5 England players to watch out for in 2015 Cricket World Cup

England became the first team to announce their final 15-man squad for the illustrious Cricket World Cup, having done so on December 19. One major exclusion from the the squad was captain Alastair Cook, who has subsequently been relieved of his duties as skipper. He averaged a disappointing 27.52 in his last 20 ODIs leading to calls for him to resign, but few people anticipated the ECB dropping their main man less than two months before England’s first World Cup game against Australia in Melbourne.His replacement was announced as the Irish-born Eoin Morgan who has impressed with his attacking captaincy in the shorter formats of the game. It is well documented how the English team have struggled to adapt to the free-flowing, attacking style of cricket that the game now demands. Will Morgan’s appointment change this?Here are 5 key figures in the England set-up who have to perform if the team are to progress to the latter stages of the tournament:

#1 Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali is a breath of fresh air as far as the one-day team is concerned. His attacking style of silky batting added with his humble personality is a perfect combination for a prolonged career at the top of England’s batting order. In Sri Lanka, the way he nonchalantly saw off the hosts’ opening pacemen won him many plaudits.

Also, his useful off-spin adds another dimension to England’s weak bowling attack. The potential Moeen has as an opener-cum-spinner makes him one of England’s key assets in the upcoming World Cup.

#2 James Taylor

Relatively unknown outside England, James Taylor’s impressive 50-over domestic form in 2014 (444 runs at 88.80) ensured that he would be in Peter Moores’ touring party for the recently concluded 7-match series in Sri Lanka. At first, it seemed as though England were reluctant to insert him into the middle-order. Eventually, after a few collapses, Moores and his staff decided to give the 24-year-old a chance.

Standing distinctly at 5ft 5in, the Nottinghamshire batsman shined. Initially hitting 90 in Colombo and then 68 in Pallekele, he impressed many onlookers. Although he is unproven in Australia and New Zealand, Taylor can take the game away from the opposition in an instant. With plenty of years left in him, most would say he has a promising career ahead of him – especially if he maintains the smart batting style in which he prospers.

#3 Jos Buttler

Many were already aware of Jos Buttler’s enormous potential when he propelled himself onto the international stage, hitting 121 off 74 balls against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in June. A man regarded as often reinvigorating England’s lacklustre batting when he comes in at No.6, he has established himself as a long-term England gloveman in the shorter formats at just 24.

His unorthodox batting style has proved popular with England fans bored of seeing conventional cricket being played. Handy with the gloves, his quick reaction and constant activity behind the stumps always keeps the opposition batsmen on their toes. Fifty-five catches in 44 ODIs is no mean feat for the young man destined for bigger and better things. If he fires at the World Cup, we could see England travel all the way to win the prestigious trophy for the first time.

#4 James Tredwell

The wily off-spinner is an experienced head amongst a young set-up. Although he has only played 44 ODIs, he has proved he is a tactful and cunning spinner, relied on immensely by former captain Alastair Cook. Tredwell’s value to England is reinforced by the fact that there is a lack of quality spinners capable of representing the country.

His calming influence and experience are crucial to the young team, and he will no doubt be vital in slowing down the pace of a match, both with his slow bowling style and attitude to the game.

#5 Stuart Broad

The lynchpin of England’s bowling attack in the shorter formats, Stuart Broad will be vital to a bowling attack featuring the erratic Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan and the seemingly ineffective James Anderson. Looking purely at the stats, Broad seems nothing special in this format (average of 28.37, strike-rate of 32.5), but considering the difficulty of the era he has represented England in, the stats are quite impressive.

The longevity of Broad’s stay in the ODI team is a testament to his commitment and form, especially when compared to his contemporaries. The paceman will be looking to impress on the green tracks likely to be found in Australia and New Zealand, which will be a direct contrast to the slow, spin-friendly pitches of the subcontinent at the 2011 World Cup.