Jos Buttler-led England will land in India looking to defend the ODI World Cup trophy. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a strong 15-man squad, which includes Ben Stokes, who announced his ODI retirement last year.
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England’s 2023 World Cup Squad
England will begin its campaign at Narendra Modi Stadium on October 5. The selectors were forced to omit Jofra Archer, recovering from an elbow injury, from the final squad. However, the fast bowler is travelling with the team as a reserve. The likes of Gus Atkinson, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Reece Topley, Sam Curran, Harry Brook, and David Willey will be appearing in the ODI World Cup for the first time.
Here’s the 15-man ODI squad:
- Jos Buttler (captain)
- Moeen Ali
- Gus Atkinson
- Jonny Bairstow
- Sam Curran
- Liam Livingstone
- Dawid Malan
- Adil Rashid
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes
- Reece Topley
- David Willey
- Mark Wood
- Chris Woakes
Let’s take a close look at the England’s 15-member squad:
Jos Buttler:
The wicketkeeper-batter, who has played in two World Cups and won one, has been named England’s 2023 ODI World Cup skipper. He is expected to play in the middle-order and create havoc for the bowlers in the closing stage of the innings.
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Jonny Bairstow:
Watch out for the hard-hitting Jonny Bairstow, who can effortlessly slam bowlers out of the park. He has a terrific ODI record, accounting for over 3500 runs in close to 90 innings. He will play a crucial role in the England top order, where he is expected to open the innings.
Moeen Ali:
The all-rounder has played in the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings, which means he is well aware of Indian conditions. This experience will help, as Moeen Ali knows how to bat there and turn the ball, making him a dangerman for England.
Dawid Malan:
The tall left-handed batter may be a Test discard, but he has been the top T20I batter for England. He has a fantastic record in ODIs, with four centuries to his name. Dawid Malan struck a hundred and two fifties against New Zealand in the recently concluded four-match series.
Joe Root:
The ever-reliable Englishman is the most experienced player in the squad but will have to up his game in the 50-over format. In the ongoing series against New Zealand, he scored just 39 runs in four innings. Root, who scored 556 runs in the 2019 World Cup, is expected to play a significant role in England’s middle order.
Ben Stokes:
England’s hero in the 2019 edition had called time on his retirement, only to retract it a year later. Now, it needs to be seen how this decision pans out. Ben Stokes is the leading all-rounder in this side and is expected to bat at five. Moreover, he could also shine with the ball, coming on as the second change.
Harry Brook:
The Yorkshire batter was initially not included in the 15-man squad. However, Malan’s impressive performances in the opener role made selectors drop Jason Roy, who missed the New Zealand ODI series due to an injury, and include the outstanding Harry Brook.
Liam Livingstone:
The big-hitter has two hundreds in T20 cricket. If the Lancashire batter gets a minimum of 20 overs, he can also slam a century in ODIs. That’s why Liam Livingstone is such an important player in this England setup and will have to look after the finishing job at the front end of the innings.
Sam Curran:
The bowling all-rounder was the most expensive player in the 2023 IPL, thanks to his superb performance during the 2022 T20 World Cup, playing a pivotal role in England’s triumph. Sam Curran can be dangerous with the new ball, and the southpaw creates an angle that is difficult to counter and is handy with the bat.
Chris Woakes:
The fast bowler will likely share the new ball with either Mark Wood or David Willey. In Archer’s absence, he will be the pace spearhead for England. He played a crucial role in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup triumph 2019 and is expected to shine again.
Mark Wood:
The Lucknow Super Giants player is an interesting case. He has a short action but can generate excessive amounts of speed. For this reason, the Lucknow-based franchise in the IPL picked him. The 33-year-old’s sub-continent experience will be helpful for England during the ODI World Cup.
Adil Rashid:
With Moeen by his side, Rashid can be extremely dangerous. Remember that he and Moeen will be doing the bulk of the overs in the middle phase of the match. Like many England players, Rashid is not alien to Indian conditions and will be a big threat.
David Willey:
The left-arm pacer might have been picked as a bowler, but he will be the second bowling all-rounder after Stokes. Not many know that Willey has opened once in domestic cricket and can be an excellent batter in the lower-middle order.
Reece Topley:
The 29-year-old left-armer has an angle that is hard to counter, especially for the right-hand batters. He is also lanky, which means he can extract good bounce, helping him make crucial breakthroughs. He has a career-best figures of 6/24 against India.
Gus Atkinson:
The tearaway pacer was a surprise inclusion in the England side and got rewarded for his sublime show in The Hundred. Though he is the most inexperienced player in the 15-member squad, Gus Atkinson can make the ball talk in Indian conditions.
England has a perfect blend of youth and experience in the World Cup squad. It is what makes them a dangerous team in the upcoming World Cup.
Concluding Thoughts
England is the team to beat. However, the defending champions have a big challenge in India. But with the likes of experienced players like Stokes, Buttler, Bairstow, Moeen, Root, Livingstone, etc., England could become the third team after West Indies and Australia to successfully defend the ODI World title.