Picking the England XI for the first Sri Lanka ODI

Jo Harman, Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine editor

Jonny Bairstow (wk)
Liam Livingstone
Joe Root
Eoin Morgan (c)
Sam Billings
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Chris Woakes
George Garton
Adil Rashid
Mark Wood

Liam Livingstone’s future lies in the middle order for England but this feels a good opportunity to give him a lead role after some encouraging cameos in recent months. He’s opened for Lancs and the Lions in 50-over cricket so he should feel comfortable against the new ball (even if he’s only managed to play two 50-over matches for his county in the last three years). Moeen may be called upon for a few overs of off-spin but he’s primarily picked as a batsman in this side and given license to play with the freedom that we saw in the IPL. A series against a weak (and further weakened) Sri Lankan side provides the perfect opportunity to blood George Garton in international cricket, and I’d like to see the Sussex left-armer play at least two of the three matches, bowling short, rapid spells in the middle overs in tandem with Wood once Curran and Woakes have gone to work with the new ball.

Ben Gardner, Wisden.com managing editor

Moeen Ali
Jonny Bairstow (wk)
Joe Root
Dawid Malan
Liam Livingstone
Eoin Morgan (c)
Chris Woakes
David Willey
Adil Rashid
George Garton
Mark Wood

I so desperately want to feel something. And I guess also, I want to learn something. England fans have been through enough with the T20I dirge doing nothing to erase the numbing feeling of five Tests without a win and that proud home record dashed. So let’s level the playing field slightly – Sri Lanka have already graciously weakened themselves – and pick some players we can all get behind, rather than sleepwalking through another whitewash with the same cricketers doing the same things.

I want to see Dawid Malan in what should be his best format – he can score as little as he likes off 20 balls with the freedom of 50 overs to catch up. I want to see Liam Livingstone, an England regular in any other era, at No.5, right in the engine room, where he can build the innings and then finish it. I want to see George Garton, he of the impossible bowling action, even if, after all that, he still only ends up sending it down at 84mph.

And most importantly I want to see Moeen Ali, not just for a game, but for the series, at the top of the order as his talents deserve, hitting through the line and over the top, the first 10 overs a happy daze of one-bounce lofted fours, not over-hit, not under-hit, not really hit at all. An in-form Moeen is a priceless asset. This is the perfect opportunity to give him licence and just let him play. I think we’ve earned a little treat.

Phil Walker, Wisden Cricket Monthly editor-in-chief

Jonny Bairstow (wk)
Liam Livingstone
Joe Root
Dawid Malan
Eoin Morgan (c)
Sam Billings
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Chris Woakes
Adil Rashid
George Garton

With no Roy, I’d open with Livingstone. He has all the shots and he’s accustomed to opening, albeit in T20s. He was quietly imposing on debut in India, wears a tidy sweatband and his hands are lightning. I like him. Billings and Malan can have a dart: the former’s hundred against Australia last summer settled a few debates about his international pedigree, while the latter, called up as cover, will be spending yet another week tamping down the questions around his. In this near-gimme of a fixture, it’s worth seeing how the second string go, which brings us to the bowlers: while Mark Wood naturally plays in your best team, I’d be tempted to give the lefty George Garton his head as the uber-quick option, with Woakes – who needs to play lots of cricket this summer, as much for his own peace of mind – and Sam Curran in support. Moeen Ali too: I still believe that a fully focused and fully wanted Moeen has a role to play for England, and not necessarily just in this format.

Yas Rana, Wisden.com head of content

Jonny Bairstow (wk)
Dawid Malan
Joe Root
Eoin Morgan
Sam Billings
Liam Livingstone
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Chris Woakes
George Garton
Adil Rashid

The one criticism you can give England after the T20I series was that they didn’t learn much. Despite these games effectively acting as World Cup qualifiers, I’d like to see England shuffle the pack against a Sri Lanka side who lie bottom of the World Cup Super League and are without four members of their first choice top six.

I’m excited to see Garton get his first run out in international cricket; if it were up to me, he’d play all three games. Liam Livingstone was impressive in India so I’d like him to get a run of games in the middle-order, too. There is a world in which he plays an important role in this year’s T20 World Cup, so he should get as much international cricket under his belt before then as possible.

My tail is extremely bulky but I want to see my trio of all-rounders – Moeen Ali, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes – in action, none of whom have played a huge amount of cricket of late.