3 major changes England need to make to return to ODI glory days
2019 ODI World Cup winners England have struggled in the 50-over format of late. After a forgettable outing in the 2023 World Cup, Jos Buttler's men traveled to West Indies for a three-match series against the Men in Maroon, who had failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup this year.
England were the favorites to win the series, but they lost the first and third ODI matches to lose the series by 1-2. Speaking with the reporters after the series defeat, coach Matthew Mott said (via ESPNcricinfo):
"We haven't put a complete game together and that's the frustration. We put ourselves in a chance to win all three games and come away with a series loss, so that's not ideal. But there are definitely some really good signs there that there's a group of players who love playing with each other."
As Mott mentioned, the English squad could not produce a perfect game, but they showed glimpses of becoming a good unit in the 50-over format. Here's a list of three things which England should change to become a better ODI team:
#1 England should not apply the Bazball technique in ODI cricket
ODI cricket is not like T20Is. England's batters should understand that they need to build partnerships and accelerate well in this format instead of attacking every ball that comes their way.
The 'Bazball' approach has helped England succeed in the Test format, but they have failed miserably in ODIs. Captain Jos Buttler himself tried to play a big shot on the first ball of his innings in the series decider against West Indies and ended up getting out for a golden duck.
Opener Phil Salt, who has been a regular member of the ODI team for some time now, has rarely managed to make it past the powerplay. Such mistakes will not help England in the long run.
#2 England should rely on specialists instead of having too many all-rounders
Another issue with the English squad is that they prefer to have too many all-rounders in the team. Having too many options can be bad at times, and the same has happened with this squad, who have multiple quality choices available to bat and bowl at different positions.
The English team management should keep Champions Trophy 2025 as the target and assign clear roles to each player. India did a fantastic job in assigning a particular role to an individual and won 10 consecutive matches in the 2023 World Cup.
#3 ECB should think about changing the ODI captain
Jos Buttler did a fine job as the T20I captain in T20 World Cup 2022, but his leadership has not been so great in the 50-over format. The Test series defeat against West Indies last year prompted ECB to change the captain and coach, with Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum revolutionizing England's Test cricket.
Perhaps it's time for a change in the ODI format as well. Buttler is a talented leader and should continue leading in T20Is, but the ECB should think of appointing a new captain for ODIs, who can inspire the team back to its glory days.