Australia vs England 2018: Dawid Malan added to England's ODI squad
What’s the story?
Middlesex batsman Dawid Malan has been added to England’s squad for their upcoming ODI series against Australia. All-rounder Ben Stokes, who is currently under suspension for the infamous Bristol brawl, will not be leaving with the limited-overs specialists on Tuesday.
A statement from England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) read, "England's selectors have added Dawid Malan to the one-day international squad for the series against Australia, starting on January 14. Ben Stokes will not travel with the group of players leaving the UK on January 2, pending CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) advice on the incident in Bristol in September.
"Should ECB receive formal confirmation that he has either, a) been charged or, b) will face no charges, the ECB board would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability to represent England at that stage.ECB can also confirm that Ben Stokes has been given approval to enter the IPL draft and granted a no objection certificate (NOC)."
The background
Ben Stokes is still awaiting the result of the ongoing police investigation regarding his involvement in a street fight in Bristol a few months back. He has however been cleared to participate in the 2018 IPL.
The heart of the matter
Malan has been called up to the England ODI team for the very first time in his international career. The 30-year old has produced some commendable performances with the bat during the ongoing Ashes series including a knock of 140 in the third Test at Perth.
Malan has also played a T20I for England against South Africa at Cardiff following the Champions Trophy this year and scored a 44-ball knock of 78. He has been doing pretty well in other formats for England so far and has received praise for his performances in white ball cricket.
Updated England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood
What’s next?
Before the ODI series commence, England will play Australia in the final Test of the Ashes at Sydney. England are trailing the Aussies 0-3 and will be looking to salvage some pride with a consolation win. The five-match ODI series will begin in Melbourne on the 14th.
Author’s take
Malan is a solid addition to England's ODI squad as he has a good List-A record with more than 4000 runs to his name. Hence, he can be expected to deliver with the bat during the ODI series against Australia. Having said that, Stokes' likely absence will be felt by the visitors.