Test cricket will take centre stage for the next year, with a huge India series followed by an Ashes tour, but England cannot afford to let things drift if they are to stay in the hunt for silverware.
Ben Stokes’ fitness issues and role as Test captain means he may have a limited role in future too, while Mark Wood may have pushed his body too far to continue as a three-format player.
It is not long since England were double world champions in white-ball cricket, but things have fallen away badly with a string of tournament failures.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has downgraded its domestic 50-over competition to ‘developmental’ status, meaning the country’s top players and best emerging prospects hardly ever play it.
Their efforts at the 50-over World Cup in 2023 amounted to little more than a joyless trudge around India and they were only marginally better in last year’s T20 tournament before being thrashed in the semi-finals.
