, just slow ball bouncers into the pitch and got them to hit into the wind. We were the only team that adjusted quickly.” This adaptability, he believed, was crucial for England’s prospects.

“England play a huge amount of T20 cricket in the Caribbean, which sets us up nicely,” added Buttler.

The England captain avoided making detailed predictions about what the Caribbean will put on offer.

“We’ve got analysts building packages to ensure there are no surprises, but every day is different,” he observed. “You can’t go in with too many preconceived ideas.

“It’s a great honor to be defending champions, but we want to go and win it again.”

England open their T20 World Cup campaign on June 4 against Scotland. Their preparations, although, will start with the second T20I against Pakistan on Sunday in Birmingham.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2024