England have one of the best batting line-ups in white-ball cricket at the moment, starting from the very top, continuing to the middle-order and right till the very end.
The Twenty20 World Cup final at Melbourne Cricket Ground will be a fascinating contest between aggressive batting and genuine fast bowling as England's opponents Pakistan have a world-class pace bowling attack.
England thrashed India, one of the tournament favorites, in the semi-final and chased down 169-run target at Adelaide Oval with all wickets intact and four overs to spare.
England's aggressive batting against Pakistan's attacking bowling is one of the showpieces of the final, and the Three Lions camp is fully aware of the opposition's strength, that is pace bowling.
“Obviously Pakistan are a fantastic team. I think they have a very long history of producing excellent fast bowlers, and I see the team that we're up against as no different. I'm sure by the end of their careers, some of the guys (Pakistan pacers) who we'll play against will go down as some of the best bowlers Pakistan have produced. That's a huge part of why they get to a World Cup final,” said England skipper Jos Buttler during the pre-match press conference at the MCG Saturday.
“We expect a really tough challenge, as mentioned before. They're a team we've seen lots of in the recent past, and we've had some brilliant matches against them, played in a fantastic spirit, and I'm sure (Sunday) will be no different,” he added.
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England's transformation in white-ball cricket has been riveting to watch as they have emerged as a major force in shorter formats over the years, and now they are on the verge of becoming world champions again, after their triumph in 2019.
“Naturally there's huge excitement for the match. Anytime you get a chance to play in a World Cup final is a huge honor. We're really excited as a group. There seems a nice feel around the team,” said Buttler, who alongside opening partner Alex Hales decimated the Indian bowlers.
“The previous performance (World Cup win in 2019) gives us lots of confidence, but it doesn't count for anything. We start a fresh game against a really tough opposition, and anytime you're fighting for a trophy, you know that it's not going to come easy,” he added.
Former captain Eoin Morgan led the charge of transforming English cricket in shorter formats.
Now it is time for Buttler to carry the torch and etch his name in the history books, as England eye their second T20 World Cup title after 2010.
“I think talking about teams and going through different eras, I think it's part of my own sort of journey as a player and as a person to now be at this stage of my career where I'm a captain learning something very new that I haven't done before. It keeps things interesting, learning new experiences and going through that. I certainly feel like I'm improving day by day really getting the job and feeling more comfortable in the role as it goes on,” he concluded.
