By IANS,
Gros Islet (St.Lucia): Desperately looking for their maiden International Cricket Council (ICC) title, England will have their task cut out when they face last year’s finalists Sri Lanka in the Thursday’s World Twenty20 semi-final here.
Paul Collingwood’s team have shown right from the start that they are the tournament favourites and have displayed their exciting cricket in the shortest format of the game over the past two weeks.
They have avoided fellow group winners Australia in the last four, but England all-rounder Tim Bresnan feels that the team is bothered about the what opponents they face.
“If we keep playing the brand of cricket we can play, it doesn’t really matter who we play against. We’ll do our homework before, put our plans in place. We’ll have respect for the opposition but we won’t be scared of anyone,” he said.
Bresnan, who was trusted by Collingwood and coach Andy Flower, with new-ball and death overs bowling has also been a revelation in batting at No.7.
“We’re quite smart as a bowling group and getting smarter all the time. We make the batters hit into the wind, especially when the boundaries are so big (in St Lucia), and that means they’re playing into our hands. That will be a big factor in our gameplan,” he said.
Bresnan feels his initial tasks – alongside fellow Yorkshireman Ryan Sidebottom – can be a little less precarious than those that follow.
“I think the first over is almost easier than bowling the third or fourth. If you bowl it where you want to – back of a length and straight – with a little bit of variation, especially if it swings as well, the batsmen are just going to have a little bit of a look at you,” he said.