It was as if they could not wait to share the news, England naming their XI for Saturday’s Champions Trophy opener against Australia well in advance of the toss and springing a surprise too. Jamie Smith is back from a calf injury and will keep wicket but, more eye-catchingly, he will bat at No 3.
The team emerged as Jos Buttler’s side trained under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday evening and, on the eve of a major tournament, represents something curve-ball. Talented but inexperienced, Smith has batted first-drop just once in his List A career at Surrey, while Joe Root, England’s record centurion in ODI cricket, has moved down a spot.
But if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results then England – eight defeats from their last 11 ODIs – are at least attempting to break the cycle. Their middle order misfired during the recent 3-0 shellacking in India and the presence of their best player at No 4 should, in theory at least, shore things up a touch.
There is a trade-off, however, the kind of gamble that Brendon McCullum loves to make. The surfaces in Pakistan are not expected to produce the same amount of turn as that which derailed England during in India and, accordingly, this batter-heavy XI selected by the head coach and Buttler leaves the bowling attack looking potentially light.
At a ground where 291 is the average first innings ODI score these past three years – and where Australia failed to defend a target of 349 against Pakistan back in 2022 – they have just four frontline bowlers. Three are outright quicks – Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse – with Adil Rashid’s safe-cracking reliability Buttler’s only frontline spin option.
It means the onus is on Liam Livingstone and Root to make up 10 overs between them, with no other all-round options selected. With Jacob Bethell ruled out of the tournament after a hamstring injury, the only alternative was to pick Jamie Overton in place of a batter. But after five single-figure scores and a best of 19 in India, this was the less appealing punt.
England XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wkt), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (capt), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. Sign up to The Spin. Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s action.
