England Team

It's not impossible that England will spring a surprise in this tournament, merely improbable. But even that is an improvement on their prospects in years gone by.

Strengths

Home advantage might seem a spurious benefit in a 20-over thrash, but England have at least spent the early part of the summer reminding themselves how to take wickets. Their new-ball attack of Broad and James Anderson are as close to the top of their game as they ever have been, while the confidence in the current squad is best exemplified by the irrepressible Graeme Swann, who fine-tuned his second string by smacking 90 not out from 47 balls against Derbyshire last week.

Weaknesses

There's no Andrew Flintoff - and while his impact is less dramatic than in years gone by, his absence does mean four fewer overs of bat-rattlingly accurate pace, and one less go-to man for those crucial overs at the death. And then, of course, there is the question of focus. Are England really bothered with this tournament, or are their eyes already trained on Cardiff on July 8?

(Lack of) X-Factor

In every other format, you would surely have to nominate Kevin Pietersen as England's king-pin. But as the man himself admitted last week: "I'm not very good at Twenty20, am I?" His highest score in 35 matches (international, domestic and IPL included) is 79, against Zimbabwe in 2007. Younis Khan said on Sunday that 120 balls is actually a very long time to bat. You sense that Pietersen, ever manic at the crease and in a hurry to impose himself, hasn't yet allowed himself the time to realise this.

Key player(s)

Regardless of his lack of success (and dodgy Achilles heel permitting), Pietersen is, of course, crucial to England's fortunes. So too is a man who has taken on board many of his same cocky characteristics, Ravi Bopara. He was England's stand-out performer at the IPL with a sensational 84 from 59 balls for King's XI Punjab, and he translated that confidence into back-to-back hundreds in the West Indies Tests last month.

T20 form guide

Six victories, nine defeats, in 15 matches since 2005, though nothing has ever topped that heady first contest against Australia at the Rose Bowl.

Squad: Paul Collingwood (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Andrew Flintoff, James Foster, Robert Key, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Eoin Morgan, Graham Napier, Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright