Exclusive: How Shane Burger’s Training Routine Transformed Tom Banton’s T20 World Cup Impact

After surviving a scare against Nepal and a loss against the West Indies, England has reached the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 after beating Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Super Eight stage. 

Although Harry Brook is the talk of the town for his 51-ball 100 against Pakistan that sealed the deal, before the captain struck form, some of the other players held fort in the group stage.

Tom Banton, who batted at No.4 in those matches, is one of them.

After a stop-start career from 2019, the right-hander showcased a different side of his skills in the must-win match against Scotland with a 41-ball 63* chasing a target of 153. Next, against Italy, he scored 30 off 21, a game that England won by 24 runs.

Banton is one of those players known for sweeping and reverse-sweeping spinners. Scotland captain Richie Berrington even had fields set for the shot, but the batter accessed other areas using his feet, punishing left-arm spinner Mark Watt by smashing sixes over his head. It came as a surprise, but also highlighted the hard work off the field and how it augurs well for Brook and Co in the semifinals.

CREATING A ROUTINE TO IMPROVE

Banton was lucky to be mentored by professionals in his journey towards maturity. At his county club, Somerset, sessions with former assistant coach and batting lead Shane Burger greatly helped his batting skills. 

"Tom and I kept things simple. It was about him understanding a routine and a consistent way of training he needed to stick to. We worked hard on his posture when the ball is being released. He has a unique way of standing with his knees quite bent and looking over his shoulder to give himself the best chance to move and make the best decisions according to the ball," Burger told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

Training against real bowlers, and not relying on side-arm throwdowns, improved his game. 

"He likes to train with the ball out of hand, and bowlers. I have thrown a lot of balls at him and advised him on areas of development. We created a routine which became consistent," added Burger, under whom Somerset made three Vitality Blast finals in a row and won two of them. Banton was a standout performer in 2023 and 2024 with 468 and 515 runs, respectively.

Banton at 27 is different from the player he was at 21. 

"Tom is taking his game to another level with how he is adjusting to conditions. If he feels the wicket is bouncing and spinning, he can use his conventional sweeps, but if he feels the wicket might be a bit more and skidding on, he might use his feet and look to hit straighter. It is something he has been working on. Cricket maturity over the years has helped make better decisions," said the 43-year-old.

BANTON AT NO. 4 IN T20Is

The expressive batter used to open the innings in his initial years. Now, England is looking at him as the finisher. 

"I think the No 4 spot is one that Tom has developed into. At the front end of his career, he was an opening batter and understood how to bat in the powerplay. Now that he has more experience, he is developing skills that he might need while playing spin to bat at that position. It allows him to bat freely. He is older, wiser and more skilful to bat at No. 4," said Burger, who spent three years at Somerset from 2023 to 2025.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup semifinals, Burger wants Banton to keep backing his game. 

"He is playing in a particular way, and that’s why he has got into that position. He has shown that he can impact games against the world’s best teams and players," he said.

HIGH-RISK CRICKETING SHOTS

His unbeaten 30 off 11 balls against the West Indies in Bristol last year, and the unbeaten 54 off 33 balls against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, in the three-match series leading up to the World Cup, framed him as a master chaser. 

"During failures, instead of beating himself up, he continued to play in the same way, and now he has become more consistent. Failure doesn’t get through to him as such, and he continues to play those shots. He sees the ball like a football, like he does most days, with a level of refinement," Phil Lewis, his cricket coach and boarding house master at King's College, Taunton, told this publication.

Lewis, who also trained Jos Buttler, shared an incident from his junior cricket days which best describes his mental strength. 

"I remember him scoring 150 off 40-50 balls by reverse-sweeping multiple balls for six. And that was after a couple of other matches when he got out reverse-sweeping. He has been constantly learning, developing, and dominating the game by playing in a high-risk manner, which is why he is getting picked. The risk is being refined through the different levels of cricket," he said, adding: He is very good in a team environment, and team talks, and a confident young man."

Banton is only 33 T20Is old, and his future will depend on how he goes about his game in the World Cup semifinal.