Can Birmingham Phoenix learn from their previous mistakes?
Birmingham Phoenix - Team Profile for The Hundred 2024
Captain: Moeen Ali
Coach: Dan Vettori
Previous edition: 6th
Title: None
Among the worst performers in The Men's Hundred 2023, Birmingham Phoenix ended in the sixth position. They could only win two of their eight games, attaining six points only. They lost as many as four matches during the league stage phase, with two of their encounters washed away due to rain.
Things didn’t go as planned at any phase in the season, and Phoenix looked listless in different tournament phases. They retained as many as ten players and made exciting signings during the draft. Their main focus remained on bolstering the bowling unit, as visible from their acquisition of Naseem Shah and Sean Abbott.
Moeen Ali will lead the side again, as in the previous edition. Their head coach, Dan Vettori, had a successful stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The team will look to improve from the last season and win more matches.
Complete Birmingham Phoenix Squad for The Hundred 2024:
Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Sean Abbott (Australia), Adam Milne (New Zealand), Jamie Smith, Benny Howell, Louis Kimber, Tom Helm, Jacob Bethell, James Fuller, Dan Mousley, Aneurin Donald, Rishi Patel
Team News (Injuries and replacements)
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Naseem Shah won’t feature in this edition of The Hundred after PCB denied granting him NOC to manage his workload. Tim Southee has replaced him.
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Will Smeed is also out of The Hundred due to an injury. Louis Kimber has replaced him.
Probable Birmingham Phoenix Playing XI for The Hundred 2024:
Louis Kimber, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (c), Benny Howell, Dan Mousley, Chris Woakes, Sean Abbott, Adam Milne, Tom Helm
Also Read: Not Hardik Pandya, this India star set to be named new T20I captain: Reports
Strengths
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Birmingham Phoenix have among the most explosive batting units in the competition.
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They have a nice blend of LHB and RHB, with the southpaws capable of taking down spin.
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There is depth in the batting order.
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The pacers have ample T20 experience, capable of doing well at least with the new ball and in the middle.
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They have plenty of bowling options, with as many as eight players capable of rolling their arms in their strongest XI.
Weaknesses
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Birmingham Phoenix might have depth in the batting unit but lack power hitters in the lower order. After Moeen Ali, they don’t have serious firepower to explode during the back end of the innings.
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The spin attack looks feeble and one-dimensional. While Liam Livingstone can bowl useful leg spin, BP don’t have a genuine wrist-spinner.
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This pace attack is vulnerable in the death overs, especially due to the unavailability of Naseem Shah.
Birmingham Phoenix’s The Hundred 2024 Fixtures/Schedule
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Oval Invincibles vs Birmingham Phoenix - 23 July, 11:00 PM IST
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London Spirit vs Birmingham Phoenix - 27 July, 11:00 PM IST
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Trent Rockets vs Birmingham Phoenix - 31 July, 11:00 PM IST
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Birmingham Phoenix vs Southern Brave - 03 August, 7:30 PM IST
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Birmingham Phoenix vs Northern Superchargers - 06 August, 11:00 PM IST
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Welsh Fire vs Birmingham Phoenix - 10 August, 11:00 PM IST
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Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets - 12 August, 11:00 PM IST
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Birmingham Phoenix vs Manchester Originals - 15 August, 11:00 PM IST
The Hundred 2024 Season Prediction
Last year, Birmingham Phoenix had an unavailability issue, and the home Test summer will put Ben Duckett away, whereas Naseem Shah will also not feature. That will again be an area of concern. They have a heavy top order to score at an adequate pace throughout the innings.
Bowling might be an issue, especially the spin attack. They might lag against units susceptible to slow bowlers. That is a massive disadvantage.
The side looks promising overall and will compete hard in the league phase. They should qualify for the knockout stages. However, it’s hard to see them winning the title.
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