The Harry Brook era is about to begin. Here’s what we learned from the first squads announced under his captaincy.
With the County Championship in full swing, ten Tests in a row against India and Australia on the horizon and a long-overdue Test against Zimbabwe their next international assignment, it’s understandable if white-ball cricket has taken a backseat in England’s consciousness.
But West Indies’ white-ball visit, sandwiched between Zimbabwe’s departure and India’s arrival, offers plenty of room for intrigue. With Brook taking charge, it will be a chance to see how he goes as permanent captain, while England’s iffy white-ball form makes the series hard to predict, and offers plenty of opportunity for those selected to stake a claim that they should be central figures in the rebuild.
England ODI squad to face West Indies: Harry Brook (c), Will Jacks, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Tom Banton, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Tom Hartley, Jamie Overton.
England T20I squad to face West Indies: Harry Brook (c), Will Jacks, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Phil Salt, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed.
England make big calls even in big squads
England’s ODI squad is big, containing 16 players, more than they would be allowed for a global event. It’s a sign that they are looking to experiment, and that they aren’t all that clear on their best line-up as yet.
Even in that, however, there are still some significant decisions that have been made. Phil Salt has been left out after struggling to translate his T20 pyrotechnics into 50-over consistency, while Liam Livingstone, one of the few proper all-rounders available to England, has been left out after one too many head-in-hands dismissals. Tom Banton and Will Jacks, two who played under Harry Brook at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, are the most obvious beneficiaries.
Rescheduled IPL presents ECB dilemma
That big squad could also be interpreted as the ECB hedging their bets, with the IPL’s week-long interim pushing the tournament into a direct clash with the West Indies ODI series. Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks are the three players in the ODI squad whose teams stand a chance of making the knockouts, and as yet it is unclear whether they will choose club or country, should it come to it.
The ECB has noticeably cozied up to the BCCI in recent times, making the decision over whether to release players politically tricky. In a statement, they took the middle ground, saying they would facilitate any players who wanted to go back while also reviewing any potential extensions for those in the ODI squad. The Telegraph has since reported that the ODI series is likely to win out, but watch this space.
Archer absence hints at Test comeback
One England player who won’t be troubling the IPL’s latter stages is Jofra Archer, though he has enjoyed a fine personal campaign after a tough start. He’s in the ODI squad to face West Indies, but, intriguingly, is absent from the T20I leg of the tour. That leaves him available to join up with England Lions to face India A after a four-year absence from first-class cricket. The dream of Archer in whites is still alive.
Whither Sam Curran?
Even without Livingstone, and with Ben Stokes no longer in the picture, there remains no room for Sam Curran, despite being one of the few genuine all-rounders available to England. Partly this is down to Curran’s best role as a batter. While his free-flowing six-hitting ability once had him pigeonholed as a finisher, he has since proven himself to be far more adept in the middle order, where England are flushed for options. His record down the order for England, meanwhile, is abject. There’s also the growing feeling that Brendon McCullum just doesn’t rate his bowling that highly. Curran once looked like a player England might build their sides around across formats. Now he’s fringe at best, and entirely on the outer at worst.
Hartley and Dawson set for left-arm spin cross-format shootout
Rejoice, county fans across the country. Liam Dawson is back, set for his first international appearance since 2022. However, he’s only been picked in T20Is, with Tom Hartley taking on the role of ‘left-arm spinner who can bat a bit’ in the ODI squad. Partly, this is down to England balancing their short- and long-term priorities. Dawson is the best slow left-armer in the country right now, and could have a big role to play at the T20 World Cup at the start of next year. Hartley is the coming man, with an ODI World Cup in 2027 England’s next big target in that format. But you feel that a standout showing for either could see them leapfrog the other across formats.
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