England Team Discussion

[icyman]

I think England are making the same mistakes that India did post the 2011 World Cup win. There's an over reliance on certain players and an inability to trial out newbies.

England are still a force to reckon with, but will lack the finishing blow that is required in World Tournaments such as these.

English cricket , in 2000s had a clear focus on Test cricket. Once Morgan came i , they shifted the focus to ODIs and winning the World Cup. Post Morgan though, they seem to have beefed up on the Test match part again,with Stokes+McCullum being centre stage here.

If they are to thrive in limited overs, a paradigm shift is required once again.

 

[Supreme General]

I said this during our 2023 ODI WC campaign. These two tournaments have been a step too far for a lot of our older pros. Jordan, Moeen are well past their sell by date and have been ineffective for years. Bairstow’s leg break came at worst time for him while he was at the peak of his powers now he’s had a serious drop off. Mark Wood has never been a good T20 bowler for us especially on pitches where pace off is key like this WC cause he is a one trick pony at the end of the day. Buttler had been groomed for captaincy and replace Morgan but him keeping and captaining and opening (at least in T20s) is just one step too far and too much for him to handle as shown by many wrong decisions in so many games. Sam Curran is a fraud who had one good tournament. Reece Topley and Jofra’s injuries made them so hard to actually get game time in matches regularly or if at all. Our preparations for the world cups has been shambolic and disjointed with too many B teams or rotated squads and no real team consistency. At the end of the day, Mott and Buttler are in the chopping block along with a lot of the old guard who’s this World Cup will be there last tournament for England hopefully by the end of the tournament and especially in Buttler’s case his replacement isn’t really obvious but serious overhauls are needed with fresh ideas and energy injected into this washed up mess of a team. But we can’t take focus of test team cause at the moment that project is baring fruits and the ashes away in 2025/26 has to be what as a cricket team we are aiming for but meanwhile not completely neglecting white ball. A balance needs to be had so we can end the constant boom and bust system we seem to have in our teams

 

[icyman]

England can overhaul their white ball setup with an eye on the CWC 2027. If they forego the CT 2025 and WT20 2026, they can assemble a team in time for the CWC 2027. Again, a bulk of the concerns around team formation tend to stem from the fact that the ICC has an event almost every damn year. With Australia invariably winning them, the pressures on teams like India and England are compounded 10x times atleast.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

England can overhaul their white ball setup with an eye on the CWC 2027. If they forego the CT 2025 and WT20 2026, they can assemble a team in time for the CWC 2027. Again, a bulk of the concerns around team formation tend to stem from the fact that the ICC has an event almost every damn year. With Australia invariably winning them, the pressures on teams like India and England are compounded 10x times atleast.

I think a lot of teams are in the same position with respect to the frequency of world tournaments. Likewise franchise cricket (as well as improved fitness) is extending players careers. I think players may take the attitude 'well I can stretch another year to the next major tournament' and many will have central contracts. This will result in boards/coaches being reluctant to not play them. Even then, if a 'new' player does well in bilaterals, it's probably against weaker opposition and the view that the centrally contracted, experience player might/will come good becaue of that experience and quality.

You would expect most teams to use the Champions Trophy as a stepping stone to 2027 and teams looking different, which could see a larger transition through the 2026 T20 WC.

If the ODI world cup shouldn't have been the last dance for a lot of players I think this World Cup really will be. In England's case, failing to qualify for the Super 8's would be two disastrous tournaments defending titles, that a significant turnover in players would be expected whether it would've done or not.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Leachy getting in nick for the test summer

 

[Aislabie]

Leachy getting in nick for the test summer

What an absolute hero of a man

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Hopefully the clear out that should've happened after the ODI World Cup will happen after this one. Semi-final really flatters England, they did not look like one of the four best teams in this tournament. 1 win in 4 against full members (and they won the toss each time!!!).

Ditched Will Jacks too soon. Decided Moeen Ali was now good enough to bat in the top four. Didn't play Duckett who would surely have been useful on these pitches with his assertiveness against spin. The middle order has no consistency. Compared with India and SKY coming in at 4 England might have an patchy Bairstow or number 6/7 in Moeen (who is frankly comparable to Jadeja or Axar, which might be disrespecting those two).

Best bowlers were a guy who's been injured for four years, a 36 year old and an almost 36 year old.

Buttler, Salt, Jacks, Duckett, Brook, Archer and Rashid (keep him going as long as he can) are the only ones worth keeping. I'm skeptical about Buttler as captain going forward but I don't know who should replace him. Curran looked nailed on to be the next limited overs captain 2 years ago but he looks ineffective with bat and ball. Harry Brook perhaps as a T20 only, or both limited overs formats.

Get Atkinson in to share the new ball with Archer, give Hartley a run and Saqib Mahmood perhaps (I'm unsure who else is fit and doing well in the Blast)?

The Hundred is going to be a huge opportunity for players to push their way into the side with a T20 series v Australia following a few weeks after.

 

[Viper.]

No Brook for Tests why?

 

[wasteyouryouth]

No Brook for Tests why?

Because Ben Stokes is captain

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

No Brook for Tests why?

Wdym. He only missed the last series against India due to personal reasons

 

[Viper.]

Wdym. He only missed the last series against India due to personal reasons

Harry Brook perhaps as a T20 only, or both limited overs formats.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Looks like the Foakes/Bairstow debate will be ended by England picking Jamie Smith.

 

[Paranoid Kendroid]

Looks like the Foakes/Bairstow debate will be ended by England picking Jamie Smith.

Justice for Ollie Robinson (the keeper)

 

[Aislabie]

Looks like the Foakes/Bairstow debate will be ended by England picking Jamie Smith.

I'm not super surprised tbh; he did biff it in a couple of Lions games

 

[wasteyouryouth]

I'm not super surprised tbh; he did biff it in a couple of Lions games

It's a shame for Foakes. It feels like England has really squandered a player with a lot of talent over the last decade. It's good to see a player rewarded for his Birmingham Phoenix form last season.