(Reuters) – England will be well prepared for the Twenty20 World Cup because half of the squad is getting used to conditions in the United Arab Emirates by playing in the Indian Premier League, bowler Tymal Mills said.
The IPL was suspended near its halfway stage in May as India grappled with a surge of COVID-19 cases and two franchises reported several infections.
The remainder of the season was then shifted to the UAE, which also hosts the World Cup in October-November, and Oman.
“One of our advantages is that we’ve got half the squad playing in the IPL at the moment,” Mills, who was recalled to the squad for the first time since February 2017, told reporters on Monday.
“I’m sure we’ll come out of that with a bunch of information and … we’ll be well-prepped and well-versed by the time we get together. I’m sure we’ll be full of confidence and back ourselves to beat any team.
“We’ve got a very strong, very adaptable squad and most of the guys have played a lot of cricket in that area, whether it’s IPL, Pakistan Super League or internationally.”
England face defending champions West Indies in their opening match on Oct. 23 in Dubai.
