England face the West Indies in the first of three One Day Internationals at Edgbaston on Thursday and our cricket writer takes a look at the upcoming series ahead of the opener.
After a comprehensive victory over Zimbabwe in their first match of the international summer, England embark on a three-match ODI series against West Indies.
The series gets underway in Edgbaston on Thursday with Harry Brook beginning his reign as white-ball skipper.
Jos Buttler has returned to the ranks. Buttler, along with Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, chose to represent their country over IPL commitments after the closing stages of the tournament were rescheduled.
The betting markets make England clear favourites for this series despite being in a period of relative transition. Some experienced players have retired. Others have been axed. England have only won one of their last 10 one-day international matches, including a dismal showing at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
New England Era
It’s not been a total overhaul of the playing squad, yet there have been some significant changes for Brook’s first ODI series.
Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt have been left out, while Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, and Tom Hartley return to the fray. The three spin options could present some good cricket betting value given how dry the first few weeks of the cricket season have been.
In the pace bowling department, there are going to be opportunities for Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Potts, and Jamie Overton.
Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood are all sidelined through injury – Atkinson and Archer would be in the first-choice squad, while it remains to be seen if Wood has played his last ODI for his country.
In-form domestically, Tom Banton is in line to get a chance up the order. Joe Root and Buttler bring experience, while Ben Duckett’s confidence is high after a scintillating hundred against Zimbabwe.
It will be interesting to see how England balance the side. Overton, Dawson, and Jacks are solid all-rounder options – do they pick Jacks at the top of the order and Dawson at seven? Or do they fit all three in and go as deep as possible with the bat?
There are long-term places up for grabs across the team. Brook, Buttler, and Root are cemented in the batting lineup, and Adil Rashid remains one of the best spinners in the world, but plenty of other roles need to be filled over the next few ODI series.
World Cup Pressure
The next 50-over World Cup isn’t until 2027, but England are in the undesirable position of their qualification being in doubt. They need to be in the top eight of the world rankings to guarantee a place in the tournament – they are currently eighth and could drop to ninth if they lose this series.
England don’t play another ODI until September. They could have fallen further down the rankings by then if results don’t go their way.
Series Prediction: England Win 2-1
West Indies failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy. They split their series with Ireland, finishing on a high with a 197-run win after posting 385 batting first.
Series wins over Bangladesh and England give the tourists some confidence after losing five out of six matches away to Australia and Sri Lanka in 2024.
England might be at a low ebb in this format, but this remains an immensely talented group, even without the pace of Archer, Atkinson, and Mark Wood.
Look for the carefree cricket of BazBall to be properly introduced into the white-ball setup. England should get some flat pitches to play at their aggressive best – they are going to aim to push the boundaries of what’s possible, just as the Test team have done under Brendon McCullum.
England v West Indies Series Schedule
May 29: First ODI, Edgbaston (D/N)
June 1: Second ODI, Cardiff
June 3: Third ODI, Kia Oval (D/N)
England Squad
- Harry Brook (Captain)
- Tom Banton
- Jacob Bethell
- Jos Buttler
- Brydon Carse
- Ben Duckett
- Tom Hartley
- Will Jacks
- Saqib Mahmood
- Jamie Overton
- Matthew Potts
- Adil Rashid
- Joe Root
- Jamie Smith
- Luke Wood
West Indies Squad
- Shai Hope (Captain)
- Jewel Andrew
- Keacy Carty
- Roston Chase
- Matthew Forde
- Justin Greaves
- Amir Jangoo
- Alzarri Joseph
- Shamar Joseph
- Brandon King
- Evin Lewis
- Gudakesh Motie
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Jayden Seales
- Romario Shepherd
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at time of writing*
