Cricket pundits Nasser Hussain was of the opinion that Jonny Bairstow would be the ideal choice for the opening role in the absence of Jason Roy, who was ruled out from the T20 World Cup after suffering a calf injury in the last league game against South Africa. In that scenario, England could rope in Sam Billings to fill in the spot vacated by Bairstow in the middle order. Another option is to let Bairstow bat at two drop and slot in James Vince, the travelling reserve, at the top of the order.
β #ENGvNZ β THE KEY QUESTIONS β
π Will Bairstow open in Royβs absence? π
π Who comes into the #England XI? π€
π How crucial is the toss? πͺ@NasserCricket & @Athersmike preview first #T20WorldCup semi-finalβ¦Watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 1.30pm on Wednesday π pic.twitter.com/1W9SEXCujI
β Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 9, 2021