The batting
Crazy, crazy stuff from England. We could not guess it was the semi-final of a world cup if we didn't already know. England gave Luke Wright a go at the opening position, which is a laudable decision as Kieswetter wasn't doing his job. But, to send Bairstow at No.3 was a blunder. He is a finisher and a new member of the team. One of the openers can be so, but No.3 is a position where you need solidity. Samit Patel at No.4 wasn't a bad move though, because Bopara is not in form and Buttler is yet to prove his worth. Though in a big tournament like this, you shouldn't be experimenting with the likes of Bopara and Buttler.

The dictator: Stuart Broad brings his electric aura to the side.

The captain who loves to give surprises
The whole team was an experiment. Some were new, others not in form. I wouldn't blame Bairstow or Hales. The easiest way to make new players uncomfortable is to send them at positions they are not suited for and shoving all the responsibility on their shoulders. The ball before Bairstow got out, Hales and him were involved in a terrible mix attempting a run. And on the next ball, Hales got out as well. It takes time for batsmen to gain an understanding of each other and form partnerships. At least someone experienced like Morgan could be sent at No.3 to support Hales. It did work in the previous game when Wright came at 3 and Morgan at 4. There was no need for these crazy experiments. Broad reminded me he is the same man who couldn't hit the stumps from a two feet distance against Netherlands in the ICC World Twenty20 at home.

The bowler who doesn't get tired of performing
Steven Finn was once again impressive. His progress and consistency is something I'm very pleased with. England would benefit a great deal if they play him regularly in all 3 formats. Only Watson, Balaji, Starc and Mendis have taken more wickets than him in this tournament. And Yuvraj Singh has taken as many as him. Yuvraj and Finn have the best economy rate among these. Finn has also bowled the most dot balls in this tournament so far.


The bowler who doesn't get tired of being smacked
I was stunned to see Jade Dernbach back in the side. Only Raza Hasan, James Franklin, Shapoor Zadran, Chris Gayle, Zaheer Khan and Shahid Afridi have taken less wickets than him. And all of these, except Afridi have bowled less overs than him. He has the worst economy rate of 9.83 among all 38 bowlers in this tournament. And only 8 have a poorer strike rate. Only Cummins and Afridi have a worse bowling average. I don't think I need to say anything more on this.

The players who are exchanging roles
Also, Patel went for 27 in his two overs and Bopara for 12, England need to take note. As we have seen lately, Bopara no longer performs with the bat but he does perform with the ball. And as Samit Patel impressed with the bat, might we say they should swap their roles?

The all-rounder
If there was any man in the English side who looked like an all-rounder, it was Graeme Swann. He not only took 2-26 in 4 overs but also struck 34 off 20 in a tense situation. This is something he always does. Bats with a good strike rate, never wastes deliveries and stays calm under pressure. His strike rate in Tests is 80, in one-day it's 90 and 117 in Twenty20. His bowling averages in all formats are better than James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan. This man must be given an award.

The end
That's all I have to say about England's ousting in ICC World Twenty20 2012. We can only hope they'll learn their lessons. Until then, we can only make fun of them and enjoy the drama caused by Kevin Pietersen and everyone's comments on him. Thanks for reading. Good day!

More articles in this blog:

• Title defenders must look for a fresh approach ahead of New Zealand tie
• One-man Urgency not Enough for Stuttering England
• Apprentice Bairstow quickly becomes master
• England succumb to old failings
• An innings that changed life

England is no stranger to failures, but there is something different this time. They have the memories of lifting the trophy in the Caribbean a couple years ago. So, what if the captain has changed? So, what if Man of the Tournament Kevin Pietersen is nowhere to be seen, except for the studio of ESPN? So, what if Yardy has succumbed to depression? They still got Stuart Broad, this time as captain. Swann, Morgan & Kieswetter too. Finn, if not Sidebottom.

Johny Bairstow looks like a mythical mystical character, like he could beat anyone for the role of prince charming in the TV series Once Upon a Time. Wait, is there something wrong in talking about the looks of a cricketer? Not in the first year, but definitely in a World Cup. When both strike together, you know there is something wrong.

Standing tall: Captain Broad never hides his face.

