Dawid Malan ‘always under pressure’ as he looks to cement England T20 spot
Written by News on 01/09/2020
Dawid Malan will be looking to further cement an England T20 place on Tuesday night as well as help his side wrap up a series win over Pakistan.
Malan clubbed an unbeaten 54 from 36 deliveries on Sunday as England beat Pakistan in the second T20I to move 1-0 up in the three-match series after the first game at the same venue had been wrecked by rain.
The batsman – also named in England’s T20I squad for the series against Australia – has passed fifty six times in 12 innings for his county in the sprint format but says he still feels pressure for his place.
Jos Buttler will return for the T20Is against Australia with the Test summer now having concluded and seems poised to continue in the top order.
“You know it’s really tough to get into this England XI when everyone is fit and playing well,” Malan told Sky Sports after Sunday’s clash at Emirates Old Trafford.
“There’s also such a revolving door of younger players below you doing exceptionally well and playing really good T20 cricket.
“You are under pressure every time but the good thing is, from the inside, you pretty much know where you stand.”
Malan has batted at No 3 in eight of his 12 T20Is for England, including on Sunday and when he smashed an unbeaten 103 against New Zealand in Napier last November.
But the left-hander says he would relish the chance to open at some point, something he has done on three occasions in T20Is, with a top-score of 55 against New Zealand in Nelson.
“I’ll bat at No 11 if I get a chance to play for England – I’ll bat anywhere,” added Malan, who switched counties from Middlesex to Yorkshire over the winter.
“I’ve opened my whole career, so this is a different role for me at No 3 but when I play competitions around the world I end up batting at No 3 and 4 quite a lot.
“I’ll put my hand up and bat wherever I can, if there’s a spot available. But if you’re giving me a chance right now, I’ll open the batting.”
Speaking about Malan, England national selector Ed Smith said: “Dawid has been behind some outstanding cricketers, the likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, but when has been given an opportunity, he’s made real contributions and acquitted himself very well.
“It reminds me of the situation when Jonny Bairstow had to wait an awfully long time in one-day cricket and just kept taking his opportunities – that is a really good model to follow. Even if you’re frustrated, when those opportunities do come, grab them.”
England chased down a target of 196 in Manchester over the weekend – Malan and Morgan (66 from 33) sharing a bruising third-wicket stand of 112 as the hosts topped Pakistan’s 195-4.
Morgan’s men are now on the cusp of their sixth straight victory in T20I series, albeit that sequence includes one-off matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
England have released Pat Brown and Reece Topley from their bubble, allowing the seamers to return to Vitality Blast action with Worcestershire and Surrey respectively.
Brown and Topley had been named as reserves for the Pakistan series after missing out on the main 14-man squad.
Pakistan could be without Mohammad Amir for Tuesday’s clash with the seamer seemingly suffering from a hamstring issue in the previous match – fellow left-armer Wahab Riaz could replace him in the XI.
Watch the third and final T20I between England and Pakistan, from Emirates Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 5.30pm on Tuesday.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Dawid Malan ‘always under pressure’ as he looks to cement England T20 spot
