World Cup 2023 | SWOT Analysis of England
England will rely a lot on their pace bowlers to defend the World Cup title (Source: Twitter)
The mega event, the show-stopper of the cricketing verse, is upon us. It is time for the ODI World Cup 2023, and it is just about of a couple of weeks away. All sorts of discussions centring the marquee event will only be incomplete if we don't talk about the defending champions, England.
They have won two of the last three ICC trophies and are a team to contend with. The current T20 and ODI World Champions will give it their all to defend the title. And eventually, in the grand event's opening game, England will face New Zealand. So, moving ahead, let us look at the English squad for the tournament and then try to analyse it to predict their fate in the World Cup 2023.
England Squad for World Cup 2023:
Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, and Chris Woakes.
Strengths of England For World Cup 2023:
A settled unit
The English team's core has been the same for a long time. This makes it a very settled unit. Players like Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone have long been a part of the system.
The team being together for so long increases the co-ordination among the individuals. The players are well-versed in their roles in the team, and they can function in auto-pilot mode on most occasions.
Presence of Clutch Players
England already had the likes of Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone in their squad, who could deliver their best under pressure. The return and inclusion of Ben Stokes has added one more name to the list.
We all remember Stokes's knock in the T20 World Cup 2022 final. And barring that, he has done it for England in all three formats on multiple occasions. This shows that he likes the big stage, and the pressure of the situation brings the best out of him.
Besides Stokes, other names like Buttler, Ali, Curran and Livingstone have delivered for their respective teams multiple times under pressure. The presence of such a unit gives England a great edge over the other teams. These players' skills and experience might bail the team out in big matches like the semis or the final.
Presence of a Number of Utility Players
Players like Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and even Joe Root can deliver for the team with both the bat and the ball. This allows a lot of flexibility for the skipper. He can change his strategies quickly and spontaneously based on the game's situation. Having so many utility players is one of the biggest strengths of England going into World Cup 2023.
Weaknesses of England for World Cup 2023
Lack of a back-up spinner
England has a competent spinner in Adil Rashid. He can control the run flow in the middle overs and pick up wickets.
But if Adil Rashid has an off day at the office, they only have a little to fall back on in this department. The likes of Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Joe Root might work well when Adil is creating the pressure at one end, but taking up the job of the lead spinner might be something other than their cup of tea. The presence of only one efficient spinner might hurt the team during such a long tournament.
Too much spotlight on Harry Brook
Harry Brook has had a grand entry into the international cricketing arena. He has scored runs and has done it under pressure consistently. But the media have put too much spotlight on him. It has become a notion that Harry Brook will form the skeleton of England's success in the World Cup 2023.
This might result in a shift in focus for the whole team. Given his track record on Indian pitches, the English team will be better off expecting less from Brook, thus lightening the pressure on the young prodigy.
The more the expectations, the more the chances of a failure for a youngster like Brook. As Brook will be seen batting in a vital position, his lack of performance might derail the English train in the tournament.
Opportunities for England for World Cup 2023
Establishing the reign of England in the Cricketing World
From the late 90s to the early 2000s, the cricketing fraternity saw the rise and reign of a superpower named Australia. The English team has the chance of establishing a similar period. They won the 2019 ODI World Cup and followed it up with the T20 World Cup in 2022. If they win the 2023 ODI World Cup, it will establish England as the superpower of the modern cricketing era.
Chance for Jos Buttler to be the 'GOAT'
When Jos Buttler was handed over the English whiteball team's reins, the critics were sceptical of the move. The first few results also did not go his way, but he answered the best way a skipper can, by winning the T20 World Cup in 2022. Now, Buttler can win the ODI World Cup and be called the nation's greatest-ever white ball skipper. While Eoin Morgan will be remembered as the one who brought the revolution in English cricket, Buttler will be the most successful leader if his unit wins the World Cup 2023.
Threats for England for World Cup 2023
Middle-order's susceptibility to spin bowling
If we look at the English squad, we can point out that it will be - Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone who will be playing the most overs of spin bowling. Now, let us look at the records of these players against any type of spin bowling.
| Batter | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Jos Buttler | 49.40 | 111.80 |
| Moeen Ali | 23.50 | 102.20 |
| Harry Brook | 17.0 | 97.10 |
| Ben Stokes | 43.00 | 97.60 |
| Joe Root | 63.60 | 89.00 |
| Sam Curran | 19.20 | 89.80 |
| Liam Livingstone | 147.00 | 105.00 |
If we look at the records of the players, it is Jos Buttler, Joe Root , Ben Stokes and Liam Livingstone who seem to have a good record. In case of Buttler, the average goes down to 39.0 when it comes to quality spinners of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Afghanistan. And the other skewed stat is that of Livingstone. The sample size for him in ODI is very less and hence we get such good numbers. If we look at his numbers against spin in T20s, the average is 26.5.
Also if we look at the strike rates of the players, it gives us an idea that the English middle-order batters do not trust their defence against spin bowling and hence look to attack them, losing their wickets in the process. It will be upon Joe Root and Ben Stokes mostly to provide them stability in the middle-overs, and this over dependency on these two players might prove fatal for the team in the tournament.
Team Report Card - England
| Attribute | Balance Rating |
|---|---|
| Top-order | 7/10 |
| Middle-order | 6.5/10 |
| Lower-order | 7/10 |
| Pace Bowling | 8.5/10 |
| Spin Bowling | 6.5/10 |
| Total Rating | 7.1/10 |
Prediction of England for World Cup 2023
The English team has a balanced look to it. The on-paper strength and the current form compels one to say that they will be a prime contender to win the title again this year. But given that they will have to play in India, the writer predicts a semi-final spot at the most for Jos Buttler and his men.
 "Probuddha Bhattacharjee")
