The shorter the format the more chance that participating teams have of leading the pack, or so the theory goes.
In which case, what do we make of England’s rise to the top of the 50-over rankings this week, the piggy in the middle at least in terms of overs?
The first point to make is that it was planned. When Andrew Strauss appointed Trevor Bayliss as England head coach in 2015, it was with the specific brief to improve England’s white-ball cricket. This he has done, at least with regard to the 50-over game, though you might argue that improvement was the only option available after the nadir of the 2015 World Cup, from which England exited without a squeak.
For many this quantum leap in improvement makes England favourites for next year’s World Cup, which will be played in England and Wales during late May and June. It seems curious that three years can see such a huge transformation from no-hopers to sure things, but the 50-over team have undergone just such an evolution under Bayliss and captain Eoin Morgan.
This story is from the May 04,2018 edition of The Cricket Paper.
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This story is from the May 04,2018 edition of The Cricket Paper.
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