Moeen Ali is targeting back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast to put Worcestershire Rapids Vitality Blast qualification bid back on track.
They travel to take on Northamptonshire Steelbacks under lights on Thursday evening before facing Derbyshire Falcons at New Road 24 hours later.
Vitality Blast captain Moeen says it is still “very doable” for the Rapids to get on the kind of run that will lift them up the table after a challenging start to the campaign.
The England all-rounder believes the Rapids are more than capable of putting together a sequence of positive results but is aware of the need to help install self-belief and confidence into the squad.
Moeen said: “It is important we win these next two games, and then we can hopefully get on a run.
“Then you are back in it. When we got to finals days in 2019, we only won six games and qualified.
“We will probably have to win seven games – but it is very doable.”
Moeen, who needs 52 more runs to reach 5,000 in T20 cricket, says fortunes can quickly change in the Blast.
He said: “We haven’t been playing so well in T20 cricket and, with being captain, you feel quite responsible for it.
“Hopefully, we will get it right soon. There are still a lot of games to go, and this side is very capable.
“I think the self-belief, if anything, is down at the moment, so I’ll have to try, myself and Alex (Gidman), to get that back into the boys a bit more.
“We need that, and we need confidence as well. It is very difficult in T20 cricket, but just as quickly, you can get your confidence high and get on a roll.
“We know what we can do and what we have to do.”
Moeen has been impressed with the performances of Colin Munro, whom he played alongside in 2014 and 2015.
He said: “He is a much better player now, and he was a very good player already back then.
“I think he knows he is a better player now, and that is from playing around the world and franchise cricket.”
Opening batter Ed Pollock has been ruled out through illness, and all-rounder Jacques Banton has been added to the squad.
Banton made his first-team breakthrough last summer with three appearances during the Royal London Cup.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ben Cox needs 13 more runs to become the third player to score 2000 T20 runs for Worcestershire.
He overtook Ross Whiteley to move into third spot in the all-time list during his innings of 25 against Leicestershire Foxes on Sunday.
Only Moeen (2728) and Daryl Mitchell (2310) have reached the 2,000 run mark.
Cox has also played T20 cricket for Boost Defenders in the Abu Dhabi T20 League and Otago Volts in the Super Smash in New Zealand.
WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS
BRETT D’OLIVEIRA
JAKE LIBBY
MOEEN ALI *
COLIN MUNRO
JACK HAYNES
BEN COX +
ED BARNARD
DWAYNE BRAVO
JOSH BAKER
DILLON PENNINGTON
PAT BROWN
CHARLIE MORRIS
GARETH RODERICK
JACQUES BANTON
