Youth is key for one-day revolution
ENGLAND will begin their much-needed one-day revolution when they name a 14-man squad brimming with talent for their first 50-over match since the embarrassment of the World Cup.
James Taylor is likely to captain England against Ireland in an international which will take place just three days after the end of the West Indies Test series, highlighting the ridiculous itinerary over the next year.
The Dublin date rules out anyone who plays in the third Test in Barbados but England will release one or two for a match where they need to start working for a better one-day future.
Peter Moores and Paul Farbrace plan to fly straight to Dublin via Gatwick at the end of the third Test in time to take England’s practice session the afternoon before the Ireland game, reflecting the importance of making a good impression.
Assistant coach Farbrace was in charge of Sri Lanka when they won the World Twenty20 and Asia Cup last year and really should take on extra responsibility in one-day cricket as England attempt to play catch up.
One man missing will be one-day captain Eoin Morgan, who has been allowed to put the Indian Premier League first by England even though he is far from a regular choice for Hyderabad Sunrisers. The decision reflects badly on Morgan’s desire to captain England and his absence looks sure to provide a leadership opportunity for Taylor, who is unlucky not to be in the Caribbean.
England have to change their whole approach to 50-over cricket and follow the rest of the world in treating internationals as an extension of Twenty20 matches, not as a shorter Test match.
That means exciting talents like Jason Roy, James Vince and Sam Billings are set to feature when the squad is named on Tuesday and there seems little point in England picking anyone who will not be around for the 2019 World Cup.
Ian Bell, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad will all miss out as they will be playing in Barbados but England really should not pick them again in one-day cricket and tell them to concentrate on the huge Test series ahead.
Yorkshire were unhappy that four of their players have been in the Caribbean without playing and tried to get leg-spinner Adil Rashid back once Moeen Ali arrived here in Grenada.
Yet England will be far more inclined to let Rashid and possibly Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett leave here once the toss takes place in Bridgetown to let them join the one-day squad instead.
Possible England squad (v Ireland in Dublin on May 8) Taylor (captain), Hales, Roy, Vince, Lees, Billings (wkt), Patel, Bairstow (wkt), Rashid, Wood, Topley, Ansari, Finn, Rankin.