Following two consecutive disastrous ICC ODI events, England are set to have a slew of changes post Champions Trophy 2025.
The England cricket team is going through a torrid time, having been knocked out of the Champions Trophy 2025. This makes the second consecutive ICC fifty-over tournament where they have failed to get out of the group stage.
England lost their first two games of the ongoing tournament to Australia and Afghanistan. Jos Buttler stepped down from captaincy in the aftermath. However, that won’t be the only change in the England ODI side with more strong calls likely to be made by the team management. We take a look at four potential changes as they rebuild towards the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
Following Buttler’s decision to resign as the captain, England need a new captain. However, their options are pretty limited as most of the players do not have a definite spot in the playing XI.
Harry Brook seems to be the front-runner for the role. Despite his shortcomings in recent times and his struggles against spin, he’s the most assured of a spot among young players. Brook is 26 years of age and is regarded as one of the best talents in the country. England can build the side around him, keeping the next few years in mind.
One out-of-the-box move they could try is to bring Sam Curran back into the fold. The left-arm seam all-rounder has time and again shown that he is capable of soaking up the pressure. He has good experience in captaincy and is just 26 years of age. With no straightforward candidates available, Curran could be a great guy to have as a leader.
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Following the 2023 World Cup campaign, England decided to move on from Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan. They backed Phil Salt and Will Jacks to do the job that Bairstow and Jason Roy did for years. Jacks was dropped for Ben Duckett, who has more than justified his inclusion, while Salt has been utterly disappointing.
Since December 2023, Salt has averaged just 26 across 17 ODIs and has batted for 30 deliveries in only two of those innings. His failure to produce more impactful knocks has been one of the major reasons for England’s current state.
After the Champions Trophy, we could see England bring back Jacks. If not, they should ideally get someone who can play long innings. Someone like Sam Hain, who has a List A average of nearly 58, would be the perfect fit.
England suffered a blow ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 with Jacob Bethell getting ruled out due to a hamstring injury. The 21-year-old is one of the most promising talents in the world and could be a key figure in the England ODI side in the coming years.
Bethell batted at No.6 in his last ODI against India and he scored a fifty. The youngster has shown good composure and adaptability in his short international career. He has a safer batting style than Brook and should be allowed to control the game from number four.
The South African-born batter was expected to be eligible to play for the nation by early 2025. He has a Hungarian passport and has settled in the UK for a few years. Leus du Plooy has shown interest in playing for and would be a good fit for this ODI side.
The left-hand batter has an excellent record in List A cricket, with over 2000 runs at an average of 54. He also has good numbers in First Class cricket, suggesting that he is one of the modern-day T20 dashers. His proven ability to play long innings is exactly what this English team needs.
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