Andrew Strauss has kept emphasising the importance of one-day cricket for England. He did so when he appointed Trevor Bayliss in May (since very few coaches have overseen teams in World Cup finals) and he reiterated a new commitment during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.
So in his eyes victory over Pakistan in the four-match series would not only be satisfactory but also essential. On Friday England play their last 50-overs match of the tour and a win would enable them to take the series 3-1. They now find themselves as the favourites even though they are playing in alien conditions.
So far the games have been too one-sided to be memorable. In the first one at Abu Dhabi, England were rusty and nervous and easily beaten. But they have rallied strongly. In the next two matches England have been disciplined, zealous and increasingly confident. Even better – and this is not always the case after a Test series – they look as if they are enjoying themselves. A substantial influx of specialists helps in that regard. So, too, does the youthful nature of a squad containing one player over 30 – the constant and, I suspect, increasingly glum observer, Liam Plunkett.
By the same token Pakistan appear ever more fragile, especially when they are batting. They have been combative when the ball is in the hands of their contrasting left-armers, Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz, and for half an hour in Sharjah their spinners threatened to cause havoc. But in white-ball cricket their batsmen are unlikely to cause too many sleepless nights for any competent bowling attack.
Mohammad Hafeez has had a productive six weeks against England’s bowlers. The rest of them, with the exception of Shoaib Malik, have modest records in this form of the game and we are beginning to understand why. In Sharjah their insecurities were highlighted by some chaotic running between the wickets, which caused three run-outs routinely described as “comic” – though not by their coach, Waqar Younis. In this era when there is a coach for just about every facet of the game it remains mildly surprising teams do not employ a running-between-the-wickets coach.
By contrast, England’s top five batsmen have all scored a half century in this series and their No6, Jos Buttler, had reached 49 not out when England passed their target in Sharjah. Eoin Morgan regarded that partnership between James Taylor and Buttler as a landmark performance.
England’s chase appeared to be subsiding and many times in the past in these conditions there has been no stopping the disintegration. But the risk assessment of this pair was superb, so too was the execution of their big shots. And their running between the wickets provided a model for their opponents. Both are quick but they are also precise in their judgment, or at least they were in Sharjah – in the first match in Abu Dhabi Taylor ran Buttler out.
Buttler has emerged from a nasty trough by scoring those vital runs in Sharjah and he is candid about his relief. “It’s great to come through that,” he said, “and I think I’ve learned a lot. I hope I can use those experiences to turn it around quicker next time. It’s huge to get the support of the captain and all the team. Everyone has been very supportive, which means a lot.”
Clearly Buttler had been weighed down by his loss of form with the bat. “You lose that sense of enjoyment, which is tough because you’ve got the best job in the world really,” he said.
Better than most, Buttler must have an idea of what Ian Bell is going through after his omission from the Test squad for South Africa. He said he was shocked by the decision, but added: “That’s the harsh reality of international cricket. It is a performance job. I’ve just been dropped recently as well.
“If you’re not performing that’s the way it goes but Ian is a class player and has been over a long period for England. He’s determined to win his place back, which shows great professionalism. I’m sure he will.”
Buttler said there is a desperation to win this ODI series. “We are a young group of guys and it would give us a huge amount of confidence to win this series away from home,” he said.
England are likely to stick with the same team for the fourth match in succession. Pakistan are likely to keep shuffling their pack.
