T20 World Cup: It would be special to emulate 2010 success, says England keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow

England batter Jonny Bairstow, who is currently part of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) lineup in IPL 2024, already has one eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and USA in June. The swasbuckling batter said that he is eager for his national side to replicatethe success of Paul Collingwood-led squad when they beat Australia in the T20 World Cup final in 2010, which was also held in the Caribbean island.Jos Buttler-led England are heading into the forthcoming edition as the defending champions, having won the coveted title in Australia in late 2022.

Notably, Bairstow was not part of Buttler-led England's triumphant squad. Back then, he was away from action after he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle after slipping during a round of golf. Speaking to Sky Sports, Bairstow said, "I'm feeling really good about my game, it's less than a year coming back from my ankle and I'm moving the best I have since the operation."

He further opined, "I'll be hopeful going to the World Cup. I missed the win in Australia with the guys and that was such a great competition to watch afar but I also want to be a part of it. The special memories that are made and the special bonds that are made with the people out there. Hopefully we can recreate what happened in the West Indies in 2010."

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England were also the defending champions in the last edition of the ODI WC, held in India last year. However, nothing clicked for them in the 10-team mega event as England failed to make it to the semifinals and ended at the seventh place (with only three wins from nine encounters). However, Bairstow is confident that their poor run in the ODI WC won't affect them going into the T20 WC.

He stated, "The ODI World Cup and this T20 edition are different competitions, they will be played in different conditions and we'll come up against different teams so you can't bring one format into another. Each format is going to be judged individually. The squad that will be selected with be the guys that Buttler and Matthew Mott feel are in the best place to put their best foot forward."

Bairstow added, "It would be a pretty special thing to retain the T20 World Cup."

England are in Group B alongside arch-rivals Australia, Namibia, Scotland and Oman. The mega event will kickoff on June 1 in USA. It will also be held in the Caribbean island simultaneously.

Group stage

Group A - India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, USA
Group B - England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
Group C - New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Group D - South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal