Moeen Ali joins Nas & Ath to look ahead to the Super Eights at the T20 World Cup

18:39Ath:You haven't got any grass pitches. You've got to start with facilities and the basics, really.

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19:48England then, I mean, why have they struggled?

19:53Ath:I don't know how much you've been watching because obviously you've been with the Lions and coaching, but it has been a bit of a struggle for a team that's probably regarded as one of the favoured teams behind India for this competition. Yeah, I still think they are one of the top sides. I just think a bit of pressure. I think there's obviously World Cup and after the Ashes. Even though I don't think it affects all the players, but I think it does affect just the mood generally in the camp with the coaches and some of the players that were there. but also I think roles in the side where, you know, Jacks is at seven, who's normally an opening batter, Bantanoz is also an opening batter.

20:34So they were kind of, they're the two guys that have actually done quite well over the period of time. But we just, we actually, once we get Joss and Salty firing.

20:42Ath:Well, that seems to me to be the key here. They are the most experienced, among the most experienced T20 cricketers. Also lots of experience in the IPL in India. They're obviously brilliant destructive players if that opening partnership doesn't fire it's difficult to see him really progressing isn't it once they get if they get

21:02Nas:to India they will have to fire I think actually the type of cricket played here in Sri Lanka helps England a little bit because it does grip A bit so those and Nick Knight made this excellent point at the end of the show the other night So I'm not trying to nick your point stitch your spinners, your bowling attack you then have Bethel as he bowled Sri Lanka out here in the games before the tournament you then have Jax, you obviously have Adil, you have Dawson so the bowling becomes a little bit more dynamic and you don't just rely on Adil and Joffre but you feel if they get to a semi-final in Mumbai or Kolkata that batting line up if India suddenly make as they could 230, you you do need Butler and Jax to get them off to a flyer because they have been playing Butler and Salt to get them off to a flyer because they have been playing catch-up cricket with the bat.

21:55Ath:And, I mean, one or two other key players have not really got going yet. What about your mate Adel? I mean, he's had a brilliant against West Indies, 2 for 16. He got a bit tapped, didn't he, in a couple of the other games. Obviously, you've chatted to him. Yeah. I think with Adelis, I think he'd prefer to bowl at teams like West Indies because they are smack or I don't think they'll rotate very well. And when Nepal played him, I thought, brilliantly well. The singles, twos and a reverse sweep four and then when they needed to take a risk. And then I think, having spoken to Rash, I think then he went a little bit searching for wickets.

22:34And when you go searching for wickets, then you kind of bowl a bit, I don't know, fuller or whatever it is or shorter. But I thought actually Napal played him really well, really, really well. And they're used to that type of, those type of wickets where there was a bit of spin, a bit of slow spin. And one of the players just twice turned around him for two seconds. And also Rash probably doesn't know a lot of the players. So he wouldn't have known what the strengths are, etc. at the start. But I think he's in a good, I think that actually the ball's coming out really well at his hand still. And having spoken to him, there was times where he was like actually balled pretty normal.

23:08I just went for a lot of runs. But I think the candy wicket will suit him a lot more.

23:14Nas:It's one thing, Bish said to me the point about he didn't quite know these batters. We were talking in the car to the Wankonee Stadium and Bish, we were talking about the progress of the associate nations. And Bish said how much is it down to sometimes you don't know your position, the surprise factor. And on that occasion I think there was a surprise factor. Can I ask you about Will Jacks? Because he has done very well. That game, if it wasn't for 45 from the last three, and the game against Italy got him over the line. It was a big move to move away from Livingston. Much sought after around the world.

23:46Nas:You played a bit with him. Liam Livingston, the finisher. Will Jax, the finisher. It was a big move to do that. Firstly, would you have done that? And do you think Will Jax is a good cricketer? I think Will Jax definitely is a good cricketer and is good enough to play. I just think Livy has more experience there. and Livy has the power against, I think, better bowlers, like the more, better bowling attacks. And he's so used to playing that. And the difference is that he's just so used to playing at that role. I don't think Jaxi, obviously, has played so much there. But I think with Will, he's done brilliantly well so far.

