3 Things England Needs to Do Immediately to Come out of Their ODI Slump

England search for a quick fix amidst the chaos of facing all-time low in ODI cricket.

3 Things England Needs to Do Immediately to Come out of Their ODI Slump

Jos Buttler and David Willey (via NDTV Sports)

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The 2015 ODI World Cup was a dark phase for ODI cricket in England. They were criticized for playing a brand of ODI cricket that has become obsolete. It took them an entire revamp to understand what ODI cricket actually was in the modern era.

New positive players came in and the set up was a fresh one which ended up becoming world champions in 2019 on their home-turf. Just when everyone thought England would further dominate world cricket, they fell to an all-time low once again and they continued to fall further.

The 2023 ODI World Cup was a dismal one where they lost to Afghanistan as well. Furthermore, they have lost five out of the six bilateral series’ they have played. They have lost to India, Australia, West Indies and recently to South Africa as well.

They couldn’t win a single game at the recently concluded Champions Trophy as well. A culmination of all this has brought them down to number 8 in the ICC ODI rankings. In such horrid times, here are the three things England can do to get out of their slump.

Curb their instincts of going ‘Ultra Aggressive’

England has been guilty of not mixing caution with aggression on multiple occasions. The team that had won the 2019 World Cup playing an aggressive brand had calm heads like Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, and Ben Stokes. They would adapt quickly in a tricky situation.

Harry Brook often has been found guilty of going ultra-aggressive.
Harry Brook (via ESPNcricinfo)

The current side has only Joe Root playing that role with the others often throwing their wickets with recklessness. The ideal set up of an ODI side has two or three players strolling along consistently with the others playing aggressively to keep the scoring rate high without many casualties.

England, in recent times, have found themselves six down before 100 in the strife of trying and hitting the balls which are not meant to be hit. Most recently, England got bowled out for just 131 and no one could stay tough enough to change his style and look to bat for longer periods.

Improving the quality of their spin bowling

England have been craving for a quality set of spinners for a long time now. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid formed a consistent pair, but the retirement of Ali has made it tricky for England with the entire burden of spin bowling falling on Rashid. They do have part timers in the form of Will Jacks, Jacob Bethell and even Joe Root. However, the guarantee of success from a part timer remains limited.

Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid formed a solid pair in England's good days.
Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid (via Sky Sports)

A capable spinner alongside Rashid would be key. Bethell can become that spinner but that would need a lot of work to be done on that skill of his. England often struggle in the subcontinent without a second spinner as the pacers get worn out on pitches that don’t offer much for the quick bowlers.

Improve the ability to play spin

England has lost the ability to play quality spin. The side that had dominated ODI cricket for a brief period had the likes of Joe Root, Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan. These players could score at will against spin and not lose wickets. The match against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup saw Morgan take down Rashid Khan, one of the best of this generation, big time.

England have struggled a lot against quality spin.
English batter getting dismissed to spin (via ESPNcricinfo)

He hit 17 sixes against the Afghan spin that afternoon showing the versatility of that line up. The current set of players tend to lose their footwork to quality spin, and the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Keshav Maharaj and Mitchell Santner have enjoyed great success against them. They rely way too much on the sweep shot and often come down to balls which are not there to hit exposing their vulnerability.

It remains to see if England can farm good spinners. Players of spin and a mix of caution with aggression to calm down the chaos that is surrounding their ODI side remains of great importance. Senior players like Joe Root and Jos Buttler are important figures and need to make sure they instill positive feelings in the entire change room.

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