Sir Alastair Cook has just highlighted the fact that so many of his team have hardly played a List A match. We really should have our own 50 over competition that would help our players to learn how to pace themselves in such games.
Yes, the recent white ball series have had very random squads, akin to the squad rotation clubs use in the EFL cup. Really hard to get much interest in these series.
We are a far cry from the team that won the WC in 2019. Where are middle order batters like Bairstow, Morgan & Stokes (Butler is still injured). Why are we playing kids who've never played International cricket before.
We are a far cry from the team that won the WC in 2019. Where are middle order batters like Bairstow, Morgan & Stokes (Butler is still injured). Why are we playing kids who've never played International cricket before.
It's a farce. Has Appleton taken over as coach ?
Only one of those players, Mousley, was making their international debut. All bar Mousley are centrally contracted. As you say, Buttler is injured (all 32 of his matches in 2024 for England and franchises have been T20s anyway), Morgan retired ages ago, Stokes doesn't play 50 over cricket anymore (and even if he did, probably feels he should be with his family right now given what happened to them recently) and similar to the likes of Brook, Root, Atkinson etc etc have only just finished their Test series in Pakistan. Bairstow is centrally contracted (but that is a legacy of previously awarding him a long term deal) and is out of the picture because he is 35 now, averages 21.70 in his last 20 innings and his fielding isn't up to scratch following his broken leg playing golf.
Of the side that played yesterday, half would probably make our current strongest side. That's not to say that we are that good even with our best team in 50 over cricket (we were shambolic in the last WC, lost both series since then and are now behind in this one) but the reasons for that are somewhat obvious. It's also easy to be dismissive of our own domestic competition and series such as this as being of no value but then the expectation is that we can rock up for a WC without proper preparation and be competitive only to then find ourselves losing to New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia and India.
This is what happens when you play no One Day cricket at domestic level. That top 4 and Dan Mousley have not learnt how to build an innings in 50 over cricket.
For a comparison Yashasvi Jaiswal averages 50 in One Day cricket with 5 Hundreds. Sai Sudharsan averages 60 with 6 Hundreds…
English cricket does not respect any domestic format bar the 100 and it’s beginning to show.
This is what happens when you play no One Day cricket at domestic level. That top 4 and Dan Mousley have not learnt how to build an innings in 50 over cricket.
For a comparison Yashasvi Jaiswal averages 50 in One Day cricket with 5 Hundreds. Sai Sudharsan averages 60 with 6 Hundreds…
English cricket does not respect any domestic format bar the 100 and it’s beginning to show.
I made the point about adapting and preparation prior to the 50 over WC. The question was raised as to whether all forms of white ball is the same (which it isn't because the tempo, at times, is totally different) and it was suggested that other countries don't play it either - which they do. One only has to look at how many ODIs with their full side India played compared to us during the course of the year before the WC and all those internationals that are currently playing in Australia's domestic competition for the answer to that.
Cook was extremely critical both during and after this match of our preparation for all forms of the game. He mentioned that this squad hasn't been playing Test cricket and there is no excuse for trying to play your way into a series. We did that for both the India and Pakistan Test series and lost them both. The soundbites coming from the England management will be that they work incredibly hard in the lead up to series. Being in the nets is not "purposeful practice" and is no substitute for time in the middle but when you leave it up to the individuals to do what they want then going off and playing a round of golf sounds a lot more inviting.
Think the busy international schedule is often overlooked when talking about the white ball team. As said above, lots of players rested. Now they don’t play domestic 50 over stuff they can only learn in these games and someone like Brook needs the experience. He can’t be expected to fly from Pakistan to the Caribbean and then to New Zealand in such quick succession and playing so much cricket
Where's San Hain, Tom Banton or James Vince? Why Jamie Overton rather than Craig?
I honestly don't know the answer to the non-selection of Hain. It has to be a personality thing, perhaps the England hierarchy feel he's too "Australian" for the dressing room. I think Banton is on a bit of a recovery mission and not just in the sense of his loss of form until this season as he is very much someone who "likes to enjoy himself" and perhaps England came a bit too quickly for him. England probably feel that Vince has been given enough chances.
There is, of course, one other issue - the fact that we have 29 players centrally contracted. All of the top six that played yesterday are under contract and if we add the likes of Buttler, Root, Brook, Smith, Duckett and Crawley (and not even including Bairstow) to those, then we find a dozen players chasing those six places. England have to play that top six otherwise the question would be raised as what was the point of giving them that contract in the first place. Mousley is a bit different because he is so young but also bowls too and as for Overton, he's probably just grateful that he's in the England picture despite the fact he can't bowl. Asking Hain or Vince to bat at 7 or 8 and/or carry the drinks might not cut it for them! Just ask Dawson about that.
Think the busy international schedule is often overlooked when talking about the white ball team. As said above, lots of players rested. Now they don’t play domestic 50 over stuff they can only learn in these games and someone like Brook needs the experience. He can’t be expected to fly from Pakistan to the Caribbean and then to New Zealand in such quick succession and playing so much cricket
Think the busy international schedule is often overlooked when talking about the white ball team. As said above, lots of players rested. Now they don’t play domestic 50 over stuff they can only learn in these games and someone like Brook needs the experience. He can’t be expected to fly from Pakistan to the Caribbean and then to New Zealand in such quick succession and playing so much cricket
Think the busy international schedule is often overlooked when talking about the white ball team. As said above, lots of players rested. Now they don’t play domestic 50 over stuff they can only learn in these games and someone like Brook needs the experience. He can’t be expected to fly from Pakistan to the Caribbean and then to New Zealand in such quick succession and playing so much cricket
Perhaps they should!
