Left Arm Around

Well, there we have it. A welcome for England supporters.

After plundering Test tons for fun, breaking record after record, Joe Root returns to the England white-ball setup ready to make a first appearance since the ODI World Cup in November 2023.

Averaging a healthy 47.60 from 171 ODI’s, striking 16 centuries, Root has been an inconsistent member of the side since England’s victorious World Cup in 2019- probably a sign that the ECB aimed to manage his workload heading into the latter stages of his career.

But with the schedule freed-up and no Test matches for the Three Lions until May, captain Jos Buttler has opted for the reliability of Root at 3 to stabilise an often reckless middle order- particularly in recent times.

Root’s inclusion, however, means Surrey’s Will Jacks drops out of the picture.

The 26 year-old has impressed with his performances in franchise leagues, but his domestic performances have not translated to the international arena.

An average of 31.20 from 15 ODI’s was not strong enough to assure his place in squad, despite the usefulness of his handy off-breaks.

There is also no place for the injured Ben Stokes, who sustained a recurrence of a hamstring injury in New Zealand.

England’s Test skipper confirmed he would be open to coming out of ODI retirement should he be asked.

Injury-troubled Reece Topley and all-rounder Sam Curran are two others to miss out, leaving no left-arm pace options in the squad.

The other major talking points are the inclusion of Jacob Bethell and the lack of a second spinner to support Adil Rashid.

Bethell, 21, continues his meteoric rise having made his T20I, ODI and Test debuts in the space of three months.

The Warwickshire left-hander shone on the white-ball tour of the Caribbean before impressing donning Test whites in New Zealand.

Bethell’s three half-centuries were key in England winning 2-1, their first series win in New Zealand since 2008.

Although Rashid has continued to illustrate his worth as one of the world’s best white-ball spinners well into his thirties, many will question the other spin options available on the docile surfaces of India and Pakistan.

The likes of Root, Bethell and Livingstone will be useful in providing some extra overs, but if the pacers struggle to make the breakthroughs, will they be able to exert enough control in the middle overs?

With Jofra Archer included in a bid to ramp up his recovery- and Mark Wood also returning from injury- much of England’s chances could be hinged on the performances of their two quickest bowlers.

England begin their winter white-ball campaign with five T20Is against India, starting on January 22 in Kolkata.

This will be followed by three ODI’s in February and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.