ICC Champions Trophy team preview: England

In spite of playing one-day cricket for more than 50 years, England have been the perennial bridesmaids at big ticket ICC tournaments. Every time they seemed to be marching towards a facile win, they have inexplicably lost from a position of strength, under pressure. As England’s squad look to gear up towards the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, they need to banish the seed of self doubts pervading in their minds, and play a positive brand of cricket.

Here’s a snapshot of England’s squad and their chances at the ICC Champions Trophy

Tracks

There is a lot of talk in cricketing circles that conditions in England will be seamer friendly. During a typical rain sodden English summer, there will be enough juice in the track for pacers to make their mark. England’s think-tank will be hoping for conditions that suits their formidable pace attack.

On the other end of the spectrum, the grounds on which England is going to play their group matches aren’t necessarily known as seamer friendly tracks. But if overcast conditions come into play, it can suit England’s pace attack. They will also be hoping to win the toss at Cardiff, as all seven completed matches at that ground have resulted in the team opting to field first winning the encounter.

Two new balls

Ever since the rule of a new ball being used at both ends has come into force, it has favoured teams that have pace-dominated bowling attacks. England’s pace-oriented bowling line-up has thrived under this rule change, especially at home.

Well-balanced bowling line-up

On paper, England have a well-balanced bowling unit, and enough firepower in their ranks to rip-open any batting line-up. In fact, the blueprint of England’s success at home in recent times has been for the bowlers to restrict the opposition to modest totals which in turn, helps their rock-solid top-order to do well. It can be best exemplified by the fact that England have lost just one bilateral one-day series at home in the last six years.

England’s think-tank though, will be sweating over the fitness of Finn and Broad, as there is an injury cloud hanging over both of them. Both fast bowlers are certainly vital cogs in the line-up. Finn, who is built like an edifice can generate disconcerting bounce out of most surfaces. Broad has those variations up his sleeve to outfox the batsman.

On the upside, the fulcrum of England’s pace attack, Anderson, is firing on all cylinders. Anderson was listless in the 2011 WC, but he has made a spirited comeback to form. Since the ’11 WC, Anderson has taken 42 wickets at an impressive average of 23.02. England also have an attacking spinner in Swann. Unlike most modern day spinners, here is one bowler who always looks to take wickets.

Kevin Pietersen – The missing link

Coaches of other teams in the Champions Trophy will be breathing a sigh of relief, as KP is injured and won’t play in the tournament. With a wide array of strokes and preternatural hand-eye co-ordination, he can turn a match on its head in matter of minutes. Even when he went through a bad patch in One Day cricket between 08/09 to 11/12, bowlers around the world still looked at him as a major threat in England’s batting line-up.

In KP’s absence, England will look to Morgan to up the ante and get big scores. The unorthodox Morgan may not have the power of KP, but he more than makes it up with innovative jaw-dropping shots. On his day, Morgan is a bowler’s nightmare, as he can play shots in a 360 degree arc. England could have perhaps included the diminutive and fearless James Taylor instead of the enigmatic Bopara. Nottinghamshire’s middle-order batsman, Taylor, has played some scintillating knocks in domestic cricket.

Key Player – Alastair Cook

England’s captain marvel, Cook, is the bedrock of their top-order. There was a time when his detractors said that he can’t play One Day cricket. But with sheer dogged determination and perseverance, he has silenced his critics. Those five one-day hundreds he has already notched up at a healthy strike rate is a fitting riposte to all those critics who were baying for his blood. He, along with Trott and Bell, form a formidable top-order, especially in English conditions.

The player to watch out for – Jos Buttler

The wicket-keeper batsman, Buttler, has been picked specifically to inject the much needed acceleration in the end overs. He doesn’t belong to the club of big, muscular cricketers and yet he seems to have that uncanny ability to hit sixes nonchalantly, and with ease. It doesn’t mean that Buttler can’t play powerful shots. But when he smashes those sixes at will, it doesn’t seem like he uses a great amount of power to send it deep into the orbit. He can also take the mickey out of bowlers with that scoop-shot. As a keen cricket enthusiast, all I can say is that you should underestimate Buttler’s batting prowess at your own peril.

If Finn and Broad are passed fit, England have the squad that can lift the coveted Champions Trophy at home. But unfortunately, cricket isn’t played on a piece of paper. It also has to be said that as the top eight ranked sides are participating in the Champions Trophy, England can’t take anyone lightly. Simply put, if England don’t want the dark clouds of doom and gloom not to descend on them again in One Day cricket, they have to play a positive brand of cricket.