Hussain: Pietersen Role Could Fuel Banton’s Revival as England Sweep Sri Lanka

Nasser Hussain has highlighted the potential impact of new white-ball mentor Kevin Pietersen on Tom Banton’s resurgence, citing the batter’s recent success as evidence of his improved game. Banton starred with the bat at the Utilita Bowl, scoring an unbeaten 52 off just 24 deliveries to guide England past Sri Lanka’s total of 145-9, securing a comprehensive victory and the series with one match remaining.

Joining forces with captain Harry Brook, who contributed a rapid 23 from eight balls, Banton’s innings ensured a comfortable win with 7.5 overs to spare. The half-century marked Banton’s third since transitioning from an opening role to the middle order—a shift Hussain praised as a vital move for his development.

While much attention has been directed toward how Pietersen might influence Harry Brook, Hussain suggested the former England star could be equally beneficial for Banton. Recalling Pietersen’s past comments about Banton needing to work harder on his game, Hussain noted that the current form is a testament to that effort.

“Banton has been really good in his second coming after moving from opener to the middle order,” Hussain told Sky Sports. “Everyone talks about what Kevin Pietersen can do for Harry Brook, but I think Pietersen could be good for Banton. KP raved about Banton when he came through at Somerset but then he fell away and KP made a couple of comments saying he had to work hard. He has worked hard and we are now seeing the rewards of that. KP will now be saying, ‘keep improving’. That’s what great players do.”

Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara also lauded Banton’s performance, particularly his technique against spin and his ability to clear the boundary. “He was just exceptional. Anything that was pitched full, he cleared his front leg. Anything that was on the stumps, straight down the ground,” Sangakkara observed. “Even with pace, he’s got that power and that timing to really make a difference.”

Hussain also singled out Liam Dawson for special recognition after the spinner claimed figures of 3-32, including two wickets in consecutive balls that dismantled Sri Lanka’s batting lineup. With the tourists struggling at 55-0 after five overs, Dawson’s intervention shifted the momentum decisively in England’s favor.

“It was Liam Dawson with two in an over that changed the course of the match,” Hussain said. “On a ground where sometimes bowling spin isn’t easy and sides often leave out their spinner, he’s a very smart cricketer and knows what sort of lengths and lines to bowl on this particular ground. So that was brilliant from Dawson.”

The defeat extended Sri Lanka’s winless streak against England in T20Is to 14 matches. Hussain described the current Sri Lankan side as significantly diminished compared to their illustrious predecessors, pointing to a lack of shot-making discipline as a primary issue. “Sri Lanka are just way off the side that I’ve seen over the years,” he said. “I’ve watched some of their greats and they’re just strokers of the ball… but what I see at the moment is people trying to over hit.”

England dominated all key metrics, hitting ten sixes to Sri Lanka’s two and leaving the opposition with 50 dot balls. Hussain emphasized the gap in quality: “In every metric today, England completely outplayed them. A coach or a director of cricket… will look at that and go, that wasn’t good enough.”

The series concludes on Saturday, September 19, at Old Trafford, with the third T20 live on Sky Sports from 2:30pm. The teams will then move on to the ODI format, beginning at Durham on Tuesday, September 22.