Dom Harris
With England thrashing New Zealand in the third Test, Brendan McCullum might be forgiven for looking ahead to his new extended role, taking over the white-ball organization from 2025.
It's a much-anticipated year for the Test side, culminating in the Ashes series in November, with attention starting first with England's white-ball teams.
They will travel to India in January for a T20 and ODI series before traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy event scheduled to begin on February 19.
England's white-ball team has come under pressure in recent years.
They suffered their third consecutive one-day series defeat in the West Indies last month, including their 13th ODI defeat in the last 20 matches.
Mediocre defense
This follows two disappointing defenses of the World Cup title in 2019 and 2022, which ended Matthew Mott's tenure as head coach and raised questions about England's attitude and approach to the one-day format. .
The mini-50-over tournament returns for the first time since Pakistan's victory over India in 2017.
While it may not be a priority for most of the eight participating nations, it still represents a major tournament at the ICC, with England yet to taste the same success as the previous eight editions .
India refused to travel to Pakistan, where they have not played since 2008, due to political tensions, with off-field matters overshadowing the team's build-up.
An emergency board meeting held to resolve the issue came up with a hybrid model for India to hold the match in Dubai, so the official match schedule is yet to be announced.
The 50-match tour of the West Indies in November has only provided more questions than answers, let's take a look at how Jos Buttler's side fare against Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan in Group B.
Read more: England struggle in third Test, Ben Stokes injured again
Who will open the England batting?
The makeup of England's top squad across all formats is a major talking point.
Phil Salter and Will Jacks were given opportunities in three games in the Caribbean but with mixed results.
Salter, who recently mentioned his desire to play more 50-over cricket domestically, looks to be in good form with two half-centuries, while Jacks, whose highest score is just 19, is yet to make an impact on the international stage Fully demonstrate your talents.
Salter will also be a prime contender to take the gloves in the future as Buttler appears to be looking to lead from the middle in the absence of experienced managers such as Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan.
possible partners
Ben Duckett might be Salter's best partner.
The pair formed an opening partnership in the five-match series against Australia in September, with Duckett scoring a century and two other scores of 50-plus at typically blistering pace.
Having missed the West Indies series due to Test commitments, Duckett will also be favored in Pakistan conditions as he has the ability to play spin bowling and provides England with an ideal right- and left-hand combination.
Jacks, who scored two half-centuries at No. 3 against Australia, provides McCullum with another option, while Surrey's smooth spin makes him a useful member of the squad, at least as a backup. top batsman.
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What about Joe Root and Ben Stokes?
The future of England's leading run-scorer and Test captain in the shorter format of the game remains unclear.
Neither Root nor Stokes have played a 50-over match since the 2023 World Cup, but selector Luke Wright insists they remain serious contenders.
Ben Stokes also expressed an interest in extending his white-ball career under McCullum, but a hamstring injury appeared to have returned on day three of the third Test in Hamilton and he will be A major health problem.
While Stokes' injury will be revealed in the coming days, Stokes – who has withdrawn from the IPL auction to extend his international career – even as a specialist batsman, will be facing There may also be no risk taking ahead of the crucial Test series between India and Australia.
As for Joe Root, who was rested for the series against Australia, it would be foolish to expect his ability and experience to be overlooked.
In the 2023 World Cup, due to lack of preparation, Root averaged only 30.66 points per game in the group stage.
While the same question may arise here, hopefully a spell at the SA20s in January – and then an ODI series with England in India – will provide enough opportunity to rediscover his white-ball form.
Make room for young guns
With a congested fixture list and the departures of the likes of Jonny Bairstow, England are increasingly offering opportunities to a host of domestic talent.
However, Root and Stokes are likely to be recalled to join captain Buttler and star player Harry Brooke in the middle, providing a challenge in finding space for the likes of Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith.
Bethell came to prominence in international cricket with impressive performances against Australia and the West Indies before making his Test debut in New Zealand.
Guaranteed choice
While he has had better performances in both T20s and Test matches so far, the left-handed bowler's form and batting order versatility – apart from his spin ability – make him an almost sure choice in the team .
Although Smith missed the tour of New Zealand due to paternity leave, he quickly established himself as the first-choice Test wicketkeeper.
His early exposure to ODI cricket has yet to pay off well, averaging just 22.16.
But his performances in Test cricket suggest that he will be a multi-format international player for many years to come.
However, his place in the ODI side for now may depend on the return of more experienced players.
Opportunity knocks on the door
Dan Musley and Rehan Ahmed will be hoping to get a chance to impress during the tour of India to force their way into the squad.
Liam Livingstone has emerged as the frontline spin all-rounder in support of Adil Rashid following the retirement of Moeen Ali, but Mousley and Ahmed provide healthy competition in that department.
Jordan Cox failed to capitalize on his chance at No. 3 against West Indies, with injuries preventing him from impressing in the Test matches, so there's a lot to be said for the Essex batsman. This game may have come too soon.
Managing tempo attacks
England's bowling unit has been plagued by long-term and recurring injuries, making predicting who will be fit on the eve of a match an almost impossible task.
The busy winter schedule and the upcoming intense Test series may also influence the selectors' decision.
However, given that the World Cup is only a maximum of five games long and Wright has stated that England want to be “as strong as possible”, we can assume that there will be no rest for the big names if they are fully fit.
All eyes will be on Jofra Archer, who has impressed for England in 2024 and appears to be close to a full recovery.
breakthrough player
Brendan Cass and Gus Atkinson are two of England's breakout players this year, having excelled in the Test arena and despite a busy winter tour, the pair are expected to remain in demand for their white-ball skills test.
Mark Wood missed the Pakistan and New Zealand Test series with an elbow injury that ruled him out of action until early 2025, leaving him scrambling to catch the Champions League trophy.
Reece Topley's injury woes continue as he was forced to withdraw from the West Indies tour early due to a knee problem.
The tall left-armer provides valuable versatility to the bowling unit, but it is unclear how long Topley will be out.
Left arm options
Sam Curran will provide a left-arm option to the team and add depth to England's batting despite a poor record at the international level of late.
His place in the team will largely depend on Stokes' ability as an all-rounder, with Chris Woakes or Jamie Overton also able to fill that role to some extent.
Matthew Potts may consider himself a bit unlucky not to have become a regular in all England fixtures and will once again face stiff competition to secure his place.
Saqib Mahmood has impressed in his return in an England jersey against Australia and the West Indies, performing particularly well against the new-ball bowling in the Caribbean to put him into a strong among the competition.
Meanwhile, John Turner, who made his debut against the West Indies, needs a productive tour of India to make his way into the final squad.
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