England's ICC World Twenty20 gets underway against the hosts West Indies tomorrow, and there is the usual hope and anticipation that with a fresh squad England might just, just be able to do something. Doubt it though.
Paul Collingwood (c)
Captain Paul Collingwood is definitely a useful player to have in a T20 side. He isn't the most explosive or highest scorer, but he can add vital runs to a score. His medium-pacers can also come in handy and his fielding ability is second to none.
James Anderson
After being rested during the Bangladesh tour, Anderson will be back and raring to go. He is the man leading the England attack in the West Indies and will be hoping to pick up where he left off after bowling well at the last World T20.
Ravi Bopara
Bopara has had on-off form since he emerged in England colours for the first time, but we are all hoping that this is finally the competition in which he proves his worth and sticks around for good. Bopara is one of the few England players who have had the advantage of playing in the IPL this year, so he has had plenty of time to acclimatise to this form of the game. This seems to have paid off too - he hit 62 off 49 balls in England's warm-up win against Bangladesh.
Tim Bresnan
The big Tim Bresnan could be more important than expected, as the medium fast bowler has an uncanny ability to bat well too, having recently been shifted up to No. 3 in the Yorkshire County Championship side, responding with a 70.
Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad has had bad experiences in World Twenty20 competition, having been smacked for six sixes by Yuvraj Singh in the inauguaral tournament, and overthrowing a ball he didn't need to against the Netherlands in 2009, with disastrous consequences. Despite this he has an impressive T20 economy rate and will be a key player for England.
Craig Kieswetter (wk)
One of our adopted South Africans, wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter will be batting at the top of the order leaving England with plenty of options lower down the order. He has proved that he can bat well in domestic T20 competition and being a naturally aggressive player gives him the advantage in this format of the game.
Michael Lumb
A batsman likely to join Kieswetter at the top of the order, Michael Lumb is a T20 specialist who can certainly hit the ball a long way, so much so he was a surprise selection for the IPL side Rajasthan Royals, something which bodes well for the World T20 competition.
Eoin Morgan
Irishman Eoin Morgan has an innovative approach to batting, having proved numerous times that he really can hit the ball all over the park, something which saw him being selected for the Bangalore Royal Challengers IPL side. He is in good form too having hit 63 in the warm-up game against South Africa. Importantly, Morgan is a 'finisher', something England have been lacking in recent years.
Kevin Pietersen
It is fair to say Kevin Pietersen hasn't had the most successful past year, but he put in some storming performances in the IPL and only Brendon McCullum has scored more runs in internationals. He was England's top run scorer in previous World T20s, and would be sorely missed should he have to rush home to the birth of his child during the tournament.
Ajmal Shahzad
The selection of the first British-born Asian to play for Yorkshire Ajmal Shahzad certainly raised some eyebrows! The medium-fast bowler is useful in T20s and is a handy late order batsman and it will be interesting to see how he performs on the international stage.
Ryan Sidebottom
Ryan Sidebottom is definitely one of the most recognisable figures in international cricket, and has one of the best T20I economy rates around. Sidebottom's recent form has given England a headache though - both he, Broad and Bresnan are all vying for that other fast bowler slot alongside James Anderson and it shall be interesting to see who is selected.
Graeme Swann
The joker of the England pack Graeme Swann is another incredibly useful T20 player. He has a great economy rate and he can add some useful runs to the total as well. He should enjoy bowling on the slow, West Indies pitches.
James Tredwell
James Tredwell is another surprise selection. I must admit I fail to see what Tredwell has done to warrant selection over the likes of Adil Rashid, and I think he will struggle to get into the starting eleven.
Luke Wright
I am a big Luke Wright fan - he is a versatile all-rounder, giving England more selection options. He has starred in T20Is for England with the bat, scoring 71 with some big hitting power. His medium pace deliveries are quite handy too.
Michael Yardy
Michael Yardy has been in excellent form in the warm up matches, and the former medium-pacer has never looked back since switching to left-arm spin. He is a mighty fine batsman too with an Andrew Strauss-esque style and it will be fascinating to see how he performs on the world stage.
