The transformation of England’s one-day international side since the conclusion of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has been nothing short of fascinating. After being humbled and ousted by Bangladesh in the quadrennial event, a flurry of changes to the side, and several stern measures ensured that the new-look England that emerged thereafter was actually good on the field irrespective of their credentials on paper.
Test stalwarts like James Anderson, Stuart Broad and the Test skipper Alastair Cook have not featured in England’s ODI side too often since then, and the influx of youngsters such as Jason Roy, Alex Hales and David Willey has helped the next generation of England players take centre stage. One striking ability that the English have developed since their world cup debacle is that of fielding as many as nine men who can bat, and bat well.
Much like the West Indies in T20 cricket, the England ODI side has power-hitters all throughout its lineup, right from Hales, through Jos Buttler, and down towards Liam Plunkett. Also, as many as five of these nine men can roll their arm over as well. The number of all-rounders that England have in their midst make them an extremely dangerous side.
Here, we pick five of the best men from the English pack of all-rounders.
#5 David Willey
Still in the nascent stages of his career, the left-arm fast bowler from Northampton, David Willey, has already made a name for himself for his attacking brand of pace bowling and his skills at the death. From 19 ODIs, the 25-year-old had picked up 29 wickets at 29.20 at an economy rate of just over 5.
However, it isn’t just with the bat that Willey’s skills lie. Rather, the left--handed batsman is more than capable of hitting the long ball and clearing the ropes when needed. Although the ODI batting average of 13.80 does no justice to the lower-order batsman’s prowess with the bat, a List A average of 22.70 and a strike-rate of 95.78 explains why he is valued so much as a batsman as well.
If nurtured and given a long rope, Willey has the potential to blossom into a fine limited-overs all-rounder for England, of which the current side had no dearth of. Let us have a look at a few other prospects.
#4 Liam Plunkett
Having credited the former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie for his revival, the 31-year-old all-rounder from Yorkshire may not have the age on his side, but with his vast experience, as far as playing competitive cricket is concerned, Plunkett can be a permanent member of the English side in the lead up to the 2019 World Cup.
Plunkett became a comeback hero for his side when he sealed off a tie against Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI of the 2016 series by hitting a six off the last ball of the match. But, before that shot came in, Plunkett had already shared a vital 45-run stand for the 9th wicket with Chris Woakes, who himself finished unbeaten on 95. While this performance sealed the deal for the cricketer in England’s limited-overs side, at least for the season, it was his bowling for which he was initially picked.
Plunkett has 60 wickets from 43 ODIs, since making his debut in 2005. Just 60 games over 11 years speak in abundance about the struggles that the pacer has had in terms of retaining his place in the side. In fact, he returned to the ODI scenes in June 2015 against New Zealand after a long gap of 4 years and 4 months. 445 ODI runs at 22.25 and a strike-rate of 99 explain two things – one, his limited stay in the England ODI setup, and two, his ability to make the stay count if given a longer rope.
#3 Moeen Ali
Historically, England have not been known as much for their spinners as they have been known for their fast bowlers. However, with the need of the hour, and the visits to the subcontinent gaining prime importance, spinners have become an important weapon in any English side’s arsenal. In this regard, the ascendance of Moeen Ali as a right-arm orthodox spinner has helped the team in a big way.
A technically sound left-handed batsman has transformed himself into a more-than-useful spinner and has provided England with a permanent spin bowling option. The 29-year-old has played 43 ODI matches and has scored 931 runs at an average of 28.21 and an excellent strike-rate of 97.69. It is this striking ability that makes him a potentially dangerous customer for any side to have.
With the ball as well the cricketer of Pakistani origin has done decently – 42 wickets from 43 games at an economy rate of under 5 runs per over. He has, more often than not, been used as someone who can keep things quiet during the middle overs and break partnerships with his lack of pace and subtle variations, something that Moeen has done with some amount of success.
#2 Chris Woakes
Another fast bowler who has taken giant strides in international cricket in the recent past has been the 27-year-old Warwickshire man, Chris Woakes. 26 wickets from 4 Tests against Pakistan and 8 wickets from 2 Tests against Sri Lanka this season have put him in strong contention for the Test side for sure. And his exploits with the bat in the limited-overs format have held him in good stead as well.
Be it through his match-defining knock of 95 in the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka or the knocks of 66 and 58 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively in the Tests, Woakes has established himself as a potent lower-order batsman. His ability to farm strike at one end, rotate it when required and hit the meaty blows when the need be have certainly helped him lay a claim for the role of an all-rounder in the side.
Overall, Woakes has 605 runs from 51 ODIs at 23.26 and a strike-rate of 81.86 and 69 wickets at 33.50. With the presence of power-hitters like Jason Roy, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, Woakes adds to the power-packed England ODI batting lineup.
#1 Ben Stokes
England cricket’s latest poster-boy, as far as influence on the team is concerned, Ben Stokes, has, at just 25 years of age, carved a niche for himself and has established himself as England’s No. 1 all-rounder across formats. Although recent injuries have sidelined the Durham-born cricketer to some extent, his return to the English limited-overs side for the ODIs against Pakistan in 2016 have paved the way for his recovery on the field.
The man who holds the record for the second-fastest Test double hundred in history (off 163 balls vs South Africa in 2015) has, over the years, proven his credentials with the bat as well as with the ball and has become one of the few England cricketers to play all three formats of the game on a regular basis.
811 runs from 43 ODIs at an average of 23.85 and a strike-rate of 93.64, and 37 wickets at 36.29 speak of a nascent career, to say the least. But, as time progresses, Stokes is only expected to mature, provided he stays fit. While the comparisons with Andrew Flintoff and Ian Botham still appear to be far-fetched, Stokes can indeed emulate them if he continues on his own merry way.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
