T20 World Cup Super Eights: England left-arm spinner Liam Dawson said the two-time champions will not be distracted by the hype surrounding Pakistan's mystery spinner Usman Tariq ahead of Tuesday's crunch T20 World Cup Super Eights clash, adding that the visitors are prepared for the full range of their opposition’s spin arsenal.
England secured a 51-run victory over co-hosts Sri Lanka, and a win over Pakistan would guarantee them a top-two finish in their Super Eights group and a place in the semifinals. But concerns linger over England's top-order vulnerability to spin, with four of their top five falling to Sri Lankan spinners in Sunday’s clash - a worrying sign ahead of a Pakistan side that boasts Tariq, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha and Mohammad Nawaz.
Tariq has been the tournament's most talked-about spinner, especially due to the exaggerated pause he takes before releasing his off-breaks. England captain Harry Brook has even been spotted mimicking Tariq's unorthodox action in the nets. But Dawson, a seasoned campaigner in limited-overs cricket, said the focus must remain broader than one man.
“It’s not all about Tariq. They’re a very good team with some dangerous players, and Tariq’s obviously a very good bowler. But we’re not going to just look at him. We’ll look at the whole team and see how we can nullify them,” Dawson told reporters on the eve of the clash.
Dawson, along with Will Jacks and Adil Rashid, shared seven wickets between themselves as Sri Lanka were bundled out for 95 in response to England’s 146/9. He added that variety in England’s spin bowling line-up has been key to their success so far.
"We're all very different types of spinners. Jacksy gets a lot of overspin and a lot of bounce. Dilly (Rashid) has all his variations. Me - I sort of don't get the bounce that the other two get. It will be a different challenge on Tuesday night. We might get a better batting wicket. We'll have to see."
Dawson, along with Will Jacks and Adil Rashid, shared seven wickets between themselves as Sri Lanka were bundled out for 95 in response to England’s 146/9. He added that variety in England’s spin bowling line-up has been key to their success so far.
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“We’re all very experienced. If you look at the amount of cricket that me and Adil have played, even Jacks as well, it’s probably only with Beth that’s probably got a little bit less experience. But there’s a lot of trust in the guys that go out there and try to execute what you want to try and do,” he added.