Skip to content

Maddy is eager to shine

Image: Maddy: Twenty20 specialist

England's Darren Maddy is determined to take the World Twenty20 in South Africa by storm.

Latest Cricket Stories

Veteran hoping for his big chance

Watch every World Twenty20 match live on Sky Sports Experienced England batsman Darren Maddy is determined to take the World Twenty20 in South Africa by storm. Maddy is part of the England set-up for the first time in seven years and he is eager, if given the chance, to prove what he is capable of on the international stage. The 33-year-old Warwickshire captain has been outstanding in the domestic Twenty20 competition over the past four seasons, helping his former county Leicestershire become champions in 2004 and 2006. He is hoping his experience of the format can earn him a place in the starting line-up for England's opener against Zimbabwe on Thursday and believes that the other players can benefit from his presence. "I would like to think experience can count for something," he said. "Nothing can ever match international experience but a lot of these guys haven't played a lot of Twenty20 cricket and there a few little things that we can help them with and I'm sure they will be able to pass down some experience of how to do it at the highest level. "A lot of the skills that have been developed in Twenty20 cricket are going into 50-overs cricket and even four-day and Test match cricket now. "It's not often a domestic player gets to play in front of big crowds and has to perform their skills under pressure and that's what Twenty20 is all about so I suppose in that respect it's very similar to international 50-over cricket."

Crucial

Maddy - who has played three Tests and eight One-Day internationals for England - acknowledges that the step-up from county to national level is enormous and stresses that his role is going to be crucial for the team in South Africa. He added: "The reason I've had so much success is because of the lack of thought that's gone into it. "I've really gone out there and tried to enjoy myself and enjoy the competition and literally take it to its most simple form and that is watch the ball and hit it." England face Zimbabwe and Australia in their first two matches of the tournament; matches which will determine their progress to the next round.

Around Sky