Dom Harris
With England suffering a crushing defeat against New Zealand in the third Test, Brendan McCollum could be forgiven for starting to look forward to a new, expanded role as he takes over the white-ball set-up from 2025. .
In a year of high expectations for the Test side, which culminates in the Ashes series Down Under in November, interest begins to pick up on England’s white-ball side.
They will travel to India in January for the T20 and ODI series before heading to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy event scheduled to begin on February 19.
England’s white-ball team has been under pressure in recent years.
They have suffered three successive one-day defeats, including their 13th ODI defeat in their last 20 games in the West Indies last month.
Overwhelming Defense
This follows two underwhelming defenses of their respective World Cup titles in 2019 and 2022, which have put a strain on Matthew Mott’s tenure as manager and raised questions about England’s attitude and approach, particularly towards the one-day format.
The pint-sized 50-over tournament is back for the first time since Pakistan defeated India in 2017.
It may not be on the priorities of most of the eight countries involved, but it is a major ICC event where England have yet to achieve the success they had in the previous eight.
That growth was overshadowed by off-field issues, with India refusing to travel to Pakistan, where they have not played since 2008, due to political tensions.
The official tournament schedule is yet to be released as an emergency board meeting to resolve the issue proposed a hybrid model that would see India play the match in Dubai.
With more questions than answers, we take a look at how Jos Buttler’s side could line up to take on Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan in Group B with the 50-over leg of the West Indies tour in November.
Read more: Ben Stokes is dealt a fresh injury blow as England struggle in the third Test.
Who will open the England batting?
The make-up of England’s top ranks across all formats is proving to be a major talking point.
Phil Salt and Will Jacks earned their chance following mixed success in three games in the Caribbean.
While Salt, who recently stated that he would like to play more 50-over cricket domestically, struck a good pair of half-centuries, Jax struggled to post a top score of just 19 and is yet to showcase his talents on the international stage. Didn’t show it enough.
With Buttler looking set to lead the field from mid-on in the absence of experienced heads like Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan, Salt will be the main contender for the gloves going forward.
Partner Possibility
Ben Duckett is likely to become Salt’s partner at the top of the order.
The pair formed the opening partnership of the five-match series against Australia in September, where Duckett scored a hundred at a typically rapid pace and scored two more scores of 50-plus.
Duckett, who missed the West Indies series due to Test commitments, will also be preferred in Pakistan conditions for his ability to bowl spin and give England a desirable right-left combination with Salt.
The Jacks’ two half-centuries against Australia at number three give McCullum another option, while the Surrey man’s handy off-spin makes him a useful member of the team, at least as an extra top batsman.
You may also like: England ‘collapsed by a very special and truly hostile Test bowling spell’
What about Joe Root and Ben Stokes?
The future of England’s all-time leading run-scorer and Test captain is unclear in the shorter format of the game.
Neither Root nor Stokes have played a 50-over game since the 2023 World Cup, but selector Luke Wright insisted they are both still firmly in contention.
Ben Stokes has also expressed interest in prolonging his white-ball career under McCollum, but is now fit after leaving the field with what appears to be a recurrence of a hamstring injury on the third day of the third Test in Hamilton. There will be great doubt about it.
The full extent of the injury is expected to be announced in the coming days, but Stokes, who has already withdrawn from the IPL auction to prolong his international career, may not take any risks as a specialist batsman ahead of key Test series against India and Australia at a later date. sun.
As for Joe Root, who was rested for the series against Australia, the expectation is that his quality and experience would be foolish to overlook.
Root averaged just 30.66 points in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup due to lack of preparation for the format.
The same issues could arise here, but it is expected that January’s schedule in SA20 before joining England for the ODI series in India will provide ample opportunity for him to rediscover his white-ball form.
Making room for young guns
With a tight schedule and a move away from the likes of Jonny Bairstow, England have been giving opportunities to more and more home-grown talent.
But the possibility of Root and Stokes joining captain Buttler and star man Harry Brook in the middle order makes it difficult to find places for the likes of Jacob Bedell and Jamie Smith.
Bethell announced himself in international cricket with a number of eye-catching performances against Australia and the West Indies before making his Test debut for New Zealand.
Guaranteed Choice
His better performances have come in T20 and Test matches to date, but the left-hander’s form and versatility in the batting order, coupled with his ability to spin the ball, makes him an almost guaranteed selection in the squad.
Smith quickly established herself as first selector for Tests despite missing the tour of New Zealand due to maternity leave.
His initial exposure to ODI cricket has not yet gone unnoticed with an average of 22.16.
However, his appearances in Test cricket suggest that he will be an international player across formats for many years to come.
However, his position in the ODI side for now is likely to depend on the return of more experienced players.
Opportunity comes
Dan Mousley and Rehan Ahmed are looking forward to their opportunity to make the squad after impressing on the India tour.
Liam Livingstone has emerged as a front-line spin all-rounder in support of Adil Rashid since Moeen Ali’s retirement, but Mousley and Ahmed provide healthy competition in that department.
Jordan Cox didn’t get a chance to secure his place at No. 3 against the West Indies and was denied the chance to impress in the Test squad due to injury, so this tournament is likely to come too soon for the Essex batsman.
Face attack management
England’s pace bowling department has been plagued by long-term and recurring injuries and predicting who will be fit on the eve of a tournament has become an almost impossible task.
A busy winter schedule and the upcoming Crunch Test series may also influence the selectors’ decision.
But considering the tournament is only five games long at most and Wright said England “want to be as strong as possible”, we can assume the big names will not rest if they are fully fit.
All eyes will be on Jofra Archer, who has had a productive 2024 in terms of games played for England and is close to a full recovery.
groundbreaking player
Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson have become two of England’s breakout players for their performances on the Test pitch this year and both are expected to be called up for their white-ball skills despite a busy winter tour.
Mark Wood missed the Pakistan and New Zealand Test series with an elbow injury that will keep him out until early 2025, leaving him in a race against time just in time for the Champions Trophy.
Reece Topley’s injury problems continued as he had to leave the West Indies tour early due to a knee problem.
The tall left-armer provides valuable variety to the bowling unit, but it is not yet known how long Topley will be out.
left arm option
Sam Curran will provide a left-arm option to the squad and add depth to England’s batting, despite his recent indifferent record at international level.
His place in the squad may depend heavily on the availability of all-rounder Stokes, and this role could also be filled to some extent by Chris Woakes or Jamie Overton.
Matthew Potts probably considers himself a bit unlucky not to have become a regular for England across all formats and will face stiff competition to secure his place again.
Saqib Mahmood made an impressive comeback in England’s jersey against Australia and the West Indies, putting up particularly strong competition in the Caribbean with some successful new-ball bowling performances.
Meanwhile, John Turner, who made his debut against the West Indies, needed a very productive tour of India to be included in the final squad.
