England likely to move on from Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow in white-ball shake up; Jacob Bethell poised for maiden call-up - Reports
England are primed to make some key decisions for their upcoming home white-ball series against Australia. Moeen Ali Ali recently recorded a ton in the T20 Blast but proceeded to have a mediocre campaign while leading the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred 2024, which does not help his case. Jonny Bairstow, on the other hand, has been struggling for runs for quite a while now, and his switch to the middle order in the national T20 setup also did not pan out well.
According to a report by The Telegraph, one of the new faces expected to feature in the new-age squad is explosive left-handed all-rounder Jacob Bethell. The 20-year-old boasts an impressive T20 record - 731 runs in 44 matches at a strike rate of 138.18. He also played a crucial role in Birmingham Phoenix's run into the knockouts of The Hundred 2024 with his cameos down the order.
Apart from Ali and Bairstow, all-rounder Liam Livingstone is also a doubt for the ODIs after poor outings in the recent past. He has not been able to assert his dominance in the 50-over format, averaging 29.36 after 29 appearances, including three single-digit scores in his last eight outings.
England are also pondering Joe Root's inclusion in the ODI series, apparently divided between the red-ball-heavy season and the preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy. England are scheduled to play eight more Tests this year, with six being away from home in Pakistan and New Zealand.
Root's last ODI appearance came during the 2023 ODI World Cup. England have only played three ODIs since the culmination of the tournament in the subcontinent, and are yet to play a single 50-over contest in 2024.
Jofra Archer, who recently made his international comeback ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, is fit to play the white-ball series against Australia. He played The Hundred 2024 campaign for the Southern Brave earlier this month but is yet to be ready for red-ball cricket.
England's white-ball series against Australia set to begin from September 11 onwards
England's red-ball stars are unlikely to be in contention for the T20I series against Australia, which begins a day after the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka concludes. The five-match ODI series between the two arch-rivals will be played after the three T20Is.
The assignment marks Marcus Trescothick's reign as interim coach, which could translate to a full-time role, depending on how the team fares. Jos Buttler, who missed the entire Hundred campaign for the Manchester Originals due to a calf injury, is also set to return to lead the side.