Tymal Mills was a big, big loss for England says Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes that the loss of Tymal Mills to injury derailed Eoin Morgan’s team’s bid to win the T20 World Cup.

Hussain fingered Chris Jordan as the man who let the semi-final effort down, with loose death bowling.

England won their first four matches of the tournament comfortably but were exposed in their final Super 12s match against South Africa, and were found wanting against the Black Caps.

“That is the unbelievable stuff with T20 cricket,” Hussain told Sky Sports.

“We saw it five years ago in Kolkata [in the T20 World Cup final vs West Indies], 19 good overs and then four in-the-slot deliveries and England lose it.

Key questions raised after England’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat

“Same here after that (Liam) Livingstone 16th over at the far end, it needed one following up this end and, under pressure, Chris Jordan didn’t deliver. It was either in the slot or wide and when you are bowling to someone like Neesham or Mitchell, they will put you away.

Credit to New Zealand

“I think you have to give them credit because this is a reasonably big ground, and it was a bit two-paced. It’s when you change. For the whole tournament they have stuck with that back of a length, they did not quite go short enough I thought, they were in between, and they did not change their plan.

“Whether, suddenly, because it is going pear-shaped you change your plan, I do not know but it is an area, still, that England cannot quite get right. For all Chris Jordan’s skills, in the last year, I wouldn’t say he has got his death bowling absolutely spot on.

“Tymal Mills was a big, big loss. I know that you are always a better player out of the side but Tymal Mills at the end there with short balls and slower balls would have been harder to hit. But he wasn’t there, and England didn’t quite get it right at the death.”

England skipper Morgan has declared his intent to continue in the role unless deemed unfit by selectors and wants to lead the side’s next tilt at the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.