16-1 England likely to be sent spinning

SPORTS BETTING:

THE qualifying rounds of the ICC World Twenty20 are already underway.

But the real action from an England perspective begins on Saturday, when our boys take on New Zealand in their first group match.

England’s fall from a position of some strength on the cricketing world stage has been as swift as it has been unexpected.

It is not that long ago that the team won the T20 World Cup, while an Ashes victory last summer, preceded by a narrow defeat in the ICC Trophy final at least suggested we were doing more things right than wrong.

But a winter obliteration at the hands of Australia, along with some dodgy displays against a below-strength West Indies side in the Caribbean, suggest England have it all to do over the next fortnight.

The complexities of spin bowling seem just too much for our batsmen to handle and I can’t see much changing in the T20 form of the game. Bangladesh stages this tournament and slow, turning pitches will be standard.

Expect England to go with at least three spin options, headed by the underrated James Tredwell, but whoever we select will not install fear into the heart of batsmen in the way that Sunil Narine did to our batsmen in Antigua and Barbados.

India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will have plenty of mystery spinners, while their own players are wristy performers who can keep the scoreboard ticking over.

I can’t see England getting out of the group stages and the bookies, who make them 16-1 to win the whole shebang, agree.

Australia head the win market at 100-30, given their awesome fire power, but will their big hitters be able to cope with a barrage of spin bowlers? There is enough doubt to suggest not, so I will go with the mercurial Pakistanis at 7-1, and reigning champions West Indies at 8s.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Pakistan, 7-1 (general), West Indies, 8-1 (Ladbrokes).