After two weeks and three games with a young team and thoughts about the distant goal of a 50-Over tournament scheduled for 2027, this is where the serious business for England begins.
Six months before a T20 World Cup where, although co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, England will probably only play in the Caribbean, the next five games offer a crucial chance to build confidence in the Format and knowledge of local conditions.
“Of course you want to win the series, of course you do,” said Chris Woakes, one of five players not involved in the one-day Internationals and part of England’s T20 squad.
“The result is always in the foreground, but at the same time you want to prepare for what awaits us. The focus is therefore on learning the conditions, and sometimes on the achievements, rather than on the final results. The perfect idea is that you do all this and also get the result.”
England’s five new players – Moeen Ali, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley and Woakes – have a total of 241 T20 caps and a combined age of just under 168. This transfer of experience reflects a very different approach from this series. The West Indies did the same, bringing in Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and T20 captain Rovman Powell. Compared to this batch, the ODI series was literally a no-brainer.
Exactly a month and a day after their last World Cup match, England’s preparations for the next one are going into high gear. England’s last 20 games have all been Odis, a run that has produced a few highlights but hasn’t been much fun overall and they will welcome the change of focus. But you will know that since they won the World Cup trophy last year in Melbourne, they have only played six T20s and lost four of them.
After failing so badly in India, it would be a boost to smack a West Indian team whose ranking in the Format – they are seventh, England second – does not reflect the strength of their team and in particular their striking power.
Tuesday’s opening match also introduces a procedural novelty in the form of a watch trial, which will now take place in all international white ball competitions until April. Teams must be ready to throw the first ball of each Overs within 60 seconds of the end of the last ball – if they fail after two free passes, the third and subsequent offenses will each result in a deduction of five points from their score.
“It makes sense,” Woakes said. “I hope it will speed up the game a little. When you’re in the middle, you don’t feel like you’re playing it slow. Even if the guys can have a drink or exchange gloves, the game seems pretty fast. But we are in the joyfull business and we have to make sure that the viewers are happy, so I think it’s a good idea.”
England named their squad for the test series in India on Monday, without Wakes. The player of the series in the summer Ashes, he is now perceived as a specialist in home conditions in Cricket with a red ball. “You always desperately want to be part of the team, but at my age, with my record away from home – especially in the subcontinent – I feel like it’s a fair decision,” the 34-year-old said.