24:25It would be great if he can do it against Sri Lanka tomorrow. It would be amazing because I think then he'll get a lot more confidence. and a lot more people feel like, okay, now I feel like I belong in this role because it's a very difficult role. When you're batting seven and you've got to come in and you're kind of dictated by the pace of the game. It could be five down and you've got to play properly or you've got to come in and smack it from ball one. Did you do that role for England? I'd finish your role. I did it. Not very well. But I find it really difficult. It's tricky, isn't it?

24:54Nas:You lose rhythm of batting. You may only bat ten balls. And you don't know what to practice a lot of the time. So you don't know if to go in and try and smack it from ball one, which I didn't like practicing that way. But at the same time, you don't want to also do this and not be... You have to have done your hitting because you might go in and got to hit it from ball one. So it is difficult, but I think he'll grow into the role. And having spoken to him a little bit today, I think he's pretty happy with that role now.

25:18Ath:And Geoffrey, what have you made? I'm trying to think of the kind of key players that haven't... If you look at England's team and you'd say, who are the most dangerous players? You've got Salton Butler there. You've got kind of Brook at five. I think he should be higher, actually, myself. I totally agree, yeah. And Joffre and Adil, they're kind of your spine of the team, really, your bankers. And Joffre's been a bit in and out as well, hasn't he? My thing on Joffre is with somebody who's got so much skill, so many variations, but I think you don't have to use them all the time. And I think against, when he was bowling at Nepal, when I was watching, I felt like he was bowling so many slow balls.

25:57and as a low-order batter or somebody who comes in in the middle, what I want from facing Joff, I want him to bowl slow balls. The last thing I want him to bowl fast through this area and maybe have mid-on or mid-off up and be like, I've got to take the risk to take him down straight. So that's how I would be a bit more with Joff. I actually feel like he's bowling too many variations. The thing is he's got all the variations and he's still, I think, one of the leading wicket-takers. So but he also has it in him to take those wickets when you really need a I've all the England bowlers seem especially he's he's him and Russia the two guys where we need them to obviously take the wickets

26:37Nas:I think the problem in our job and you know We'll do build-ups and reaction is you have to comment every day so one game becomes a massive event So after one game So T20 is just random is that it's not like you're you can really drill down on a player's form if he's well yeah you go two games and then is this a problem yeah it's like it's just two games of cricket you know same with butler and salt or whatever you have to react every day so the story then becomes oh he's out of nick and he's struggling trust butler could rock up tomorrow and smash 100 we know that phil salt's got four t20 international hundreds so the problem with reacting every day is you have to be up or down they're very good cricketers problem Two sides of the argument with England is that in world events in the group.

27:21Nas:They've just played they beat everyone bar the West Indies And if you look at recent world events, they've not be in many major in 50 overs or t20 But actually their form going into this tournament in t20 cricket I think now they've won something like 13 of their last 14 games So your point originally to know that they are one of the pre-tournament favorites was backed on their form but recently in major events they've not beaten any of the top nations and that's why tomorrow is such a massive game. They start well. All the good memories of playing in Sri Lanka before this tournament. I think they will kick on from there.

27:59Ath:You nodded in agreement when I said I think Brooks should be further up the order. How would you, if you were kind of pinning the team to the dressing room wall tomorrow as coach, how would you shape it? I would just and Salty obviously open batting three I would go with Bethel still but four would have to be broke for me Brookie the earlier he can come in um the better for the side and then the rest of the guys. Knighty's talked about having Banton as a little bit of a floater that if you lost a couple early in the first yeah over say you could I think if you're two down early then maybe but can go in but if you're two down after nine overs or eight of us brookie has to go in and that's where the game is probably out at the minute um i just don't like when he's played 15 balls got 37 and there's the time's almost done for him and i'd rather still him face 40 balls in a game um because what he can do in after 20 balls not many people can do that after but yeah i would like Brookie up the order a little bit more.

29:04Ath:And obviously England have had plenty of prep here. They played the three games against Sri Lanka were here, weren't they, at Pala Kelly?

29:10Nas:I think we have to be fair. For all the criticism, when we were out in Australia and for their preparation for the Ashes, they got nailed.

29:17Ath:They've got the prep right for this.

