England have announced a 15-strong squad for their three-match ODI series against Australia, which begins four days after the T20 World Cup final.
The series, not part of the Cricket World Cup Super League, will be played in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne from Thursday, November 17 to Tuesday, November 22.
England squad for Australia ODIs: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Liam Dawson, Luke Wood, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, James Vince, Olly Stone, Phil Salt, Dawid Malan, David Willey, Chris Woakes.
Jason Roy retained
It’s a sign of how quickly things have changed that it’s even considered worthy of note that England have retained Jason Roy. Along with Jonny Bairstow, he has formed one of the most fearsome opening pairs ODI cricket has ever known, and is one of only a handful of batters to average over 40 and strike at above a run-a-ball in the format.
However, after a dramatic loss of form this summer, this could be a make-or-break series for Roy. Demoted in the ECB’s central contracts, left out for the T20 World Cup and with the shadow of Alex Hales looming large, Roy needs to reassert his value quickly. Whether a few months off has refreshed him and allowed him to return to being the Roy he once was will be one of the series’ most intriguing subplots.
James Vince recalled
Despite the squad not containing any members of England’s Test or Lions squad to tour the UAE and Pakistan, the number of players England have cycled through this year means it retains a familiar feel. James Vince, who last played for England in a five-match T20I series against West Indies in January, is the most distanced absentee.
His last ODI was that golden day against Pakistan last May when a Covid-19 outbreak cleared a path for his maiden international century. For a time, it appeared that might be a glorious coda to a fraught, fitful England career. But with Roy out of form, a World Cup looming, and Vince racking up trophies wherever he goes, he has the chance to show why he should be the next in line.
England’s World Cup warriors kept on the treadmill
England’s Test squad haven’t been considered, but several of those participating in the T20 World Cup have found a way into this squad. In a way, it’s not much of an imposition. Sun yourselves in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne a week longer. Represent your country, that thing you got into this game to do. Maybe smash some Aussies. And this is England’s last white-ball engagement for the year, so there’s a chance for rest afterwards.
Still, in this era of rest, rotation and workload management, it’s hard not to wonder if this engagement – not a part of the Cricket World Cup Super League – might be one the likes of Adil Rashid and Jos Buttler could do without.
What is the plan with Olly Stone?
Olly Stone has had an odd sort of career. He’s played eight times across formats for England in four years. He has a Test bowling average below 20, including match figures of 4-68 on a Chennai turner. When he’s fully fit, he might just be the second-fastest bowler in the country behind Mark Wood. Unfortunately, that fitness can rarely be taken for granted, with Stone one of those cricketers who attracts ailments like a white t-shirt attracts stains. Sure, there have been stress fractures and muscle pulls, hazards of the trades. But there have also been ligaments ruptured in celebration, fingers broken for the second XI. If you see him anywhere near a putting green, shake some sense into him, because a freak golfing accident is all he needs to complete the set.
So it makes sense that England haven’t been building a side around him. But now that he is fit, it’s tricky to work out what the plan is. Is 50-over cricket, in which he averages 97 international and 43 domestically, really his best use? Is Jamie Overton really a better Test bowler? Is this workload management, or is he being pigeonholed as a white-ball specialist? If so, it would be a shame for a bowler who looked to have that rare gift of being able to break games open when the surface was unhelpful.
Where is England’s next generation?
It’s been a good few months for England’s fabled white-ball depth, with Harry Brook and Will Jacks showing that the wellspring is still flowing. But this is an old squad. Sam Curran (24) is the youngest. Phil Salt is 26, Luke Wood 27, Stone 29, and the rest all 30 or older. Sam Billings has rejoined the carousel. Chris Jordan, who last played an ODI in early 2020, is back in the frame despite slipping down the T20I pecking order. England have one wrist-spinner they trust, and he’s enduring a poor year. Is the relegation of the domestic 50-over competition to second-tier status the cause a dearth of players emerging in that format? Or is this simply a weird squad picked for a weird series?
