Team balance and form fears – Five questions for England to answer in the New Zealand ODIs

The series will be crucial, not only in spotting any changes that need to be made to their preliminary squad before locking it in, but also in fine tuning how they want their XI to look for the first match in India.

Here’s what’s on the agenda for Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott to find out in the upcoming series.

Can Roy and/or Malan find form?

Malan’s continued lack of form from the Hundred into the T20I series compounded England’s Harry Brook selection headache. While Malan fulfils a different role from Brook in the ODI squad – it’s hard to picture Brook batting higher than four and similarly counterproductive for Malan to bat lower than that – there could be a case for a direct swap-out to get Brook in if Malan doesn’t find runs quickly, especially now Brook has been added to the ODI squad to face New Zealand.

Equally, Jason Roy is also under pressure. His T20 franchise form has been patchy at best for a year now, and England were willing to drop him at short notice for last year’s T20 World Cup. With the urgency of the Brook question, Roy needs to make sure he’s ahead of Malan in the shootout to make way for Brook if England reverse their decision to exclude him. It’s almost certain one of Roy, Malan or Brook will not be on the plane to India. Roy and Malan have four final matches to secure their plane ticket.

Can Bairstow/Root/Stokes slot straight back in after a year out?

All of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes have different reasons for having not played ODI cricket in over a year. Stokes temporarily retired, Root was needed for Test match commitments and Bairstow’s leg-break kept him out of the picture. Nevertheless, they have four matches to turn it on 2019-style before heading to India. Root is an all-time ODI great, but has been inconsistent in the few matches he’s played in the format since the last World Cup. In that time he averages 35.1 and he hasn’t scored a century since that competition. Concern around Stokes resides, as ever, in shepherding his body through another gruelling six weeks of cricket. Without being able to reprise his role as the all-round ballast in the side, he will take on more burden with the bat.

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Bairstow should be the least of England’s concerns. In continued blistering form from the Ashes, the T20 series saw his brash and blistering best. Fulfilling a similar role in ODIs is a less harsh format transition than for some, but if it isn’t the familiarity of Roy, or Roy at his best, as his opening partner, there might be a few teething problems to iron out.

Do they need a bowling option at No.6?

While Stokes’ return is welcome, it doesn’t solve the issue of England’s lack of a proper all-rounder. Buttler’s move up to five from coming in at six in 2019 is significant. It opens the door for a batting all-rounder to fill that gap. But it’s arguable whether that’s what they really need.

Livingstone has yet to deliver on his promise in the ODI format and on recent fifty-over form, Moeen Ali would be better suited to come in at seven. Going in with five bowling options and slotting another pure-bred batter into the top order could be a better way to go.

It’s worth remembering that Stokes bowled four overs or less in seven of England’s 12 matches in the 2019 World Cup. While he’s not in the side as a bowler, given that he’s fit enough to bat and field, it’s hard to see that, in a desperate situation, Stokes would be incapable of sending down a couple of overs. There’s also Root to consider, who could on occasion fill out the extra overs required. England will have to use the New Zealand ODIs to find the best way to use their resources to balance their XI.

What is their best seam combination?

With the addition of Brydon Carse at late notice, England have ten bowlers in their squad capable of sending down ten overs. From that, don’t expect the same bowling combination to be used twice in these four ODIs. Gus Atkinson and Carse were impressive in the T20s and have potentially complicated Buttler and Mott’s vision of what their best attack is.

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There are still some near certainties. Expect Chris Woakes to be among the seam ranks in as many matches as possible, Topley is still the premier left-armer, and Mark Wood is as fearsome as ever. But with such a long tournament, different combinations must be ready to pick up the rest and rotation slack on a match-by-match basis. With a squad of 17 and so many bowling options, at least one is set to be left on the outside after these ODIs are done.

Does the first choice 15 need any changes?

Following these ODIs England also have three matches against Ireland to play, the last of which is two days before all World Cup 15-man squads have to be locked in. If there are to be any changes to England’s current 15, expect them to be made in between the two bilateral series. Apart from the most obvious one of Brook, there could also be some late bolters. As already mentioned, Carse wasn’t in the original 15 but has made the squad to face New Zealand a 16. If he elevates himself again then a member of the original squad will be forced to make way.

Less than a month out from their first match of the World Cup, where it will be New Zealand on the opposing side again, these four ODIs are a learning experience as much as they are a contest to win.