Eoin Morgan will shake up T20 squad ahead of Afghanistan match
ENGLAND are ready to hand rookie Liam Dawson his international debut against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Gideon Brooks
NEW BLOOD: Liam Dawson will likely make his first England T20 appearance on Wednesday (Image: GETTY)
Skipper Eoin Morgan is looking to shake up a bowling attack that he admitted has been below par.
And they could take the chance to ease in the 26-year-old left-arm spinner into the team for a game against the tournament's weakest team on a Delhi pitch likely to favour slow bowlers.
Morgan said: "I wasn't happy with the bowling (against South Africa), absolutely not.
"We did well to drag their score back to 229 which doesn't say a great deal about it, but there are always areas where we can improve and that is one.
"Moving from Mumbai to Delhi will improve the margin for error given the former is a bowler's graveyard - if you miss your yorker by a half a foot it disappears into the crowd.
"But we need to adapt as quickly in Delhi. It's more short and straight, with lower bounce, so it might mean we bowl a bit shorter or play an extra spinner, we assess the conditions when we see the pitch."
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Dawson was England's wildcard pick with coach Trevor Bayliss admitting he had never seen the Hampshire bowler play a competitive match.
But his inclusion on Wednesday would give management a chance to look at him in a pressure situation.
England would appear to have no problem breaking up a seam attack that has gone for a minimum of 10.42 per over (Chris Jordan and David Willey) to 13.2 per over (Reece Topley) in two matches so far.
But even if Dawson does not come in England's other two spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are sure to have a key role.
In fact Ali is the only Englishman to bowl his full quota in both matches, tops the wicket-taking chart with three and has the cheapest economy rate at nine an over.
But he still admits he took some convincing to see himself as a frontline spinner in the international set-up.
"I always felt if I was going to break into the England team it would be as a batsman," he admitted.
"That hasn't worked out much and thankfully the bowling is what has kept me in the team.
"I'm bowling better than my batting now but I'm still hoping one day they can come together and I can play more like a genuine all-rounder.
"I always felt I tried to spin the ball a lot but the consistency was never there. I bowl a lot more than I used to now and I know it's important for me and the team that I do well.
"Whoever is in the XI will have a key role and hopefully the conditions will suit me, Rash and Liam if he bowls."
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