The Kensington Oval has already chewed up and spat out the concept of favourites and underdogs on this Caribbean tour, so while Eoin Morgan’s England one-day side appear to be very much the former going into Wednesday’s series opener against West Indies, the captain remains distinctly wary.
England’s 50-over side are a different beast from their Test equivalents, of course, sitting top of the rankings and entering a fine-tuning mode ahead of a World Cup they are fancied to win. West Indies, meanwhile, are eighth in the ladder, squeaking into this summer’s tournament via qualifying, and it is over four years since they last emerged victorious in a one-day series by beating Bangladesh at home.
But Morgan, who oversaw a 3-0 win here in 2017, is mindful that England. for all their recent dominance, lost a one-off game in Scotland last year – a team that, but for rain and a dodgy lbw decision, might have pipped West Indies to their World Cup berth – and thus for all the hype, his band of hard-hitting trendsetters are not yet infallible. The Caribbean conditions, he added, may not suit them either.
“Everyone expects us to win but the manner it will play out will be different from what people expect,” said Morgan, before his 91st game as England captain. “Coming here poses one of our stronger challenges because the surfaces do not lend themselves to expansive, aggressive cricket. It’s more about playing smart. Plus they have matchwinners.”
Morgan had not inspected the Bridgetown pitch before offering these words of caution and a flat, beige strip may yet suit his batsmen unless it turns considerably. England will be at full strength here now that Jos Buttler has returned from a mid-tour break and, given a player with six ODI centuries, Alex Hales, sits in reserve, the focus this series will be on the bowling.
Provisional World Cup squads must be submitted by 23 April and, with Jofra Archer’s qualification for England due next month, it is down to the incumbents to ensure the selectors do not break the emergency glass under which the uncapped Barbados-born quick sits. Those most under threat appear to be Mark Wood, Tom Curran and David Willey, with the first of the trio expected to get the nod on Wednesday. But there will also be a focus on Liam Plunkett who, despite being a trusted middle-overs battering ram over the past four years, turns 34 soon and will need to demonstrate that his pace remains.
“Probably one of the best attributes I have is to compartmentalise things,” said Morgan. “Until Jofra qualifies, he’s not really in our thoughts. The focus for us is on this game and this series.”
Morgan added that he does not expect the kind of drastic changes that have come before previous World Cups, although an adjustment off the field will be required when Paul Farbrace, number two to the head coach, Trevor Bayliss, steps down at the end of the tour to join Warwickshire.
Ashley Giles, the director of England cricket whose departure from Edgbaston opened up the vacancy, opted not to hold Farbrace to his notice period and thus a coach who helped Morgan wipe the slate clean after the dismal World Cup in 2015 will be missing come the main event.
“It came as a surprise to those outside the team but Farby has been in high demand in recent years,” said Morgan. “He’s been an integral part of the turnaround but the last couple of years have allowed us to plan for if he did leave. A lot of our backroom staff are in demand – Chris Silverwood, Graham Thorpe, Paul Collingwood – and we’re lucky to have that experience to support us.”
Asked about the World Cup, Morgan added: “There’s a chance we’ll go in favourites. We’ve spoken about it and don’t mind the tag – we’ve learned to be at ease with it in the last few series. It doesn’t really mean anything – you have to produce to be rewarded, and have a bit of luck.”
If England are pondering their final bowling spots for the tournament, West Indies are striving to find the right blend altogether. Their one-day cricket has suffered in recent times because of a low run rate in the middle overs, something Plunkett, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid will look to exploit. But with the uncapped Nicholas Pooran expected to join Shimron Hetmyer in the middle order, extra aggression may be forthcoming.
Jason Holder, their softly spoken captain, namechecked the pair on Tuesday, as well as Shai Hope. The Bajan, who keeps wicket in this side, bats at No 3 and is fresh from two centuries in his last two outings. If Chris Gayle and his fellow Jamaican John “Cannonball” Campbell can fire at the top of the order, England may well get the challenge they are seeking.
