England begin another ODI reboot in the hope of better results and faces and names, who are better suited to play the 50-over cricket, which is closer to Tests than T20Is, as Rob Key admitted after their Champions Trophy debacle with Harry Brook as the new white-ball captain.
England will be up against the West Indies in a three-match ODI series, followed by as many T20Is. The West Indies are coming off a competitive Ireland ODI assignment, which shed light further on their bowling stocks and whether they are good enough for 50-over cricket and bowling longer spells with accuracy as compared to T20Is. For England, it is the start of a new era with Harry Brook as the new white-ball captain.
It is a similar situation with England’s white-ball cricket at the moment, where it was in 2015, probably and in Test cricket in 2022 with Joe Root, where they were losing their best player under the leadership burden. If the captaincy change can reignite Jos Buttler, the white-ball player he is, he can be; Rob Key and Brendon McCullum will be the two happiest chaps. Anyway, Buttler is coming off a sensational season for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and should be good enough to continue from where he left off in India.
England have already announced their XI with Jamie Smith being promoted up at the top in a new role, while Will Jacks is being pushed down to play the Moeen Ali/Liam Livingstone role. For the West Indies, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd will be two big misses, but with Keacy Carty, Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Justin Greaves in there, the batting has enough promise to hopefully, taper over the leaks in bowling.
When and where to watch ENG vs WI ODI series on TV and OTT in India?
The three-match ODI series between England and the West Indies will kick off in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday, May 29, at 5:30 PM IST. The remaining matches are scheduled for June 1 and 3 in Cardiff and London with the second ODI being the only day clash of the series. The ENG vs WI series will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network on TV and the live streaming will be available on the SonyLiv app and website.
The three-match ODI series can be streamed live on the Fancode app and website as well.
Squads
England: Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood, Tom Banton, Matthew Potts, Tom Hartley
West Indies: Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(w/c), Roston Chase, Amir Jangoo, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves
