Published: Jun 21, 2016, 09:10 AM (IST)
Edited: Jun 21, 2016, 09:10 AM (IST)
England are still figuring out their XI to play for ODIs for the upcoming series after the absence of their key player Ben Stokes. Stokes was smashed for 4 sixes during the final over of ICC T20 World Cup 2016 finale and was devastated to lead his team to defeat against West Indies in the finale. Stokes is yet to find his place in the limited-overs cricket. Considering his statistics, they are very ordinary to keep him in the squad. With his absence, England are facing difficulty in finding the right selection. Stokes is also away from the Royal London ODI series due to knee injury. England are in fix now as they are deciding on the possible combinations that can be used. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: England vs Sri Lanka, 1st ODI match at Nottingham
England are aiming for just five bowlers, with Joe Root in reserve, or weakening their batting in order to squeeze in the extra bowler should one of the five experience injury or an off day. As of now they have just few confirmations on their side, Jos Buttler will keep wickets and skipper Eoin Morgan will bat at No.4. Possibility of opening the batting with Moeen Ali is high on cards, who has two ODI centuries to his name. So that brings their usual opening pair Alex Hales and Jason Roy down the order, who have set the bar high for England so far. David Willey’s absence is also another concern for England. So Chris Woakes gets a call at No.6 and then making room for five bowlers. Jonathan Bairstow might also go up the order after his outstanding performance in the Test series. He could be the ideal replacement for Stokes at the moment.
Considering Nottingham’s pitch, it favors four seamers and a spinner. So either Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid gets a call. The pacers will include Steven Finn, Chris Jordan and Woakes. As for the skipper, Morgan’s form has been shaky. Morgan has now gone 18 international innings without a half-century – a run that extends back to November and the first ODI of the series against Pakistan – and, in the South Africa ODI series, averaged only 12.80. He desperately needs a series to prove all these numbers wrong and get his position at the top. England have lost their last three ODIs and are rated below fifth-placed Sri Lanka in ICC rankings. Morgan spoke to ESPNcricinfo.com and said, “Ben leaves a huge hole. He is a key member of our side. It’d be the same thing if the likes of Moeen Ali went down. Having Moeen batting at possibly six or seven is a luxury when he’s a front-line spin bowler.”
He further added, “We’re still at the beginning of building hopefully what will be a successful campaign in the 2019 World Cup. It’s important for us not only to stick with the same group of players in order to grow their experience but also to find some consistency in our performances. We’re 12 months down the road and we have built a lot of confidence. There’s a bit more expectation on us as a side and it’s important to relish that expectation. The Champions Trophy is this time next year and the World Cup is two years later so as the home side we’re looking to put in performances so that people don’t see us as outsiders.” ALSO READ: ENG vs SL 2016, 1st ODI at Nottingham: Predictions and Preview
Whatever the final selection, we can expect England to continue the same bold cricket that has characterised their performances over the last 12 months. Morgan mentioned, “We’re trying to change the mentality. The mentality was, that if you’re getting beaten around the park, you might try and bowl tight and move things around. But actually trying to get the batsman out is still a priority. It’s the same with the batting. If we’re three down and you get bowled a half-volley, you still have to hit it. It’s part and parcel of changing the mindset of the side.”
He further said, “I went straight from the one-day series and played a lot of county cricket last summer and the way England played had set the agenda about the brand of aggressive cricket we were playing. Everybody seemed to relate to it. A lot of the younger guys were loving it. It is very important to connect with county cricket because we can sometimes become detached and that is not good for anybody.”
