To win the upcoming World Cup teams will need a batting line-up capable of comfortably making or chasing scores of more than 300.
Yet since the start of 2012, England have only scored more than 300 three times, which equates to once every 19 matches. Let’s compare that figure to the main challengers for this World Cup.
Australia have been the most prolific side, making 15 scores of above 300 at once every 4.5 matches.
India have registered 16 scores of more than 300 at a rate of once every 4.6 matches. South Africa have notched reg 12 totals of more than 300 at one every five matches.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, posted 12 totals of 300 plus which worked out at one for every 7.5 matches played.
These figures are skewed somewhat by the fact that teams like India and Sri Lanka tend to prepare home pitches which give batsmen silver service. But even when England have played on such lifeless decks they have battled to make the kind of big scores needed to be a heavyweight in modern ODI cricket.
The major factor is that England have been fielding three players in their top four who are accumulators rather than explosive strokemakers.
Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root have been fixtures of England’s top four for the past two years. The other position in the top four has been filled by an assortment of players who have been tasked with adding some belligerence and unpredictability.
Even when this player has come off and played a dashing innings, England have still rarely bulldozed sides because Cook, Bell and Root don’t have the ability to ram home the advantage.
As mentioned above, Australia has been the side that has most consistently made scores of 300-plus over the past three years.
When you look at their top three it is clear why. David Warner, Aaron Finch and Shane Watson are all capable of, and comfortable with, coming to the crease and immediately dismantling an attack.
That trio all possess the mindset and power to smash their first 50 runs off 35 balls or less. Opposition bowlers and captains are also well aware of this.
The threat this trio poses intimidates opponents. Bowlers begin their spells on edge and captains are quick to retreat into defensive tactics once one of them builds momentum.
By comparison, when teams are bowling to two of Cook, Bell or Root in the opening Powerplay they have little fear of being deposited into the stands.
The bowlers can concentrate on maintaining a consistent line and length and the captain can set orthodox fields. They can do this because none of those three batsman are likely to open up their stance and clout a good length ball for six, or manufacture a boundary from an innovative stroke.
All three play old school ODI cricket – get yourself set and then gradually increase the tempo of your innings. There is still room for such players in modern ODI cricket.
Australia’s skipper Michael Clarke is one such player, although still significantly more versatile than Cook. Clarke can get away with playing the role of accumulator because he is surrounded by scintillating batsmen like David Warner, Aaron Finch and Shane Watson.
England cannot afford to field three such players in their side, let alone in their top four. It leaves far too much work to be done by aggressive batsmen lower in the order like Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara.
At least one of those three batsmen needs to bat in the top three. Given Cook is the skipper it would be a huge risk to dump him so close to the tournament. Bell or Root must make way to allow Buttler, Bopara or Morgan to inject some vitality at the top of the order.
Ideally, England would have three free-flowing batsman in their top four, with either Root or Bell there to steady the ship.
Bell was omitted from Wednesday’s rain-shortened ODI in Sri Lanka and, to no great surprise, England looked a more potent line-up with the destructive Alex Hales at first drop.
Set the difficult task of chasing down 236 from just 35 overs, they won comfortably thanks to a rollicking innings from opener Moeen Ali (58 from 40 balls) and Buttler (55 from 37). They were the kind of match-changing knocks that Bell is not capable of producing.
With their long-favoured top order and tactics, it is impossible to see England challenging for the World Cup. They should jettison at least one of their accumulators in favour of a Hales type. Cautious cricket will not win this tournament.
Bobbo7
Guest
England have the talent to beat anyone on their day but can't see them doing it 3 or 4 games on the trot without Pietersen and Trott. NZ to win all the way. NZ growing into a tough wee unit with some match winners in several positions
Homer Gain
Guest
I'm not sure how many England cricket fans you know. Journalists will write about the current story of course, they have space to fill, but the fans don't care. Apart from a brief flurry (caused by shock rather than euphoria) after winning the T20 that story evaporated like the ephemera it is. Compare with the unalloyed joy over recent Ashes wins and corresponding doom after subsequent defeats. Even the sort of players for whom one-day cricket looked tailor-made - Botham, Flintoff and Pietersen - saved their best for Test cricket. My view is that this underperformance reflects a deep-seated attitude prevalent in English cricket across the board, rather than any inherent inability to play the game. Talking to many Indian and Sri Lankan cricket fans - and living where I do I get the chance - they genuinely love limited over cricket and idolise its stars. It just wouldn't happen in England.
Jo M
Guest
Khawaja played grade cricket in Sydney today. Game called off after 14 overs due to unsuitable pitch I assume due to the rain we have been having.
ajay
Guest
everytime mate ?warner score a ton in odis .....................i think for ages ! if warner is going to make playing x1 then remove watson put khawaja at 3 aus need a guy who can built inning like smith but tell me if clarke and watson both are fit then smith postion 7, 8(where you need a big hitter like marsh,faulkner) smith is much better at 3 ?
Don Freo
Guest
Then it wouldn't be exactly. The Poms should try picking a team of Poms. Do they have 11 Poms playing county cricket?
Don Freo
Guest
All our guns just take the tour off when we play there. Other countries have the guns falling over each other to get enough runs and wickets to jump up the rankings. Aussies are not stat conscious...the players, that is. The fans are another story.
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
Yeah dropping Root would be an error. He's one of their best ODI batsmen, and potentially the future captain. I think they should open with him.
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
Stokes shouldn't be in the team, in his current form.
Tom from Perth
Guest
What good is Joe Root coming in at 5? I'd open with him for sure.
Don Freo
Guest
When did you last see him play like that?
Disco
Guest
Maybe Don meant if WA ever play Zimbabwe.
Disco
Guest
Root's strike rate is higher than Clarke's.
jammel
Guest
Hey Don - what's with calling "your boy" Sean Marsh…it's Shaun Marsh… Is there another? On the substance of this particular thread, though, we need Warner and Watson to both play. And they will be selected thankfully. I think our top three looks great - Warner + Finch + Watson. Looks strong!
ajay
Guest
my side will look exactly yours ! instead of bell i would have taylor
jammel
Guest
England do have some firepower - I think if you watch players like Moeen Ali and in particular Buttler they have firepower. Bopara too - he can go crazy! Agree though that their bowling under pressure is where they are most suspect. Hence why I've included three reserve quicks in my Pommy XI above. Guys like Jordan, Gurney, Stokes and Finn can all cave…particularly at the death. But if England fire, they can be a good team. I think the Australian conditions might assist them too - more so than in the sub-continent, e.g.
jammel
Guest
Good side Ronan. If I were England, I'd play the 11 listed below. Like Bopara at #4. I think Tredwell's been a good servant for the Poms, but he'll go the journey in the WC if they play him. Ali offers enough spinning for mine. Morgan would be great at #6 - but he hasn't been doing a lot over the past 12 months. Root can hit out - worth bearing that in mind. For mine, if the Poms dropped Cook I think they could really do something in the World Cup - I wouldn't write them off yet even still. I think this WC might surprise a few people - in 50 over stuff you still need players who can build an innings…. Ali Hales Bell Bopara Root Morgan Buttler Stokes (if he finds more consistent form; would share the fifth bowler role with Bopara) Broad Anderson Finn Reserves = Roy, Gurney, Woakes, Jordan
ajay
Guest
warner is poor odi bat? never creat inning he score runs in 6 and 4s before holding out
ajay
Guest
ronan suggest me his 2014 bowling stats ? don't think he is capable of now !personally i think marsh looks so good in the last tours .zimababe ,uae and in waca he was calm under pressure?+he bowls much better then watson
broken-hearted toy
Guest
His ODI bowling has gone down hill in the past 2 years though. Just horrible run rate per over now.
broken-hearted toy
Guest
That's crap. Once it starts, the fans and the cricket journos will be all over it like a rash. The over-excited nonsense that got written by fans and journos when they won the WT20 had to be read to be believed. Apparently England revolutionised the format. It would almost be worth them winning to see the cricket press in the UK outdo themselves in fantasy.