England’s remarkable ODI turnaround

Their transformation from World Cup embarrassments to arguably the best England side to play one-day international cricket is almost complete.

Their transformation from World Cup embarrassments to arguably the best England side to play one-day international cricket is almost complete.

Published Aug 31, 2016

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Their transformation from World Cup embarrassments to arguably the best England side to play one-day international cricket is almost complete.

Such was their total and utterly brutal domination of Pakistan.It is no more than 18 months ago that England were stinking out yet another World Cup and becoming the laughing stock of a 50-over game that had long left them behind to emerge as an extension of the crash, bang, wallop of Twenty20.

Progress, first under the coaching of Paul Farbrace and then Trevor Bayliss, has been rapid, brilliantly reaching a new high with last night’s thumping 169-run win. The sky really is the limit now for a side who look excitingly well-equipped to fulfil Andrew Strauss’s quest for limited-overs cricket to be treated just as seriously as the Test game ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy.

Where to start? There was Alex Hales, such a troubled figure in the second half of this summer, breaking Robin Smith’s 23-year-old record for the highest individual score by an England batsman in one-day cricket.

Then there was the freak that is Jos Buttler executing some barely believable strokes in reaching 50 off 22 balls and usurping Paul Collingwood’s mark for the fastest half-century in a 50-over match for England.

And how about the barely noticed supporting acts of Joe Root, who hit his fifth successive one-day 50 in a second-wicket stand of 248 with Hales, and captain Eoin Morgan with a 24-ball 50 of his own?

It all added up to the highest score in limited-overs history, England overtaking Sri Lanka’s 443 for nine against Holland 10 years ago off the very last ball when Buttler smashed his seventh four to add to his seven sixes.

It should be said that any judgment of England’s third successive victory to clinch the Royal London series with two games to spare should be placed in the context of how truly pathetic Pakistan were in the field. But by any standards this was quite something.

Not least from Hales, who had such a horrible time in the Test series against Pakistan and in the opening two one-day games. He responded by reaching 171 off 122 balls, with four of England’s record 16 sixes and 22 fours, and went past Smith’s high of 167 that has stood almost mythically since England played Australia — and lost — at Edgbaston in 1993.

Hales had his luck, notably when he was caught on the midwicket boundary on 72 off Wahab Riaz only to be reprieved by the sharpest of no-ball calls from TV umpire Marais Erasmus.

Then Hales was dropped on 114 by Pakistan captain Azhar Ali as the wheels fell off a creaking and old-fashioned one-day outfit who are in danger of failing to qualify automatically for the 2019 World Cup.Hales will not worry about that after moving on to his third one-day hundred in his last six innings and going past Smith’s landmark with a pulled four off Hasan Ali — he needed to be told by Joe Root that he had broken a major record — before falling to his next ball.It says something, though, that the best batting of the day came from the gifted Buttler, who demonstrated both amazing power and amazing powers of innovation in his unbeaten 90.

Buttler, too, was the beneficiary of some Pakistani incompetence when Wahab overstepped yet again when he bowled him on 75. But it was barely a blemish on another sublime contribution. Buttler must return to Test cricket immediately — and as a specialist batsman for the time being, too.

Pakistan’s innings was always going to be an anti-climax but England now have an attack to match the best, too, and in Chris Woakes the most improved bowler in world cricket, as the opening three wickets last night testified.

It was all over with 44 balls to spare even though Mohammad Amir delayed the inevitable with some hearty late blows that took him to 58, the highest score by a No 11 in one-day history. It was that sort of day.

So is it getting carried away to say this England side are the best in their one-day history?

Well, it was Nick Knight, not one given to hyperbole, who first floated the idea at the start of this series and he surely has a point. Graham Gooch’s 1992 World Cup runners-up are commonly regarded as England’s best one-day side but today’s cricketers are playing a very different game.

Look at the players at England’s disposal who were not involved last night. Jonny Bairstow cannot get into this team while talents like Sam Billings, Dawid Malan and exciting newcomer Ben Duckett are not even in the squad.

Then there are bowlers in reserve such as David Willey, Steven Finn and the big two Test beasts of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad who have been allowed to concentrate on the longer game.

It is almost an embarrassment of riches even though the catching, with Hales and Buttler spilling chances, certainly needs improving.There will be tougher tests ahead than Pakistan at home but the culture change Strauss demanded is close to fruition now and all England need to do is fulfil their enormous potential in that Champions Trophy and the next World Cup, also to be staged in England in three years time. Enjoy the ride. – Daily Mail

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