🔗 Share this article England Delay Team Reveal for Upcoming T20 Fixture as Conditions Compel Indoor Training England's preparations for a hot, dry T20 World Cup in India in February led them on Wednesday to a cool, drizzly Auckland, where they were compelled to conduct the last training session ahead of their next match against the Kiwis inside. It is not always obvious what purpose these two-team contests serve, what valuable insights could possibly be gained – but on this occasion, for at least a squad member, that is not an issue. The Batter's New Role: From Opener to Lower Down The cricketer says he is “continuing to develop”, and if it is the type of statement often repeated even by players who have already reached the pinnacle of their sport, in his case it is certainly accurate. After building his name as a frontline hitter, primarily as an opener, Banton suddenly finds himself a completely unfamiliar position, batting at the middle order. “I didn't have too many conversations,” he said. “I just got brought me back into the squad and informed me, ‘You’re going to bat in the middle order now.’” Prior to returning in the summer, 87% of Banton’s 162 professional T20 appearances had been as an opener, another 8% at third position and the remaining handful – but for seven balls at No 7 in a T20 Blast game previously – at No 4. If England intend to retain him in this altered role he requires every chance to become accustomed to it, and he has figured out a key point: “Playing down the order,” he surmised, “is a lot harder than opening.” Mixed Results in the Tour The player noted that “there’s going to be times where it works well and it appears brilliant and on other occasions where it doesn’t”, and the first two games of the winter in the host nation have featured one of each. In the opener, he faced nine balls and scored nine runs before getting out to long-on; in the next game, he played a dozen balls, scored 29, and ended the innings not out. Reflections on Return and Development The current series has witnessed Banton return to the country in which he first played for his country in late 2019. After that, he moved away of the side, made a brief return in 2022 and then passed a long period in the wilderness before coming back for Harry Brook’s initial match as skipper. “On the flight over, it was weird,” he said. “It was six years ago when I started internationally. It feels like a lot has happened in that period. I’ve learned a lot about myself. The few years after I was left out from the national team was a tough time for me. I had a couple of years stretch where I was working myself out.” Backing from Team Management Currently, he has been assigned a fresh challenge to tackle. Banton is thankful to have been offered a return, and also for Brendon McCullum’s skill to make him comfortable while he works out how best to seize the opportunity. “Baz approached me before [the recent game] and said, ‘Head out and express yourself.’ It's reassuring to have that freedom,” Banton said. “I realize it’s just a brief comment someone says, but it provides the support that if it doesn't work, it’s not a disaster. It is so minor but for me it’s, ‘Alright, I’ve got the approval from the head coach and I can go out and perform.’” Venue Change and Squad Decisions Following the first two games of the series at Christchurch’s Hagley Park, a venue with expansive playing area, the visitors finish the series on Thursday at Eden Park, a multi-use sports facility where the straight boundary at 55m is among the most compact in the sport. With changeable conditions and an new location they have dropped their usual practice of revealing their lineup ahead of time while they determine if their ideal XI for this match will be the identical as the side that started the earlier fixtures. Squad Adjustments for ODI Series Next, they move to the coastal town and shift attention to ODIs, with a somewhat changed squad: Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley and Phil Salt are omitted, while four others come in. Most newcomers landed in the city on the same day but the scheduling of Archer’s Ashes preparations implies he will follow later, travelling with Mark Wood and Josh Tongue, fast bowlers who are also building towards the longer format in Australia but are not in the white-ball squad. Consequently he will miss the opening game at the venue, the ground where he was racially abused on his only previous appearance, in a few years back.