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England team pic in ODI (Photo Source: Twitter)
England, the current world champions, will be looking forward to becoming only the third team after West Indies and Australia to defend their title in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 tournament. The tournament will commence on October 5, in India.
The tournament will see 10 teams clashing each other in a round-robin format across 10 venues in 48 games.
The top four teams in the league will move into the semi-finals. England will feature in the opening match of the ODI World Cup 2023, where they will face New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Credited for revolutionizing the 50-over format with their aggression with the bat, England are being considered as one of the favourites to win the World Cup.
Albeit, they have a few roadblocks in their way as they will travel a lot throughout the tournament, the Three Lions have the players who can do the impossible in the marquee event.
Here is England’s strongest predicted playing XI for World Cup 2023:
1. Dawid Malan
Dawid Malan. (Photo Source: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Dawid Malan might have made his name for England in T20 cricket, but his ODI record is also very good. In 21 ODIs, Malan has 1046 runs with 5 centuries to his name. His best score is 134 and he averages 61.52 in the format.
He usually plays attacking cricket and has moulded his game to maximize the powerplay overs. His being left-handed at the top of the order, gives an extra advantage to the England team. With Jason Roy out of contention, expect Malan to give flying starts to his team.
2. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow. (Photo Source: Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images)
Jonny Bairstow is expected to be Malan’s partner at the top. His attacking batting at the top has demolished the best of bowling attacks. He is one of the most attacking batters in the world today, regardless of the format.
Bairstow gels well with left-handed Dawid Malan for England as openers.
Meanwhile, Bairstow has scored 3653 runs in 98 ODIs with 11 centuries to his name. His highest score is 141* and the main thing to note is his strike rate of 103.92. He can be devastating to begin with and keeps the momentum going.
3. Joe Root
Joe Root
Joe Root will bat at No. 3 for England. A purely technical batter at heart, Root has had to mould his batting into the modern-day England way of playing. He has adapted reverse sweeps, reverse lofts, and sweeps to pacers.
However, his ability to anchor one end will be the one England might need in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.
As for his ODI record, Root has 6246 runs in 162 matches with 16 centuries to his name. He averages 48.79 and his best score is 133*. He is also a handy off-spinner with 26 scalps in the format to his name. He is capable of being the third spinner in the England XI.
4. Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes (Photo Source: Twitter)
The much-awaited return of Ben Stokes to ODI cricket after a year was a thing that England fans celebrated hugely. He hammered the highest score in ODIs by an Englishman when he slammed 182 runs. He went past Jason Roy’s record of 180.
Though he is not likely to bowl during the World Cup, Stokes is dangerous as a batter alone. He has scored 3159 runs in 108 ODIs for England. He has 4 centuries at an average of 40.50 with a strike rate of 36.36. Equaling devastating against pacers and spinners, Ben Stokes can change the momentum of the game at any time.
5. Jos Buttler (C/Wk)
Jos Buttler (Photo Source: Twitter)
Jos Buttler will be tasked with carrying on the legacy of Eoin Morgan. Considered the greatest England white-ball captain, Morgan gave them their maiden ODI World Cup. However, Buttler has shown the same mentality as he led England to the T20 World Cup 2022 title.
Now he will be tasked with defending the ODI World Cup crown.
He is part of the long line of attacking England batters and he has shown in international cricket, what he can do. In 169 ODIs, Buttler has 4823 runs at an average of 41.57. He has scored 11 centuries with a best score of 162* and a strike rate of 118.
6. Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone (Photo Source: Twitter)
Liam Livingstone has been given the license to go out and go after the bowling from the get-go. He has shown the same penchant in T20Is and 16 ODIs, he has 436 runs with a best of 95* at a strike rate of 116.89. He has hit 29 fours and 22 sixes thus far in the format.
Along with his big-hitting prowess, Livingstone also doubles up as a spinner. Though he has only 10 wickets to his name, Livingstone gives Buttler an option to bowl. Especially if any other main bowler is going for runs.
7. Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Moeen Ali is the leading spinner in the England ODI team. He is also a brilliant batter, who has opened innings for his team and has scored one of the fastest centuries in ODIs for England. But more often than not, he works more as a spinner, who can both take wickets and stem the flow of runs.
In 132 ODIs, Ali has 2260 runs with 3 centuries and a best of 128 with a strike rate of 99.47. With the ball, Moeen Ali has 106 wickets with a best of 4/46 and an economy of 5.29. Given that this will be probably his final World Cup tournament, the left-arm all-rounder would want to give it his all to finish on a high.
8. Sam Curran
Sam Curran. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Sam Curran was the Player of the Tournament in England’s T20 World Cup 2022 win. He has recovered well from his back injury and adds a lot of value to the England team. Not only can he swing the ball both ways at the start, he can bat as well.
Fascinatingly enough, Chennai Super Kings even used him as an opener in a few matches in IPL 2021. Sam
Curran will be the player to watch out for in the England team. In 26 ODIs, he has 383 runs with the best score of 95*. He has 28 wickets as well with 5/28. Curran might even be used as a floater by the England team given his immense talent with the bat.
9. Chris Woakes
Chris Woakes (Photo Source: Twitter)
Chris Woakes is another of the all-rounders that England has in abundance. He can hit a long ball and his ability to swing and seam the ball helps England take early wickets. He has also returned from an injury of sorts and has done well in recent times.
Woakes has 1393 runs in 114 ODIs with 5 half-centuries and best score of 95*. With the ball, Woakes has 163 wickets to his name with a best bowling of 6/45 at an economy of 5.43. He can be very miserly and thanks to playing in the IPL, has experience of Indian conditions.
10. Adil Rashid
LEEDS, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Adil Rashid of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Adil Rashid is the premier leg-spinner in the England team. He has been a match-winner for Jos Buttler in many ODI games. And in India, England will play on surfaces that help spinner a lot like Pune, Delhi, and Lucknow, to name a few.
Rashid will thrive on such surfaces as he buys wickets, by giving away a few runs. But his scalps are always the big fishes. In 126 ODIs, Rashid has 184 wickets with a best of 5/27 at an economy of 5.67.
11. Mark Wood
Mark Wood. (Photo Source: Twitter/ECB)
Mark Wood is one of the fastest bowlers in the world today. He easily clocks over 150kph regularly and England knows how to utilize him to maximize his potential. Expect Wood to play on surfaces like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Dharamshala, respectively.
Notably, these venues are quite seam-friendly and can help the Three Lions to exploit the conditions to their advantage. Speaking of his ODI career, Mark Wood has featured for England in 59 ODIs so far, whereby, he has picked up 71 wickets. During this journey, his best bowling figures have been 4/33. Hence, he can threaten even the top sides of the world on his day.
