Colombo, February 9:

Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene today predicted a more competitive Twenty20 World Championships in England this year, saying teams were getting used to the new format.

“We have learnt how to approach this game, so it will be much tougher this time,” said Jayawardene after launching a world-wide tour of the tournament’s trophy here. India won the inaugural edition of the World T20 in South Africa in 2007.

Jayawardene said he looked forward to the second edition, to be staged in England from June 5-21. “Not every team knew how to approach the game in South Africa,” he said. “But playing some Twenty20 cricket over the last two years has given us more experience.”

He said the swinging ball in English conditions will change the way the big-scoring format is played. “Teams have scored 180 to 200 in a T20 game, but it will not be easy in England as even 120 or 130 might be a winning total,” he said.

Jayawardene said the T20 format had improved cricketing skills. “The batsmen need to be more innovative and bowlers have to find different options,” he said. “I think the skill has improved after Twenty20 cricket. It is more aggressive. Big totals are being chased in one-dayers because batsmen have found different ways of scoring.”

The trophy, designed in Australia and manufactured in England, will travel across the cricketing world in the lead-up to the tournament.