Perhaps, but it isn't going to happen!
Which is precisely and predictably why we did so well in the 50 over World Cup! Brook's longest innings in The Hundred prior to the WC in 2023 was 42 balls. This year it was 33.
Think the busy international schedule is often overlooked when talking about the white ball team. As said above, lots of players rested. Now they don’t play domestic 50 over stuff they can only learn in these games and someone like Brook needs the experience. He can’t be expected to fly from Pakistan to the Caribbean and then to New Zealand in such quick succession and playing so much cricket
It’s his job and he is rewarded handsomely for it.
Things you don't like to see - Kohli, coming in instead of India opting for a nightwatchman, run out from a direct hit trying to nick a quick single with a matter of minutes of the day to go!
Looking at the averages of our WC openers Roy 4271 runs @ 40 with a SR of 106 Bairstow 3868 runs @ 43 with a SR of 103
Until we replicate that sort of top order run scoring, we'll always struggle. The international schedule is a nonsense, with a glut of these short series all over the world making multi format cricketers a rarity, but Jacks and Salt does not look like a top level 50 over opening partnership. Indeed I'd rather have Crawley and Duckett opening in 50 overs matches.
Looking at the averages of our WC openers Roy 4271 runs @ 40 with a SR of 106 Bairstow 3868 runs @ 43 with a SR of 103
Until we replicate that sort of top order run scoring, we'll always struggle. The international schedule is a nonsense, with a glut of these short series all over the world making multi format cricketers a rarity, but Jacks and Salt does not look like a top level 50 over opening partnership. Indeed I'd rather have Crawley and Duckett opening in 50 overs matches.
I think we come back to that same issue - Roy and Bairstow had 200 & 160 List A innings respectively. Salt and Jacks have had just 39 & 34 and they aren't going to get many more soon apart from playing for England.
It is also as much about preserving wickets for those final 10-15 overs, as well as a good start, and equally batters brought up on "see ball/hit ball", such as Cox really haven't had to work in T20s on being good at seeing angles and rotating, especially on "sticky" wickets, as a Root might do. In last night's innings, Cox scored 17 off 31 balls with 21 of those being dots. He then got so frustrated that he played a horrible hack to a ball that simply wasn't there to pull.
Things you don't like to see - Kohli, coming in instead of India opting for a nightwatchman, run out from a direct hit trying to nick a quick single with a matter of minutes of the day to go!
It's even better than that - they did opt for a nightwatchman but it went as badly as it possibly could have - he was LBW first ball and wasted a review in the process, bringing Kohli in anyway. Good of India to provide us with something to enjoy about cricket given the lack of entertainment from England.
Comments
It's a farce. Has Appleton taken over as coach ?
Of the side that played yesterday, half would probably make our current strongest side. That's not to say that we are that good even with our best team in 50 over cricket (we were shambolic in the last WC, lost both series since then and are now behind in this one) but the reasons for that are somewhat obvious. It's also easy to be dismissive of our own domestic competition and series such as this as being of no value but then the expectation is that we can rock up for a WC without proper preparation and be competitive only to then find ourselves losing to New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia and India.
For a comparison Yashasvi Jaiswal averages 50 in One Day cricket with 5 Hundreds. Sai Sudharsan averages 60 with 6 Hundreds…
English cricket does not respect any domestic format bar the 100 and it’s beginning to show.
Cook was extremely critical both during and after this match of our preparation for all forms of the game. He mentioned that this squad hasn't been playing Test cricket and there is no excuse for trying to play your way into a series. We did that for both the India and Pakistan Test series and lost them both. The soundbites coming from the England management will be that they work incredibly hard in the lead up to series. Being in the nets is not "purposeful practice" and is no substitute for time in the middle but when you leave it up to the individuals to do what they want then going off and playing a round of golf sounds a lot more inviting.
There is, of course, one other issue - the fact that we have 29 players centrally contracted. All of the top six that played yesterday are under contract and if we add the likes of Buttler, Root, Brook, Smith, Duckett and Crawley (and not even including Bairstow) to those, then we find a dozen players chasing those six places. England have to play that top six otherwise the question would be raised as what was the point of giving them that contract in the first place. Mousley is a bit different because he is so young but also bowls too and as for Overton, he's probably just grateful that he's in the England picture despite the fact he can't bowl. Asking Hain or Vince to bat at 7 or 8 and/or carry the drinks might not cut it for them! Just ask Dawson about that.
Roy 4271 runs @ 40 with a SR of 106
Bairstow 3868 runs @ 43 with a SR of 103
Until we replicate that sort of top order run scoring, we'll always struggle. The international schedule is a nonsense, with a glut of these short series all over the world making multi format cricketers a rarity, but Jacks and Salt does not look like a top level 50 over opening partnership. Indeed I'd rather have Crawley and Duckett opening in 50 overs matches.
It is also as much about preserving wickets for those final 10-15 overs, as well as a good start, and equally batters brought up on "see ball/hit ball", such as Cox really haven't had to work in T20s on being good at seeing angles and rotating, especially on "sticky" wickets, as a Root might do. In last night's innings, Cox scored 17 off 31 balls with 21 of those being dots. He then got so frustrated that he played a horrible hack to a ball that simply wasn't there to pull.
Gill 70 not out
NZ 20-1 just 8 runs behind
Windies 12 for 2