It's obvious there are too many new players in the English side. Bairstow is merely 23, 4 Tests, 7 ODIs and 13 Twenty20s old. Jos Buttler is 22, has played only one ODI and 14 Twenty20s. Alex Hales is 23, 10 Twenty20s old. And although Kieswetter and Wright have played far more matches than these, they are not reliable or regular. Am not saying fresh energy is bad, it's just that it needs to be balanced out with consistency. England have dug themselves a hole by not taking any experienced batsman like Trott, Bell, KP or Cook with them. But, all is not lost. Winning both of their warm-ups didn't help, but losing to India and West Indies should be enough to provide a wake-up call. A change in tactics and mindset can still take them to the semi-finals. Lumb, in place of Kieswetter and Morgan at No.3 can definitely give the batting line-up a boost. Throw the gloves to Bairstow, Butler or Hales. They are all wicketkeepers for their counties, the latter only an occasional one though.

Jade Dernbach is proving to be too expensive. And England have kept Briggs out in favour of Samit Patel. It would be better to give all 3 spinners a shot. England is a team who is known for it's lack of spinners. But, times have changed. Like other teams are doing, England could make spin a weapon in Asia.

England are next up against New Zealand on September 29 at 10:00 GMT (15:30 local). This game will be played at Pallekele and not Colombo (where England were bowled out for 80 by India) so they should be able to walk past this. A tougher challenge will be posed by home team Sri Lanka, though still at Pallekele. History tells us home teams have not gone beyond quarters in the Twenty20 World Cup, but Sri Lanka is a stronger contender at home. England's run in this Cup was always going to be unpredictable with promising but inexperienced players, so I'll be disappointed if they don't throw any more surprises our way.

Stuart Broad’s refusal to admit that England cannot play spin after they were bowled out for their lowest ever Twenty20 total by India’s Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla, is laughable.

Forums were once again lamenting familiar failings in Sunday evening after Singh and Chawla took 6-25 from 8 overs combined as England slumped to a pathetic 80 all out in Colombo, needing 171 to win.

England will have no chance of winning at this tournament if a side decides to bowl and all spin attack at them.

It has been no secret that in Test, ODIs and T20 cricket, England cannot handle a turning ball, especially on the subcontinent. Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal ripped through England during the winter in the UAE, as an insistence to play the sweep shot saw Andrew Strauss’s Test side lose 3-0 in that series.

England are lucky that they do not have to face Pakistan in the Super Eights of the competition, but no doubt Sunil Narine, George Dockrell and Ajantha Mendis will be licking their lips.

Things are never simple with England, and their preparations were looking all so good for the ICC World T20. Two good warm-up victories and a thrashing of Afghanistan were papering over the cracks of fragile and young batting order. The latest T20 cricket betting odds suggest punters doubt whether England can make it through to the semi-final stage.

Dare we say it, but a certain Kevin Pieteresen can whack any spinner out of the ground in T20 cricket, but his feud with Broad and others in the England dressing room has left cricket lovers worldwide bereft of their deserved entertainment.

You can always get over a defeat, but the thrashing that India handed out to England in a game that was a dead rubber will have knocked confidence whatever ‘spin’ the skipper tries to put on it for the media. Broad’s most ridiculous defence is that the players looked good in the nets. Well in case you didn’t notice Stuart, cricket is played out in the middle – and looking ‘good’ in the nets is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

All eyes will be on Jos Butler during England's World Twenty 20 campaign. His name might have been anonymous a week ago, but today he is regarded as the man to watch out for. In a perfect end to English summer, Jos Butler smashed 32 off Wayne Parnell to make people gleam in amusement at England's latest finding. His fireworks couldn't come at a better time. England left for Sri Lanka with security, excitement and a belief in themselves. They are eager to see more of Butler and feel he could be the new star in rising.

