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England's ODI team cull will begin after World Cup
Match against Pakistan is likely to be the last ODI for Messrs Stokes, Root, Ali, Bairstow, Malan, Wood, Woakes and possibly even Rashid
It will be the end of an era at Eden Gardens on Saturday as England’s worst ever World Cup limps to a close with players expecting a “total overhaul” after the tournament.
For many of the 2019 World Cup winners, the final group game against Pakistan at one of the world’s most iconic grounds is likely to be their last in ODI cricket.
Jonny Bairstow, 34, Joe Root, 32, Mark Wood (if he is picked) 33, Adil Rashid, 35, Moeen Ali, 36, Ben Stokes, 32, and Chris Woakes, 34, will all be fearing changes and are long enough in the tooth to know a World Cup campaign this poor does not come without consequence.
David Willey is retiring from international cricket and, at 36, Dawid Malan is realistic enough to know he may also pay the price despite a decent World Cup personally. Liam Livingstone, 30, will be another who could have played his last ODI. He was dropped for the Netherlands match and showed few signs at this tournament of being up to the 50-over game.
“I’m quite realistic with a lot of things. When it comes to teams not playing as well, it’s always the older guys that tend to [get binned] which is fair enough because they’re not going to be there in a couple of years’ time,” said Malan.
The Twenty20 World Cup in June offers a six-month reprieve for some but in the ODI format new blood will be introduced in the West Indies next month and team director, Rob Key, is in Kolkata to meet the players and discuss their futures. “From a T20 point of view a total overhaul might be an overreaction but from a 50-over cricket… probably not,” said Malan.
Jos Buttler has said he wants to stay on as captain and Matthew Mott seems certain to carry on as coach to defend the Twenty20 World Cup, fully supported by Key. It is likely to be a gradual phasing out for the players. A few will be rested for next month’s white-ball tour to the West Indies, and after that England do not play 50-over cricket until September giving them plenty of time to assess replacements.
Multi-year contracts include clauses that players are guaranteed their payment for ODI cricket even if they are dropped and that negates the likelihood of any retiring.
What has been learned though is that England need to prepare better, not drop in at a World Cup at the last minute like they did here. With that in mind, players will have to return earlier than expected from next year’s IPL to play a T20 series in England against Pakistan in May, the lead up to June’s World Cup.
Most of the names will be familiar in that squad, partly because England believe the T20 format is where they are stronger and need to make fewer changes.
Players such as Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Rehan Ahmed and Jamie Smith can expect chances in ODI cricket while of those in India Harry Brook, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson all have futures.
Rashid has Ahmed breathing down his neck but may well survive the ODI cull for a bit longer, while Buttler is needed to captain the side because there is no alternative. England will need some experienced, older heads to help the next generation develop.
Champions Trophy qualification is all but guaranteed after the big win over the Netherlands and results elsewhere going England’s way. It would take a massive loss to Pakistan and Bangladesh to beat Australia and Netherlands defeat India for England to drop out of the top eight and the latter scenarios are hard to imagine.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will be the next test of England’s ODI mettle and a vital staging post on the way to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia where truer, quicker pitches will suit them far more than those in India.
For Pakistan to reach the last four they have to beat England by 287 runs – which would be the biggest margin of victory in ODIs – to move beyond New Zealand on run rate. They cannot realistically improve their net run rate enough if they bowl first.
Malan has not spoken to Key and will hope his one-year central contract gives him some protection for the Twenty20 World Cup but he was axed after the last Ashes tour when England went through a reset in that format. Once bitten comes to mind for him.
“Ultimately when you get to a stage like this, you have to make decisions and I guess that filters down to both formats (ODI and T20). It’s still the same leadership and it’s still the same way they want to approach it. There could be a total overhaul for both. Who knows?” he said. “They haven’t selected teams for the West Indies yet, have they? So from my side I have no idea what’s going on with that. But yeah, you still want to play for England as long as you can.”