The cricket fever has gripped fans, and the excitement level is at an all-time high as the ODI World Cup 2023 starts in just over a month. With the tournament approaching quickly, teams are busy finalizing their squads. One side which has already got some clarity are the defending champions, with the final England ODI World Cup squad already being announced.
England broke their ODI World Cup curse in 2019 when they won a dramatic final under the stewardship of Eoin Morgan. As Morgan now stands retired from international cricket, the captaincy baton was passed to Jos Buttler, who led England to another title in the form of a T20 World Cup last year.
BREAKING: The defending champions, England have named their 15-member provisional squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. pic.twitter.com/tqhZzDGMAD
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) August 16, 2023
While The Three Lions already seem to have zeroed in on 15 names for the upcoming World Cup, let us break this group down and see if we can expect any changes, as well as analysing where they stack up in comparison to the rest of the sides.
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England's ODI World Cup squad: Provisional line up
It is no longer a mystery where England's preference lies in terms of selection, as they have already named a preliminary 15-member squad. But still, there are a few matches left in the lead-up to the World Cup, and England can make changes until September 27.
Here are the names of the players we see making it to the final England ODI World Cup squad.
Specialist batsmen
England's batting stock in their ODI World Cup squad consists of the following batters:
- Harry Brook
Harry Brook was initially left when England named their provisional squad for the mega event to be played in India. But after he played some handy knocks against New Zealand, the right-handed batter was included in the final squad. Brook replaced the very experienced Jason Roy in the final squad.
- Dawid Malan
Another top-order batter, Dawid Malan, has been included in England's preliminary squad. Malan was used as an opener in a few ODIs in the absence of Jonny Bairstow. However, now that the latter is back, Malan can occupy the No. 3 position, where he averages 70.
- Joe Root
There is no chance England will miss out on this name. A proper team man, Joe Root, does whatever is asked of him. The 32-year-old has not played an ODI in a year. The series prior to the World Cup will give him time to get comfortable in the No. 4 batting spot.
England will likely go in with three primary batters. But if anyone deserves to be in this line-up, it has to be Harry Brook. He is touted as the next big thing, but as the defending champions have recalled their match-winner Ben Stokes out of ODI retirement, Brook had to be pushed aside.
Wicket keepers
These two wicketkeepers are sureties in the England ODI World Cup squad:
- Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow has not had a taste of ODI cricket in the last year or so. But now he sits in the vicinity of playing the series versus New Zealand, which will be an ideal preparation for him to operate in full swing during the World Cup.
- Jos Buttler
Buttler has been playing triple duty in white-ball cricket. He is the captain of England and, along with it performs the roles of a batter and a wicketkeeper. He found success in the previous T20 World Cup as the skipper and would want to maintain his 100 percent success rate in the nearing competition.
England have another wicketkeeper in Philip Salt, but given that the spots are limited, he will probably be sidelined when the final World Cup squad is announced, just like he was in the provisional group.
All rounders
A well-balanced mixture of spinners and medium pacers adds versatility to the England all-rounders category.
- Ben Stokes
Big Ben is back. The England Test captain has taken back his ODI retirement. He will now be seen playing for England in the World Cup, but considering his knee issues, there are high chances that he will play mainly as a batter.
Stokes hit a half-century in his very first match since comeback. Thereafter, he scored 182 and broke Roy’s record of the highest individual score by an English batter in ODIs.
Stokes’ record in India is stupendous and one can expect him to perform well in the World Cup.
Welcome back to ODI cricket, Ben Stokes…!! pic.twitter.com/MXGBW5t4oD
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 16, 2023
- Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali will be another valuable addition to the England ODI World Cup squad. Just imagine how useful his off-spin can be in India. Also, England are using him as a finisher, and he is giving away good results with his all-or-nothing batting.
- Sam Curran
No one imagined Sam Curran would be the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2023. But he did claim this achievement after forcing England towards a title-winning campaign. While he often gets flown under the radar, Curran's left-arm medium-pace and lower-order hitting can be quite effective in the ODI World Cup.
- Liam Livingstone
A batter with brute force, Liam Livingtone, can clear any ground in the world with ease. His specialty lies in the fact that he bowls both off- and leg-spin. He is a certainty in the England ODI World Cup squad.
- Chris Woakes
Chris Woakes is the only England player in the top 10 ODI rankings (all-rounder) for any category. While Woakes' utility resides in his medium-pace, England can still trust his batting ability.
- David Willey
David Willey is another left-arm medium-pacer. Like Woakes, Willey is more of a bowler, but we can expect fireworks from him in the slog overs if given a chance.
Although Stokes' addition is a surprise, England have only been playing with these all-rounders lately, and it is close to impossible that they tweak this aspect in their final squad.
Specialist bowlers
England have three pacers and a spinner as their specialist bowlers.
- Mark Wood
Mark Wood will lead England's pace attack in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Wood is dangerously quick. Known for his raw pace, he can reduce any batting order to bits.
- Reece Topley
Another left-arm pacer, Reece Topley, acted as India's nemesis last time they toured England and played limited-overs cricket. Topley is highly skilled, and with his variations, he can prove to be England's trump card.
- Gus Atkinson
Gus Atkinson, 25, will be the third specialist pacer in the England ODI World Cup squad. He recently made his international debut and has little experience at the domestic level. But England is banking on his talent to deliver the goods in India.
- Adil Rashid (spinner)
Adil Rashid will likely be the only frontline spinner in the England ODI World Cup squad. The leggie had direct competition with Rehan Ahmed, but England have gone with experience in their final squad.
Jofra Archer should have gotten an entry if not for his fitness concerns. Same goes with Olly Stone, who is recovering from an injury. While there is a valid argument that England should have picked Rehan, they seemed to have prioritised experience by choosing Rashid over him or wanted an extra pacer.
Probable England ODI World Cup 2023 playing 11
After a careful assessment of how the England ODI World Cup squad might be formed, their starting playing XI for the tournament could be along these lines:
- Harry Brook
- Jonny Bairstow
- Dawid Malan/Liam Livingstone
- Joe Root
- Ben Stokes
- Jos Buttler (captain/wicketkeeper)
- Moeen Ali
- Sam Curran/Chris Woakes
- Adil Rashid
- Mark Wood
- Reece Topley
England has all bases covered as far as their batting department is concerned. In Roy's absence, Bairstow needs to step up. Malan and Root are adept against spin and will get to bat mostly in the middle overs when the tweakers operate. The inclusion of Stokes furthers the firepower, which was already in full pomp thanks to the likes of Buttler, Moeen, and Curran.
However, the only bottleneck comes in the form of the performance of their bowlers in India. While their leading pacer, Mark Wood, has not played a single ODI in India, the rest of the England bowlers do not have a very good record there.
Still, England are one of the favorites to win the ODI World Cup in 2023. What goes in their favor is that they have as many as nine players in their squad from the 2019 edition of the tournament who will also be participating in this year's event.
