Cricket is awash with global T20 tournaments at the moment and England has representation across the world, particularly at the ILT20 and the SA20. A few months on from England’s T20 World Cup victory, we pick an XI of the best English players performing at those tournaments currently.
1. Alex Hales
ILT20: 5 innings, 418 runs @ 139.33, SR 161.38, HS 110
BBL: 9 innings, 245 @ 30.62, SR 141.61, HS 77
Hales has been one of the busier Englishman since the T20 World Cup, playing nine matches in the Big Bash before moving across to the UAE to play in the ILT20 where he has played five games thus far. His performances in Australia for Sydney Thunder were decent, but it is his work for Desert Vipers that really set him apart though. He is the competition’s top scorer thus far with almost 200 runs more than the second-placed player in just five innings. He has scored at least a fifty every time he has batted, notching 110 off 59 balls in his third appearance. He would have gone back-to-back were he not caught on the boundary attempting a six while on 99.
2. Will Jacks
SA20: 7 innings, 270 @ 38.57, SR 201.49, HS 92
Jacks has dominated the SA20, and is kicking the door down for regular England selection. Were it not for Faf du Plessis’s remarkable century, Jacks would be the second highest run-getter in the competition after Jos Buttler. He has 19 sixes thus far in the tournament, six more than the next man. He is too destructive to ignore.
3. James Vince (c)
ILT20: 5 innings, 229 @ 57.25, SR 150.65, HS 83*
BBL: 9 innings, 263 @ 37.57, SR 128.92, HS 92*
Like Hales, Vince has split his time between the BBL and the ILT20, performing brilliantly in both. He is also a captaincy candidate in this XI for his experience as a leader in this format.
4. Joe Root
ILT20: 5 innings, 214 @ 53.50, SR 134.59, HS 82
You weren’t expecting that, were you? Root proved back in the 2016 T20 World Cup that he can prosper in this format, but has been shunned by T20 world ever since, with a just a sole stint at Sydney Thunder in 2019 while never going sold in the IPL auction – until this year. His short stint in the ILT20 has potentially shown franchises what they’re missing out on though, with Root edging out, and scoring quicker than Buttler.
5. Tom Kohler-Cadmore
ILT20: 5 innings, 213 @ 53.25, SR 167.71, HS 106*
Another English star at the ILT20, and the only other centurion than Hales. His 106* off 47 balls chasing 178 was an outstanding knock, with his highest-scoring teammate only reaching 29. It was almost disappointing that Dubai Capitals hadn’t scored more as Kohler-Cadmore’s innings was over after 14.4 overs, and it would have been a spectacle to see just how many he could have gone on to score.
6. Phil Salt (wk)
SA20: 5 innings, 159 @ 53, SR 167.36, HS 77*
It’s a shame that Salt has been unable to play in all of Pretoria Capitals’ games, but perhaps it would have been too unfair to have him and Jacks in the same line-up in the form they both currently possess. Salt wasted no time in getting stuck into the inaugural SA20, scoring a match-defining 77 not out off 47 balls in the Capitals’ opener. He also played a hand in four dismissals from behind the stumps.
7. Rehan Ahmed
ILT20: 5 matches, 6 wickets @ 24.50, 8.16 econ, BBI 3-28; 48 runs @ 9.60, SR 83.63, HS 28
The batting line-up is so strong, that we’ve gone with two all-rounders, with Rehan Ahmed as the spinning option. The 18-year-old’s batting has been found wanting, but much like his Test selection, his exciting potential gets him in the side. He has been much better with the ball, including a delicious googly to see off Root.
8. Chris Woakes
ILT20: 7 wickets @ 16.71, 7.31 econ, BBI 2-11; 66 runs @ 33.00, SR 173.68, HS 62
One of the standout bowlers of the ILT20, and very useful with the bat when his team needed it. His seven wickets at an average of 16.71 is among the best in the tournament, and he has reached that figure in one game fewer than his competitors to be highest-wicket taker. His economy would be far lower too were it not for a blip against a rampant Alex Hales. His 62 off 29 against MI Emirates may have been in a losing effort, but it got his side to a respectable score and we know how important net run rate can be in these tournaments.
9. Jofra Archer
SA20: 5 matches, 8 wickets @ 18.00, 7.57 econ, BBI 3-27
It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to watch Archer’s majestic bowling and it has been worth the wait. In an attack which features Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran and Rashid Khan, Archer could have been drowned out on his return. Instead, he has played as if he had never been injured. In his five matches, he has looked back to his best, terrifying batters with his silky smooth action and rocket deliveries.
10. Adil Rashid
SA20: 7 matches, 9 wickets @ 25.44, 8.58 econ, BBI 2-25
Another often overlooked by T20 franchises around the world, Rashid has been excellent for Pretoria Capitals. He was always going to be targeted by opposition batters as a spin bowler, but he hasn’t let it deter him. He has played in every game and has taken wickets in all but one of those.
11. Richard Gleeson
ILT20: 5 matches, 6 wickets @ 17.83, 5.63 econ, BBI 2-14
If opposition batters are targeting Rehan and Rashid, Richard Gleeson will be on hand to keep the run rate down for his four overs. His value is not just in six wickets at a respectable average, but the consistency of his economic bowling. He has bowled 19 overs in his five matches and has a remarkable economy of 5.63. At 35, he has less cricket ahead of him than in his past, but his value in the format is stronger than ever.
