If it is attainable to move to St Lucia with a tinge of disappointment (and it in all probability is not), then maybe that’s how England quick bowler Saqib Mahmood is feeling.
It is not that he has something towards the Caribbean island he’s now on, and the place England play their remaining three T20s towards West Indies. It is simply that he has beloved the one he has arrived from.
Barbados is the place the Lancashire fast made his Check debut in 2022 – a powerful one at that with 4 wickets within the recreation – and in addition the place he starred within the first two T20s final weekend.
Whereas Phil Salt’s 103 within the collection opener and the fit-again Jos Buttler’s 83 a day later secured England victories, each of these wins have been arrange by Mahmood’s powerplay bowling.
On Saturday, he lowered West Indies to 18-3 inside 4 overs by dismissing Brandon King (caught cowl), Evin Lewis (caught within the deep) and Shimron Hetmyer (caught behind).
Then on Sunday, he ensured the hosts plummeted to 35-3 inside 4 overs as King spooned him to Liam Livingstone at mid-off and Roston Chase was pinned lbw by an in-swinger.
That success is reward for heading to the Caribbean early and dealing with the Barbados-born Chris Jordan, England’s main pace-bowling wicket-taker in T20 internationals however one they now appear to have moved on from.
Mahmood’s spells with the brand new ball have been tone-setting, albeit he was a bit wild and large in recreation two as he struggled to manage the lavish motion a juicy Bridgetown pitch provided up.
Nonetheless, the 27-year-old shouldn’t be pigeonholed as purely a new-ball menace as his fourth and remaining over within the first T20, the nineteenth of the innings, solely went for 4 runs – three singles and a large.
He expertly blended up his tempo, line and size and dismissed the damaging Gudakesh Motie from a large slower ball, securing career-best T20 worldwide figures of 4-34.
‘Purple ball is certainly nonetheless on my agenda’
There was chat earlier than this tour about what the purpose of it was, in that it’s sandwiched between England Check journeys to Pakistan and New Zealand and that a variety of regulars aren’t right here.
Nevertheless it has given fringe gamers the possibility to impress incoming white-ball coach Brendon McCullum – the New Zealander provides the limited-overs function to his Check job in January – and Mahmood has absolutely performed that.
It is not simply short-form cricket that Mahmood desires to play, although,
I wish to be strolling off the sector each time I play understanding that I am doing what I wish to do with the ball. At occasions prior to now for England, particularly earlier than my accidents, generally I might stroll off the sector and I might be like ‘I did not actually wish to be doing that’. I feel that is one thing which I’ve modified. It helps as you become older.
The quick bowler inked a brand new white-ball-only take care of Lancashire in October after recovering from two critical stress fractures of the again within the earlier two years.
He burdened after signing that contract, and once more since, that he nonetheless harbours ambitions of enjoying red-ball cricket for membership and nation. There are “options” inside his Lancashire deal to characteristic within the County Championship.
Talking earlier this week, Mahmood informed the media: “There was a time this year where I said to the guys I didn’t really want to play any red-ball cricket because I was nervous about my body.
“What this contract permits me to do is, if my physique is not as much as enjoying purple ball, then I do not really feel dangerous for not enjoying. However purple ball is certainly nonetheless on my agenda. I nonetheless wish to play purple ball.”
Reece Topley injured his knee within the first T20 in Barbados
Topley fined for chucking chair after damage setback
Mahmood’s fellow England seamer Reece Topley has been fined 15 per cent of his match charge and handed one demerit level for throwing a chair towards a staircase handrail after leaving the sector injured within the first T20 worldwide versus West Indies.
Topley – whose profession has been blighted by damage, together with a stress fracture of the again – fell over whereas bowling earlier than a rain break at Kensington Oval and jarred his proper knee.
The left-armer tried to proceed his spell as soon as play resumed however left the sector after one additional supply, which was hit for six, and performed no additional half within the recreation.
Topley additionally sat out the second match of the collection and would seem unlikely to be risked for the remaining three video games, regardless of bowling in observe in St Lucia on Tuesday.
West Indies bowler Alzarri Joseph was banned for the primary two T20s, having stormed off the sector within the remaining one-day worldwide after being angered by captain Shai Hope’s subject settings.
Alzarri Joseph is again within the West Indies squad after serving a two-game ban
Joseph is again within the squad for the ultimate three T20s, changing namesake and fellow fast Shamar, however all-rounder Andre Russell (ankle) has been dominated out, with Shamar Springer, who performed two video games in Sri Lanka in October, coming into the group.
West Indies squad: Rovman Powell (captain), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Terrance Hinds, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer
England squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Michael Pepper, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner
