Kandy (Sri Lanka), February 23 – England left-arm spinner Liam Dawson said that the two-time champions will not be distracted by the hype surrounding Pakistan's mystery spinner Usman Tariq ahead of Tuesday's crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights match, adding that the visitors are prepared for the full range of their opposition's spin attack.
England secured a 51-run victory over co-host 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. However, concerns remain about England's top-order vulnerability to spin, with four of their top five batsmen falling to Sri Lankan spinners in Sunday's match – 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 seen mimicking Tariq's unorthodox action in practice. However, Dawson, a seasoned campaigner in limited-overs cricket, said that the focus must remain broader than one individual.
"It's not just about Tariq. They're a very good team with some dangerous players, and Tariq is obviously a very good bowler. But we're not just going to focus on him. We'll look at the whole team and see how we can neutralize them," Dawson told reporters on the eve of the match.
Dawson, along with Will Jacks and Adil Rashid, shared seven wickets between themselves as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 95 in response to England's 146/9. He added that the variety in England's spin bowling lineup has been key to their success so far.
"We're all very different types of spinners. Jacksy gets a lot of overspin and bounce. Dilly (Rashid) has all his variations. Me – I don't get as much bounce as the other two. It will be a different challenge on Tuesday night. We might get a better batting pitch. We'll have to see."
"Out of the three or four of us, I'm probably the more defensive spinner in this, and I know that's my role, and I'm just trying to be consistent for the captain. Adil can use all his tricks, and he comes on to take wickets and help us win games or put us ahead.
"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 has a little less experience. But there's a lot of trust in the guys that go out there and try to execute what we want to do," he added.
