5 players England should instantly drop after 2023 World Cup ft. Jonny Bairstow
Defending champions England are having a horrendous time in the 2023 World Cup. Jos Buttler's men, the pre-tournament favorites, have hit rock-bottom in the 2023 World Cup.
England's only win in the 2023 World Cup came against a hapless Bangladesh team. Losses against New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, and Australia led to England finding the bottom-most spot of the points table.
The repercussions of England's disastrous performances have already been seen, with David Willey announcing his retirement from international cricket after failing to get a central contract from the ECB.
England's next assignment in ODI cricket is a three-match series against the West Indies in the Caribbean next month. England could drop a few players from their World Cup squad immediately after the event. Here is a look at five such players:
#1 Moeen Ali-
Ali was one of the architects of the England team that won the 2019 World Cup. However, in the ongoing World Cup, he seems to be a shadow of himself. He has played just four of the seven matches and has been disappointing with both the bat and the ball.
He has scored only 83 runs in four innings at an ordinary average of 20.75 and a strike rate of 78.30. He has bowled 24.2 wicketless overs in this World Cup at an economy rate of 6.
Moeen Ali, who at one point in time was a match-winner with his all-round skills, has failed to get going in the 2023 World Cup and the 36-year-old could be one of the first casualties for England following the disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign.
#2 Ben Stokes-
The English Test skipper had called his time from ODI cricket in 2022. However, he made himself available for the 2023 World Cup and was a welcome addition to the squad for the defending champions.
Ben Stokes missed England's first three matches in the 2023 World Cup due to an injury. He has been a part of the playing XI for the last four games as a specialist batter.
In the said four innings, the left-hander has scored 112 runs at an average of 28. His strike rate of 61.88 across the four innings in the 2023 World Cup is way lower as compared to his ODI career strike rate of 94.56.
Stokes scored a half-century (64) against Australia on November 4, 2023, but was not his fluent self. The 2023 World Cup could be the last for Stokes in the ODI format as he could be dropped from the 50-over format to preserve him for the remaining two formats i.e. Tests and T20Is.
#3 Jonny Bairstow-
The English opener Jonny Bairstow is having a torrid time with the bat in ODIs in 2023. In 10 ODI innings in 2023, Bairstow has scored just 160 runs at an average of just 16. His strike rate of 84.21 in 2023 is lower than his career strike rate of 103.10.
In the ongoing World Cup, Bairstow has scored just one half-century and averages just 20.14 with the bat in seven ODI innings. His inability to get England off to flying starts has hurt his team immensely and is one of the reasons for England's downfall.
England would look to give a consistent run to the likes of Phil Salt and/or Sam Billings at the top instead of Bairstow who has failed to get going in the 50-over format in 2023.
# 4 Sam Curran-
Curran was named the Man of the Series in the 2022 T20 World Cup and guided England to glory in the said tournament. He was supposed to be England's go-to man in the 2023 World Cup considering his experience of playing IPL in India and familiarity with the Indian conditions.
Curran's performance has been dismal, to say the least in the 2023 World Cup. The team management dropped Curran after the first three games and since then has been left out of the playing XI.
His average of 70 and economy rate of 8.08 in the 17.2 overs he bowled in the first three games justifies the decision to drop him. He picked up two wickets in the said three games.
Even with the bat, Curran could score only 35 runs in three innings. Curran could be left out of the ODI set-up in the near future considering his performances in the 2023 World Cup.
#5 Liam Livingstone-
Livingstone has played six matches in the 2023 World Cup but has failed to make an impact. In six innings with the bat, Livingstone has scored only 60 runs at a dismal average of 10 and has failed to get into double digits in three of the six innings.
He has failed in his role as a finisher and is one of the many reasons behind England's dismal performances in the 2023 World Cup. His performance with the bat has been ordinary, and the three wickets picked up by him have come at an average of 52.67.
Livingstone could struggle to hold on to his place in the ODI team after his lackluster performances in the 2023 World Cup.