The Malta Independent on Sunday
England approaches moment of reckoning at Cricket World Cup
an aggressive, positive, risk-taking mindset was instilled. Just look at the results. Since the 2015 World Cup, England has posted 15 of its 17 highest ODI totals, has lost just three of its 19 multi-game ODI series, and run up the two highest scores in ODI history – 481-6 against Australia in Nottingham in June 2018, and 444-3 against Pakistan on the same Trent Bridge track in August 2016.
England has five of the all-time best 11 scores batting second, has won the last 18 times it has chased in an ODI on home soil, and smashed a world-record 24 sixes in a win over West Indies in St. George’s in February.
“This England ODI side is like that great Aussie side,” former England captain Kevin Pietersen tweeted after Bayliss’ team chased down with ease a target of 359 to beat Pakistan in an ODI last week, comparing it with the all-conquering Australia squad of the early 2000s. “If Hayden didn’t get you, then Ponting would (and) if they missed out, Gilchrist would.
“This England team, the same, Roy, Bairstow, Buttler etc... SOOOOO good!”
Indeed, a settled and fearsome batting lineup can boast Moeen Ali sometimes as far down as No. 8, Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan in the form of their lives, and Jos Buttler, possibly the most destructive and entertaining ODI batsman in the world.
Contrast this to four years ago, when selectors were still tinkering with the batting lineup right up to the 2015 tournament Down Under – Alastair Cook was axed just weeks before it started – and Gary Ballance was picked despite being a test specialist.
Meanwhile, England now has a reliable spinner in Adil Rashid and strong allrounders in Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes. There are still some question marks over the pace-bowling unit, although the late selection of Jofra Archer provides England with an X-factor.
There’s so much going for England that home fans are getting rightly excited. But are they just setting themselves up for another embarrassing failure at a crucial moment?
After all, since 1996, England has only a 27% success rate against full member nations in World Cup matches and no finish better than fifth.
England was similarly built up for the 2017 Champions Trophy, also on home soil, only for Morgan’s squad to freeze against Pakistan in the semifinals, scoring 211 in 49.5 overs on a worn, dry pitch against opponents who proved to be more adaptable.
That may prove to be a timely lesson, though. England has gone from strength to strength in the two years since. The squad appears united and singleminded, so much so that players came together and backed the removal of batsman Alex Hales from the World Cup group following an “off-field incident” – reportedly for twice testing positive for recreational drugs – that led to a recent suspension.