Dilemma as England play stick or twist
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ENGLAND take on world champions-elect India today faced with a decision that may reveal just how frazzled they are. Try to save face in a World Cup that has already passed them by, or use the game as the starting point for the 2027 tournament in southern Africa?
With qualification for the semi-finals now dependent on a fantastical sequence of results, the braver call would be to look beyond the debacle of the last few weeks and blood the 20-somethings who are likely to be around in four years’ time. The two scenarios need not even be mutually exclusive.
Against Sri Lanka in Bangalore, where England suffered arguably the worst of their four defeats in this tournament, their entire XI was the wrong side of 30 — a first for an ODI team.
Now they must refresh the side with the members of their 15 who have the hunger to perform and a loss of hunger among the squad’s double world champions remains as plausible an explanation as any for England’s disappearance over the cliff.
That ought to mean a recall for Harry Brook, who was unfortunate to be dropped against Sri Lanka after showing pluck against Afghanistan’s
spinners. Equally, Surrey quick Gus Atkinson deserves another go, having escaped relatively unscathed from the mauling by South Africa.
Then there’s Brydon Carse, the Durham fast bowler who has replaced the injured Reece Topley and has designs on becoming the middle-overs seamer England have lacked since ditching Liam Plunkett after the 2019 World Cup.
All three are in their 20s and all will benefit from playing in front of a crowd that could reach 50,000, no matter the result.
One thing is for sure, we are yet to hear a coherent diagnosis of England’s plight from inside the camp, with assistant coach Marcus Trescothick the latest to express bewilderment.
Asked if the players were confused by their struggles, he replied: ‘They’re trying to understand it, yeah. Whether confusion is the right word, I’m not sure. But it’s not gone, it’s just hiding in a funny place.
‘We’re all feeling the heat but what can you do? We’ve prepared the same. Every practice we go through, we’re coming out the other side thinking we’re in a good place. It’s just not quite worked when we go into the games.’