England have named their XI for their opening ODI against the West Indies, marking a new chapter in their white-ball journey.
Harry Brook will lead his side for the first time since taking over from Jos Buttler in April, and at 26 becomes one of the youngest players to captain England in ODI cricket.
One of the more notable changes sees Jamie Smith open the batting alongside Ben Duckett.
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The 24-year-old, who batted at number three during England’s disastrous Champions Trophy campaign, steps up to open for the first time in A-list cricket.
He replaces Phil Salt at the top of the order, who has been dropped after a run of inconsistent performances.
Joe Root returns to the side and will bat at number three, followed by Brook at four and Buttler at five.
Jacob Bethell returns to international duty, following his spell with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and slots in at number six.
Interestingly, Will Jacks, who has previously opened for England, is tasked with the finisher’s role at seven, a position usually taken up by Liam Livingstone, who finds himself out of the side.
England’s bowling attack is somewhat depleted, as Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson are both ruled out of the series through injury.
Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton and Saqib Mahmood will provide the pace, whilst spinner Adil Rashid is set to make his 150th ODI appearance for the Three Lions and closes out the XI.
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The full line-up can be found below:
- Ben Duckett
- Jamie Smith
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Jos Buttler
- Jacob Bethell
- Will Jacks
- Jamie Overton
- Brydon Carse
- Saqib Mahmood
- Adil Rashid
The decision to go into the match without a fifth specialist bowler has raised some questions, however, England are expected to share the remaining overs among part-time spinners, Jacks, Root and Bethell.
One player who may feel hard done by is seamer Matthew Potts, who has impressed in an England shirt but starts on the bench, though he’s likely to feature later on in the series.
England head into the match having lost their last seven ODI’s, and will be desperate to turn their fortunes around.
Failure to do so could result in them missing out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
To avoid going through the qualifying tournament, you need to rank in the top nine of the world rankings by March 2027–England currently sit in eighth, just one place above the West Indies.
Brook is embracing the challenge and hopes this fresh start can spark a turnaround.
“It’s a new era now; new leadership, Brook stated. “Hopefully, we can bring a lot of energy, competitiveness and a lot of fun out there.
“We’ll try to engage the crowd as much as we can and try to get some wins under our belt.”
As for the West Indies, they are also looking to rebuild after failing to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, but a draw in their last ODI series against Ireland has only added more pressure, and England will be encouraged by that.
Both teams have a point to prove, and this series could have major implications for the future of both teams.
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