Perhaps we will get some tight games with a white ball. Let’s hope so. However, it would be wrong to view the one-day games ahead (one T20 at Cardiff on Monday followed by five ODIs) as a bit of light relief at the end of an Ashes summer.
Andrew Strauss told us when he took over as cricket director that he intended to place increased emphasis on one-day cricket. England had just performed abominably in the World Cup – again – and were so dire that he invited Kevin Pietersen to become a one-day consultant (about the only bizarre decision he has made since taking over). The offer was not taken up. Strauss was also keen to stress Trevor Bayliss’s one-day credentials as a coach. So we shall take the one-day game seriously.
However, on both sides key players are being rested. In each ODI squad there are just five players out of 14 who participated in the Ashes series. England are resting Joe Root, who has a troublesome back. The status of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson is not so clear. Neither has retired from one-day cricket; neither will have appeared in any white ball cricket this summer. Perhaps they’re taking a sabbatical; perhaps it’s sayonara.
Australia are certainly in a state of flux. Missing from their squad are six players from their World Cup-winning XI, either through retirement (Michael Clarke), injury (Aaron Finch), the need to recuperate (Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood) or due to a drink-driving problem in Manchester (James Faulkner). Steve Smith is now officially the man in charge whatever the format of the game.
No doubt both camps will inform us that the fresh faces bring energy to their squads. England have stuck to the men who just managed to win the high-scoring series against New Zealand in June with Moeen Ali, who was rested/protected then, in effect replacing Root. Nonetheless there are still one or two oddities. In England’s last match against New Zealand at Chester-le Street Jonny Bairstow, deputising for Jos Buttler, cracked an unbeaten 83 from 60 balls. He might have reasonably expected that this was sufficient to earn him a place in this squad.
Moreover the captain, Eoin Morgan, has had an odd buildup to the series. Having hit a run-drought as captain of Middlesex’s 50-over side, he withdrew from their team for the second half of the domestic tournament. He has not played for his county since 1 August, which is a strange way to prepare for these “vital” matches.
Given England’s determination to treat these one-day games with total conviction perhaps we should not take too much notice of how their opening pair perform when considering the team’s next challenge at Test level, against Pakistan in the UAE. But we surely will – with some justification. Moeen is designated to open with Alex Hales, which is an appetising prospect. Should one of them be significantly more successful than the other then his chances of opening the batting alongside Alastair Cook in England’s next Test are likely to be enhanced. Likewise it is always interesting whenever Adil Rashid gets an outing. Currently he has the dubious record of playing 11 ODI matches in six years and, of course, he still awaits a Test debut.
There will also be much interest in the contributions of two gifted all‑rounders, who have only flickered this season. Both Chris Woakes and David Willey, who is heading to Yorkshire after this summer, have been hampered by injuries recently.
Woakes did not return to the Warwickshire first team until the middle of July; Willey has been restricted to white ball cricket recently. Both have much to offer in all forms of the game.
The Australian side will have an unfamiliar feel. Ashton Agar, who made his astonishing Test debut at Nottingham two years ago, is back on English soil. We might struggle to recognise a bustling young all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, but there will be no mistaking Watto, who is the undoubted senior citizen in the squad.
Before the 50-over matches the two teams meet for that T20 in Cardiff. Specifically for this match England have selected Reece Topley of Essex, while Australia have added the young leg-spinner Cameron Boyce to their squad. Even these two sides must be able to make this contest last the full 40 overs.
