Pacer Chris Jordan is set to feature in England’s semifinal against India at the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, as there are doubts over Mark Wood‘s fitness. Wood has been incredible for England in the shorter format since his return after an injury during the series against Pakistan. Consistently clocking 145 kmph or more, the bowler has taken nine wickets in the tournament so far, with an economy rate of 7.71. But Wood has hardly bowled during the training sessions at Adelaide Oval this week due to an injury which has been described by the English camp as muscle stiffness. As per ESPNCricinfo, he is unlikely to feature against Men in Blue.
But Jordan on the other hand has barely managed to get game time, having played only one competitive game against Australia last month since recovering from a finger injury. He went wicketless in the match.
Jordan’s experience will provide skipper Jos Buttler an option at death overs alongside Sam Curran. He is also one of England’s best fielders.
Phil Salt could also feature in the tournament for the first time ever, with left-hand batter Dawid Malan struggling to overcome the groin strain sustained against Sri Lanka in their final group stage match. He could bat at number three, but it is also possible that he slides down the order given how flexible England has been in the tournament with its batting line-up.
Another alternative option for Malan could be David Wlley, who can bat down the order. Ben Stokes can be promoted to number three. This would mean England fielding a time with eight bowling options, including five seamers. Willey’s left-arm swing with the new ball can be potent against India’s opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma.
Buttler said that Wood and Malan would be given “as long as possible” to prove their fitness. “We will see how they pull up,” he said. “Dawid left the field the other day with a small niggle and Woody has had a little bit of stiffness, but we trust the medical team. We trust those two guys as well and we will give them as long as possible.”
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“You need guys to be fit to participate in the game. In all sport, you have players that do not always play at 100 per cent, but you have to be able to fulfill your role in the team. We have 15 guys preparing to play and there is been some really tough selections throughout the whole tournament. We have got some fantastic players who have not yet played in the tournament and they are all desperate to make their mark if given a chance,” he added.
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