India take on England in the second semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday. Ahead of the clash, former England opener Paul Collingwood was full of praise for India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, going as far as to call him the best cricketer in the world.
Collingwood also said that there is an opportunity for England in the semi-final if they go on the attack and put Bumrah under pressure early on. However, the veteran England skipper explained that such an approach is fraught with risk because of Bumrah's sheer skill.
In reply to an ANI question on Star Sports Press Room, Collingwood said, "I think if you had a piece of paper and had to pick a cricket team, in any form of the game, Jasprit Bumrah would be the first name going on that list right at the top. It is as simple as that. He is the best cricketer in the world at this moment. The skill level, the pace, and the deception that he has in T20 cricket are incredible."
However, Collingwood said that England is playing an aggressive brand of cricket, and if they manage to attack Jasprit, it will have a huge effect on the game. He also advised England not to take a conservative approach and focus on just seeing off Bumrah safely.
“You saw Travis Head get after Bumrah a couple of times, in the Australia match. And the impact it has if the opposition takes down your spearhead could dishearten the Indian cricket team. So that is an approach that England may take, but it is a risky one because we know how skillful and how many wickets Bumrah can take,” Collingwood added.
In the six matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Bumrah has taken 11 wickets at an average of 8.54 and an economy rate of just over 4. The veteran pacer's best figures were 3 wickets for 7 runs against Afghanistan.