29:19Nas:I think they've got the prep right. I mean, you know, they're going to be based here for Super 8s. They've got all three games here. They came here, won a 50-over series, won a T20 series, played really good cricket. So I think they've got it absolutely spot on the prep and they'll be challenged in these three games. I don't know how you feel, you've said it before a ball went down actually, that this Super 8 group looks the easier group and that's the way it's panned out is that everyone that won their group has gone into the other one and everyone that came second Well I think England have been blessed

29:47Ath:with the draw. First of all their group with Bangladesh missing became a I mean they didn't make it look an easy group but it was one of the easier groups and now as you say all the teams that have ended up as runners up in their groups are here so that's england sri lanka pakistan new zealand yeah yeah yeah but i also feel sorry um new zealand and pakistan might be better in these conditions or not but i i for in world cups for england over the last since when i played against them they were all the two teams that used to always give us the toughest games or just a bit niggly for us all the time, especially Pakistan and obviously New Zealand.

30:33So I hope it's not in the back of the minds of some of the players who played against them and thinking, okay, Pakistan, because they have a good side. They're actually very good sides still. I think they've got, I know India beat them badly, but I think they're a terrific side.

30:45Nas:A few injuries that make it better for England as well. Well, for Sri Lanka, yeah. The Linga's gone before the tournament. Asaranga, Patarana, and then Bracewell's gone in these conditions. Bracewell is a very good cricketer anyway, so New Zealand might miss that spin option. They're a very good side, New Zealand. What would you do then? You said, oh, he's coach of what's the team sheet. What would you do to stop what's happened with the group things? And would you, in the old days, we used to take points through.

31:10Ath:Yeah, you like carrying points through, don't you?

31:13Nas:Every game is important. Every game matters. So losing to the West Indies should matter. So those sides that have gone unbeaten and played better cricket should go into Super 8s with a slight advantage. I can't see why, I don't know why they've taken that away, apart from maybe that Pakistan had to be based here, which means then they had to have seedings. I don't know. What would you have done?

31:33Ath:It's not a strength of mine, I have to say. You're thinking about, you know, groups and qualifications and how to organise tournaments, so I might just pass on that, Bob. Yeah, thanks, sir. Except all I know is that the other group looks stronger. India, South Africa, Zimbabwe have been the surprise package, really. West Indies. And West Indies, who played pretty well. I mean, India, obviously, the general favoured team. I mean, before the tournament began, your...

32:03Nas:I knew this was coming.

32:05Ath:Your leading run scorer was Abhishek Sharma.

32:09Nas:He needs one more duck for the Audi, doesn't he? And then he could go Olympic rings if he gets... He's got six noughts, no, five noughts. He's good when he gets past nought. Great, thanks. Leading run getter I had him as. By the way, when you abused me on the last pod, when I said Sri Lanka will be better than they normally are, and they are better.

32:29Ath:And Nisanka a real game. But if you were tackling India, now there's quite a lot of talk about, I did the last game that they, well, we both did the last game that they played against Netherlands. And Netherlands shifted their team. They put an extra batter in because, I was speaking to one of their lads, you know, on the boundary edge before the game, and he said, well, we've got three lads who can bowl off-spin and India have got six or seven left-handers. Is that a potential weakness that teams can exploit or not? I mean, they're very good left-handers, aren't they? They are. And I think you've got to be careful because having just part-time off-spinners against good quality left-handers can still be a problem.

33:14Some left-handers do enjoy it. They don't mind a part-time off-spin. It's like you still got to bowl well as an off spinner or a finger spinner against them. But I do feel it's a tough one because it depends who you're bowling at. Because if Surya stays in, you just can't bowl off spinner a lot of time. As long as you're taking a wick to the other side, then potentially you can. But like I said, there's so many left-handers that you do need those off-spiners against them. And, sorry to interrupt, and six-hitting left-handers.

33:43Ath:I think they hit 46s, haven't they? They're the leading six-hitting team at the moment.

33:47Nas:I know, you know, there's this period of play that, what do they call it? Consolidation. I don't think there is anything. I think that's gone. I think the side that hits the most sixes and the ones with wicket-taking bowlers, and we focus in on their batting line-up, but they have Bumrah, they have Chakravarti, and Kuldeep could play if they can balance their side. But you need wicket-taking. It's the only way with the modern game, the only way of stopping the run rate, is by getting wickets. There is no join the dots and build pressure, because people are just trying to belt you out of the ground.

