"Haven't played our best cricket, though we're heading to Sri Lanka happy about that": Harry Brook after England qualifies for T20 WC super 8
Kolkata, February 16
England captain Harry Brook expressed satisfaction after his side qualified for the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup after beating Italy by 24 runs in Kolkata on Monday.
Brook said they're happy to have qualified despite not playing their best cricket. He noted their batting hasn't clicked consistently, calling T20 a "fickle game" where fortunes swing fast. Brook urged the team to stay brave and keep taking their chances.
The Harry Brook-led England opted to bat first after winning the toss and set a big target of 203 runs for the fellow European side. Then they successfully defended the target and won the match.
"We haven't played our best cricket, but at the end of the day, we've made it through, and we're heading to Sri Lanka, so we can be happy about that. It's been a little bit of a trend so far in this competition. We haven't managed to string together the scores that we'd like to do as a batting unit, but that's part of T20 cricket. It's a fickle game. One day you can smack a hundred, and the next day you can get out first ball. We've just got to keep on being brave and taking our options on," Brook said after the match.
Will Jacks made an unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls, which helped England cross the 200-run mark. With the ball, Jacks also scalped a wicket, which helped him earn the Player of the Match award.
Speaking after winning the POTM award, Jacks said, "We spoke about the last few games, keeping our intent up. I think we've been a little bit static at times, and we understood it was a very good surface, and we know this is incredibly fast scoring ground. So you never know, batting first, what is enough. So that was the intent the whole way through. (first 50 in T20Is) Yeah, it feels like that's been a long time coming. There have been a few role changes in there and taken a while. So it's nice to get that one. I feel like I'm settling into my role down the order quite nicely now."
Italy will play their last group-stage match against the West Indies on Thursday at the same venue, while England have played all its group-stage matches.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Will Jacks was brilliant! That innings was pure entertainment. But Brook is right, T20 is so unpredictable. One day you're a hero, the next you're out for a duck. That's what makes this format so thrilling to watch.
Qualifying without playing your best is a double-edged sword. It gives you confidence but also hides flaws. Hope the Indian team is watching and preparing accordingly for when we face them. Our bowling attack can exploit this inconsistency.
Respect to Brook for being honest. Many captains would just give generic "we played well" answers. Acknowledging problems is the first step to fixing them. The real test begins now in Sri Lanka!
As a neutral fan, I just love the World Cup atmosphere. Kolkata is an amazing venue. Hope the pitches in Sri Lanka are just as good for batting. We want to see more fireworks like Jacks provided!
They beat Italy... let's not get too carried away. The real teams are waiting. Our Indian team is looking solid. England will need more than just bravery to go all the way. Jai Hind! 🙏
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