Former England captain Nasser Hussain has praised the resurgence of Tom Banton, describing it as a "second coming" for the talented batter, and he believes that the appointment of former star Kevin Pietersen as the new white‑ball mentor could be pivotal in shaping Banton's role in the middle order. Banton recently produced a dazzling unbeaten 52 off just 24 deliveries, anchoring England's chase against Sri Lanka and helping the hosts cruise to a comfortable victory with 7.5 overs to spare.
His brisk innings, built on a powerful partnership with captain Harry Brook, who contributed 23 runs off eight balls, came after Jos Buttler's quickfire 30 off 16 had already seen him become the first player to accumulate 15,000 runs in T20 internationals. This half‑century marked Banton's third fifty since he returned to England's white‑ball set‑up in a middle‑order slot, a shift from his early days when he opened the innings. Hussain highlighted this transition on Sky Sports, noting that Banton has thrived after moving down the order.
"Banton has been really good in his second coming after moving from opener to the middle order," Hussain said. "Everyone talks about what Kevin Pietersen can do for Harry Brook, but I think Pietersen could be good for Banton as well." Hussain recalled how Pietersen had initially raved about Banton during his time at Somerset, before the young cricketer experienced a dip in form. "KP made a couple of comments saying he had to work hard," Hussain explained. "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 great Kumar Sangakkara, now a Sky Sports analyst, also lauded Banton's performance.
"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. He added that Banton combines power with timing, even against pace, and that his development against spin has been particularly impressive for England.
Hussain also singled out spinner Liam Dawson for his decisive spell of 3 for 32 in Sri Lanka's innings. Dawson claimed two wickets in two balls, breaking a promising start from the Sri Lankan openers and, according to Hussain, changing the momentum of the match.
"England just outplayed Sri Lanka in every department," Hussain said. "At 55‑0 after five overs you thought Sri Lanka might put on a show, but then Liam Dawson took two wickets in an over and turned things around.
On a ground where spin can be tricky, his smart use of length and line was brilliant." The loss marked Sri Lanka's 14th consecutive defeat to England in T20 internationals, a streak that Hussain said highlighted a broader decline compared with past Sri Lankan sides. "Sri Lanka are just way off the side that I've seen over the years – just way off," he remarked.
"Their batting has dropped dramatically. In the past, their greats could stroke the ball to sixes and fours with ease.
Today, many are trying to hit over the top and losing shape on even a little pace." Statistically, England dominated the encounter. The English side bowled 50 dot balls, struck ten sixes, and forced Sri Lanka into just two sixes despite the latter's attempts to hit straight boundaries. Hussain warned that any coach or director reviewing the match would see that Sri Lanka's performance was far below the standard required to compete with England. "In every metric today, England completely outplayed them.
Those numbers are miles apart," he concluded. Looking ahead, England's next T20 against Sri Lanka will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 2:30 pm on Saturday, with streaming options available through NOW without a contract.
All times are listed for the UK and Ireland.