ICC World Cup 2019 | SWOT Analysis ā England
As ironical as it may sound, but the inventors of the game we all so dearly love are yet to feel what a World cup victory tastes like. Yes, England have made it to the finals on three occasions, but yet to lift the coveted trophy as they fizzled out while crossing the final hurdle.
After almost three decades, England are now tagged as āfavouritesā for the upcoming quadrennial event, in fact, they are not just favourites, but āreal favouritesā.
For years, England were reluctant to alter their orthodox approach towards the ever-evolving ODI cricket. However, their disheartening ouster from the 2015 World Cup compel led them to get over their reluctance and when they eventually did, there was no stopping to it. No team in contemporary cricket, play the kind of cricket England do at the moment.
Their belligerence with the bat has seen them amassing the 300 run-mark with absolute ease on numerous occasions and win games solely on the back of their batting. After the 2015 World Cup debacle, England have played 90 ODIs (won: 59, lost: 24), where they have a winning percentage of just over 65.Ā Ā
England lost the World T20 2016 to Carlos Brathwaiteās late scare in the final over and were touted as favourites in the 2017 Champions Trophy too, where a bad day against Pakistan knocked them out. England would like to make amends this time and look to learn from their mistakes to overcome barriers under the pump.
Strengths
It wonāt be an exaggeration, but there is not a single batting line-up more powerful or even close to that of Englandās. The kind of depth they have is mind-boggling and in their latest game against Pakistan, Adil Rashid took guard at 11, who averages just over 20 in ODIs, which speaks volumes of their depth in batting.
In Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow, England have an explosive top-order while Joe Root is the perfect candidate to shoulder the crucial No.3 responsibility. The middle-order comprises of Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes. Not just this, their bowlers can bat too and have done incredibly well to garner crucial runs lower down the order. The likes of Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Rashid, Liam Plunkett are not typical tail-enders and can account for at least 70-80 runs between them.
For them, a total of 350 has become a norm as they constantly try to get close to 400 and expect this World Cup to be no different. They have a plethora of impactful all-rounders in Stokes, Woakes, Archer and Ali, which also means lack of specialist bowlers.
Weaknesses
The presence of four all-rounders is no less than a boon to any side, but that also means England are a little short when it comes to specialist bowlers. They have experienced campaigners, but not a single bowler, barring Archer, who looks intimidating at the crease. And Archer is yet to prove his worth at the international arena, which he is quite capable of, but the pressure will definitely be on him.
There is a dearth of death bowlers as well and teams like India and Australia would exploit this weakness brutally. Their spin department sport a modest look, there is no massive threat there like Indian spinners pose. Though they have the batting to chase down any total but a team cannot afford to bank on a single department solely in knock-out stages, where bowling wins you the game 7 out of 10 times.
Opportunity
With Englandās batting making the rounds, the only big opportunity lies in their bowling department. Archer has shown enough signs and has the ingredients to become an impactful ODI bowler. The Jamaican-born was drafted just before the World Cup, while his white ball exploits are evident but with England, it is yet to be seen.
If Archer manages to deliver, he will become an overnight sensation for the team and will cement his spot as the specialist bowler for a while. In batting-friendly pitches, teams with good death bowlers will stand a chance and Archer has proved his worth with the new ball as well as the old one. The question is ā Will he replicate his magical performance in ODIs as well?
Threats
England have made it to the finals on three occasions - 1979, 1987 and 1992, but finished as runners-up every single time and many believe this is Englandās best chance. They have always fizzled out when the expectations are huge. This time too, which is also the fourth time, the expectations are very high from. England to win the cup and with the tournament being played in their backyard, it will only add to the pressure. The over expectations might get the better of them in knock-out stages and to add to that, they donāt have the experience of playing a final. Also, they ran through oppositions in 2017 Champions Trophy, but when the pitch that had something to offer for the bowlers, their strength backfired. If they continue to play the aggressive brand of cricket, at times, the move may backfire on lively surfaces.
Sportscafe XI: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid.
England squad: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Liam Plunkett, Liam Dawson, James Vince.