But, this is English cricket we are talking about and the drama doesn't end on the field. The ECB and Kevin Pietersen have kept the media pretty busy over the last few months. In latest news, KP rejected a four-month contract from the ECB hours before he was omitted from the squad of India tour. I reckon, the reason Pietersen and ECB have not been able to resolve their conflicts is Pietersen's changing mind. He has been unsure over whether he wants to play for England or do something which is more convenient for him. All players who aspire to play for England want to stay in the team for as long as they perform. Pietersen however, is a little less patriotic and cares more about his personal needs. The IPL, the Big Bash, even the studio of ESPN are more convenient to be in than England cricket team. It's obvious how. Being a part of Twenty20 leagues or a commentary team doesn't require you to deal with an egotistic, cash hungry board. Rather, you can better take care of your cash needs. They don't make you feel like an employee but rather like a freelancer. They are not played every month so that also gives you time to be with your family. I'm with KP on this, who would chose to deal with ECB and also ignore all these benefits?

It seemed likely that KP won't be a part of the England team. Remember that his retirement from the shorter forms of the game started it all. For whatever reason, his desire to play for England had decreased back then. And his interest in touring Sri Lanka as a presenter rather than a player further confirmed his lack of desire. An apology, a video expressing his 100% commitment to England, appealing for an inquiry against teammates, turning down a contract left heads spinning. This tells us KP isn't too easy to deal with either.

The funny part now though, is whether we'll see Kevin Pietersen interviewing Stuart Broad at the end of a lost battle, asking, "Did you miss Kevin Pietersen in your team today?".

More in this blog:

• The end of an era?
• England flying high
• Wallpaper: Sexy England Cricketers!
• Year End Specials: Highest Wicket Takers in 2010
• England continues to Reign Down Under

Stuart Broad hailed Jos Buttler as the Somerset batsman rounded off England's preparations for their World Twenty20 title defence with a match-winning performance against South Africa.

Broad's side went into the final international of the summer at Edgbaston 1-0 down in a rain-affected three-match series. In a match shortened to 11 overs per side by bad weather, England posted 118-5, thanks in the main to Craig Kieswetter's half-century and Buttler's stunning unbeaten 32 from only 10 balls. England restricted the Proteas to 90-5 in reply, ensuring they drew the series and departed for Sri Lanka on the back of a morale-boosting victory.

Broad reserved special praise for Buttler, who finally announced himself on the international stage with a mixture of lusty blows and deft touches. "Jos changed the momentum of the game and that's what he's in the side for," said the England skipper. "You look for guys like that in Twenty20 cricket to change the game with bat and ball."

Buttler made his T20 international debut last August but had managed only 36 runs in six innings before his thrilling knock in Birmingham. The 22-year-old arrived at the crease with only 16 balls of the innings remaining but helped England add a further 54, with Wayne Parnell going for 32 in his final over.

Buttler was pleased to make his mark and help England register a much-needed win, though fans still doubt their chances in Sri Lanka. "I swung hard and it came off. International cricket hasn't gone as well as I would have hoped so far and now I'm just glad to contribute to a winning side," he said. "It's good preparation and I'm looking forward to Sri Lanka."

England will face Afghanistan and India in the group stage of the World T20. The tournament begins on September 18 and runs until October 7.

More in this blog:

• Does India hold an edge in the shorter format?
• No chink in England's armor despite changes
• England blistered by Pakistan 3-0; Kevin Pietersen...
• Chance to train with Michael Vaughan and England f...
• England lose edge Cook and Trott bestowed on Day 2...

So, England have won an ICC event finally. Now, no one can say that my team have never won an ICC event during banters. Sorry for the late post, didn't have internet. And I could only watch a bit of the semi-final and final live. Watched the earlier games though. I really enjoyed watching them this time, Morgan, Wright, KP and Kieswetter were awesome. Others played well too and Lumb and Kieswetter scored almost the same in some matches but I really enjoyed Kieswetter's reactions while stumping. The victory is rather unbelievable and pleasant. I got to know about it through a news channel the next morning. I've seen England play superbly and lost many times. Referring to the post, "England vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI" I would like to say that Bangladesh wasn't the better side in that match, Morgan proved that England is the better side. No one wants their team to lose but the truth is that the love for your team increases when your team plays well and loses. Now I know why I love England so much. Bangladesh has moments of awesome play in many matches but they fail to win, except against Zimbabwe off course. Bangladesh had the highest percentage of winning ODIs last year. They played mostly against Zimbabwe. Looking forward to the game against Scotland. Cheers for the World Twenty20 win. Until next time, take care.