Stuart Broad thinks that if England wants to compete at the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next year, they need to add another fast bowler to their attack.
With a crushing six-wicket defeat against the top-ranked 50-over team at Edgbaston on Tuesday, England’s dismal performance in one-day international cricket continued three days after they overtook India at the top of the T20 world rankings.
England is currently ranked a pitiful seventh, below Afghanistan, after losing 14 of their previous 20 ODIs.
“England are eighth in the world rankings and are playing like they are eighth. They need to get more experience into the roles of the players,” AFP quoted former England fast bowler Broad telling Sky Sports.
Early in India’s innings, England captain Harry Brook had to employ the majority of express quick Jofra Archer’s overs because his team at Birmingham had five spin options but only three seamers.
However, with Joe Root’s undefeated 76 not out and the seasoned Hampshire all-rounder’s 68, his first ODI fifty, rallying England after they had fallen to 80-5, an additional seamer might have meant Liam Dawson losing out.
Root and Dawson have both played a lot of domestic 50-over cricket, which is challenging for younger teammates who frequently participate in a Hundred competition that conflicts with the One-Day Cup of the English game.
England was able to set India a target of 259 for win because to Root and Dawson’s 121-run partnership.
Only after India had recovered from losing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the same six deliveries did that prove to be insufficient.
After Archer and Josh Tongue, the only two genuine fast bowlers in the assault, bowled 13 of the first 16 overs between them, India skipper Shubman Gill’s outstanding 80 from 75 balls before withdrawing hurt inflicted most of the damage.
Additionally, Broad claims that in order to lessen the pressure on Archer, Tongue, and leg-spinner Adil Rashid, additional firepower is required.
“After defeat at Edgbaston, there might be a shift in mindset towards playing another seamer. Looking ahead to the next World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, it’s going to be the faster, taller bowlers who do the damage there.”
“Taking 10 wickets in an ODI, particularly through that middle period, is difficult. I look at Archer — he’s a natural wicket-taker, the best white-ball bowler we have. Tongue can take wickets. Rashid can take wickets. But I feel England need one more fast bowler to back up that group.”
“Sam Curran is a very good cricketer, but he’s not a first-change seam bowler. England need someone to come through in the middle overs, bowl bouncers and seamers, and take the outside edge, so they don’t have to go to Archer all the time. Could that be Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson or Saqib Mahmood? England need to start trialling that now.”
India and England will play their second of three One-Day Internationals in Cardiff on Thursday.
