There is a lot of excitement around the England team and for good reason. Led by Eoin Morgan, the number 1 ODI side in the World, seem to have the depth and pedigree to finally overcome the World Cup jinx and go all way to win their first title. With a plethora of match-winners at their disposal, the hosts also have the cushion of playing at home in front of adoring crowds.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has identified Jos Buttler to be the biggest game-changer for England this tournament. (Complete coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019)

“The dangerman for England is gonna be Jos Buttler. I just watched him develop over the last 2 or 3 years. I had a chance to coach him at Mumbai Indians 3 or 4 seasons ago when he was really sort of starting to make his mark in international cricket,” Ponting was quoted as saying in a video posted at Cricket Australia website.

“What he has done in the last 12 to 18 months whether in a T20, One-Day game or a Test match for England, it’s really outstanding. So, Jos Buttler is England’s dangerman for me.”

“He (Buttler) might not take the gloves but his middle-order batting is out of this world. He scores 360 degrees around the ground, hits the ball incredibly hard, hits the ball a long way as well,” he added.

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Besides Buttler, England’s team comprises of match-winners like skipper Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to name a few.

The two-time World Cup winning skipper said England’s depth in the batting department makes the hosts a force to reckon with in the upcoming World Cup.

“I think England’s great strength right now in their One-Day team is how deep they bat. That allows all their top-order to play probably with more freedom than most other teams,” Ponting said.

“Someone like a Buttler or (Ben) Stokes or Moeen Ali coming in at 7, 8, 9, allows their top-order to go hard. They are a really confident outfit. They have got great depth in their squad and obviously would be playing in conditions they are very much used to.”

(With PTI inputs)

First Published: May 22, 2019 12:44 IST