34:16Ath:And South Africa looks strong to me. They do, yeah. I think South Africa's batting in particular is really strong. They've been playing good for years now. They're one of the better sides, obviously. And that sort of tag of... I mean, they still, I think, they need to win a trophy. But that sort of tag of being chokers is coming off a bit now. I mean, they won the World Test Championship. It's not quite the same as a knockout tournament, is it? It's not the same. But it's like people don't talk about it as much anymore because I think they've just so much of a threat now. And they've all played IPL a lot of the time and they've played this SA T20.

34:54Have you played in the SA? Yeah, I played two years for Johannesburg. It was really good.

34:59Ath:I haven't been to it, but everybody says it's a fantastic tournament and seems to have had a galvanising effect on that. You can see the players that are coming through, like Bretzky and these guys who were playing two, three, they're really, really good players. a lot of their players actually can't even get in their squad at the minute and they're brilliant players and very dangerous big hitters, there's so much talent in South Africa as there always has been, but I think with their franchise league has just gone through the roof a little bit for them but they look a good side, I just worry a little bit for them is the spin department actually, they've got two left arm spinners and I always feel like you need one you always kind of need a wrist spinner or a mystery spinner yeah in your side doesn't guarantee you're gonna win but it's just always nice to have it was an extraordinary gamble to go with maharaj in that second super over against that guy unbelievable yeah i mean a it was a great game yeah we saw trotty actually in the reception in colombo yesterday he's just finished his stint with afghanistan but he looked like he was having about seven heart attacks yeah two super overs but needing 24 i thought it was an extraordinary gamble to go with Maharaj and of course it paid off in the end but there was a moment when you thought probably shouldn't have lost in the end I think if Gurbares had gone in straight away yes

36:14Nas:there were some interesting decisions in those super super owners weren't there so but it was a it was a great great game amazing amazing game um so we're here we've got uh two games in Pala

36:25Ath:Kelly and then one in Colombo and we'll wait and see whether England get through do you fancy their chances they're going to have to win two of these three games, aren't they?

36:35Nas:I do, it's not in a biased view, I think they've not played their best cricket, but I think the depth to their batting line-up does mean they go hard, I think for them to get through, Joss has to come to the fore, he's England's greatest ever white ball player, for them to win this tournament I think Joss needs to put on a performance and I don't think it's far away

36:57Ath:Is he a worrier? You know Joss really well. He sometimes comes over as somebody who carries a bit of a burden. On TV he looks worried. He's, I think that what would be worrying him is the fact that he might be feeling he's letting the team down. But also he's not being, he's not real being true to the way he plays. Like I had a good chat with him over the last couple of days and I was trying to say to him that when you're at your best you only play the situation well. So if you need 160 to win, you make sure you're not out. Most of the time, that's how he goes out. He goes, I'm going to win the game.

37:32He prides himself on that. If we need to chase 200 plus, then he'll do the same. So he just, I think he needs to go back to that a little bit more and not worry about, you know, Abhishek Sharma going from ball one and he needs to go from ball one and the game's changing.

37:44Ath:Salt gives him a bit of, because Salt is such a rapid starter. He actually gives him a little bit of leeway, doesn't he, just to start more. And with Jost, over the past, if you look at his innings, a lot of the time, yes, he he gets off to a decent start, he never flies. And then he has two overs where he's just gone 20 and a 30 and then all of a sudden he's striking at 150. And he was just, I think when he was trying to, he was doing most of the talk and he was just talking about, and he was just reminding himself that that's why he does really well. He's normally, I don't know, 20 or 15, and then he goes 6-6 and then all of a sudden he strikes where it probably should be.

38:19But I would love to see him just play the situation more and take the sort of worry off his shoulders a bit more about his own game and how he's looking or how he's not striking them all well. Just play the situation, because I think he's that type of player. He doesn't always look pretty, but his cover drive, that doesn't look great, but he's gone so quick to the boundary. His strength and his timing is unbelievable. So tomorrow, if Butler doesn't get any,

38:46Nas:Mo will be there at the end. If Butler gets some, Mo will be there at the end. I told you. We had a good chance.

38:53Ath:So you're with us for the next three games, aren't you? Great, looking forward to that. Looking forward to it, yeah. To your insight and expertise. And that game is tomorrow, 3pm local time, big game, England against Sri Lanka. And we'll be podding at the end of this stage, maybe. Yeah. See how the semi-final shape up.