Ahead of England’s first T20I against Australia on Friday, four Wisden writers have their say on who should line up for the hosts from the players available.
Eoin Morgan has confirmed that Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow will open up, but it appears that our writers are in disagreement with that call. What other names have they opted for in their XIs?
Jo Harman, Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine editor
Jonny Bairstow
Tom Banton
Dawid Malan
Eoin Morgan
Jos Buttler
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Chris Jordan
Jofra Archer
Adil Rashid
Mark Wood
Jos Buttler’s equally destructive up top or in the finisher’s role but it’s the latter where England need him most, particularly with Ben Stokes missing from the middle order, so he slots in at No.5. I’d keep him there for the World Cup – a player with his skill and temperament in that position is priceless. I’d have picked David Willey but following his omission from the squad Sam Curran gets a chance to impress at No.7 – a position still very much up for grabs. Mark Wood has to play – to leave him on the sidelines again after a summer of kicking his heels would be too cruel – so he edges out Tom Curran. Jofra Archer should give the side the potency they’ve been lacking with the new ball.
Ben Gardner, Wisden.com managing editor
Jos Buttler
Tom Banton
Jonny Bairstow
Eoin Morgan
Moeen Ali
Sam Billings
Sam Curran
Tom Curran
Jofra Archer
Chris Jordan
Adil Rashid
Jos Buttler may yet end up as England’s finisher, but for now it makes sense to keep the order much as it was against South Africa, with fringe players subbing in for the first-teamers unavailable, in this case meaning Tom Banton can build on his impressive showing against Pakistan, and Sam Billings gets another chance to show he can be England’s finisher.
Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, and Adil Rashid are England’s three must-picks, and Sam Curran, with his left-arm swing, has clearly been identified as the man to try and solve Eoin Morgan’s twin issues of bowling up top and batting down the bottom. That leaves Tom Curran and Mark Wood competing for one place, and for me Wood will need to don the bib a bit longer. There were tentative signs that the Surrey man was returning to form against Pakistan, and if England can get the bowler who rocked the Perth Stadium in 2018 back, they will feel a lot more confident about their bowling depth.
Taha Hashim, Wisden.com features editor
Jonny Bairstow
Tom Banton
Dawid Malan
Eoin Morgan
Jos Buttler
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Adil Rashid
Chris Jordan
Jofra Archer
Mark Wood
Add in a fully-fit Jason Roy, consider Joe Root’s continued absence and realise that Phil Salt remains uncapped – England’s top-order depth is mega. And so I remain in support of the argument that Jos Buttler should slide down the order, despite what he offers as an opener. England can be flexible with him; imagine the front two have hit homer after homer inside the first 10, and you don’t want to let up one bit – Buttler can just join the ride at No.3 or 4. My funky pick is the younger Curran, who could offer valuable wickets in the powerplay and always seems to have an entertaining batting cameo in him, which is all you can ask of a No.7.
Sam Dyer, Wisden.com staff writer
Tom Banton
Jonny Bairstow
Dawid Malan
Eoin Morgan
Jos Buttler
Sam Billings
Moeen Ali
Sam Curran
Chris Jordan
Jofra Archer
Adil Rashid
With Banton having added his name to England’s long list of opening options in T20, I’d push Buttler back into his old finisher role where the cupboard is significantly barer. Moeen will realistically have to be called upon to deliver his full allocation of overs with Malan the only semi-feasible option outside the five front-line bowlers. Billings gets another chance to stake his claim to a middle-order spot, while Malan’s consistently strong performances make him extremely hard to leave out. Curran to bowl four up top while the ball is swinging (a role which could equally suit David Willey if he were in the squad), while Archer and Jordan are earmarked as the death bowlers.
