World Twenty20 2012: Eoin Morgan's mastery of sluggish Sri Lankan surfaces could be key in England's T20 bid For bowlers, that will mean using cutters, cross-seam chicanery and the slower-ball bouncer that served them so well in the last tournament in the Caribbean. Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan redeployed it to good effect in the 11-over thrash against South Africa at Edgbaston recently, but sluggish and bare though that pitch was, it was a speedway compared to Premadasa, where Asian sides will restrict their opponents" scoring by setting straight fields and taking pace off the ball. Which means batsmen will have to inject their own pace on to the ball with wristy bat speed and body momentum, through the use of their feet, something Eoin Morgan does brilliantly. Placement of shots and getting your feet to the pitch of the ball will also be crucial, something still alien to many English players, though Jonny Bairstow has shown an aptitude for it that could make him a crucial cog in the middle-order. Morgan, from his sporadic appearances in the Indian Premier League, has practised counteracting sluggish surfaces by keeping his weight low and then accelerating his body through the shot baseball style. Yet, IPL is not the T20 finishing academy claimed by so many of its participants. If it was, why did Australia, well represented at IPL, dip below Ireland recently in the rankings? At Pallekele the ball should come on to the bat better, allowing big strikers like Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler to prosper and hit through the line of the ball with confidence. Buttler's thrilling strikes at Edgbaston last Wednesday, along with his deft scoops, brought 32 runs off 10 balls against South Africa. According to Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's former World Cup winning captain, he'll find both shots easier to play in the hills than down by the sea in steamy Colombo, where he made just five in the nine-run victory over Australia in Monday's warm-up. The taller bowlers, such as Broad and Steven Finn, should enjoy the extra bounce and seam movement at Pallekele, which Ranatunga says is more pronounced under floodlights. When there is variation offered by the pitch bowlers need not use as much from the hand. Jade Dernbach's slower ball is a gravity-defying marvel but it might pay to use it more judiciously in Pallekele where the evening dew could allow it to slip on to the bat more easily than at Premadasa, where it is likely to sit in the surface and be more effective. England have a decent chance of defending their T20 crown but they will need good fortune as it is open to the uncertainty of one player changing the nature of a match with an inspired moment, as Buttler did at Edgbaston. Their fielding will have to be better than of late too, with only half chances allowed to be missed. The heat and humidity, such an issue over a six-hour Test day in Sri Lanka, will be less of a problem. Indeed, Pallekele, which is cooled by its altitude, might even require sweaters to be worn in the evenings. The main threat to England's defence are Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and the West Indies. That three are Asian teams is hardly surprising given the ease and familiarity they have with the conditions. For that reason, England's opening game against Afghanistan is not quite the gentle half-volley it would be at home or in Australia, though Broad's side are more hardened and savvy than the one which lost to the Netherlands at Lord's just over three years ago. The West Indies possess all the virtuosity and athleticism needed to win over 20 overs: destructive batsmen, bowlers who can take pace off the ball (as well as those who can put it on), but lack the big game mentality of their 1970s forebears to turn it into trophies. New Zealand suffer from similar problems, being perennially there and thereabouts in world tournaments only to fall at the semi-final stage. England can win again, especially if they manage to tailor their game to the contrasting venues, but with a fair breeze so can many of the others.