ODI World Cup 2023: Team England SWOT Analysis, Key Players & Fixtures

England are favourites for the ODI World Cup 2023 title. There is no doubt about that statement in anyone’s mind in the cricketing world. On October 5, in a tense repeat of the 2019 final, Team England will start the defense of their ODI World Cup crown against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

Then, in a round-robin group stage, Jos Buttler-led squad faces up against Pakistan, the team they defeated in last year’s T20 World Cup final to become the first team to simultaneously hold both the T20 and white-ball World Cups.

Ben Stokes, the Test captain of England and the match-winning player in the 2019 championship game, has been selected to play for England after changing his mind about retiring from one-day cricket. A record 182 runs were scored by Stokes in the 3rd game as England defeated New Zealand 3-1 in the recently concluded one-day international series.

However, due to concerns about his fitness, another 2019 star, Jason Roy, has been dropped from the team, and Harry Brook has taken his place.

England Squad equation for ODI World Cup 2023

The best all-around team entering the ICC Cricket World Cup is likely England. The hardest obstacle for England to overcome is the Indian home crowd.

The abundance of top-notch batsmen in England is one of their greatest assets. The Three Lions are home to some of the greatest batters in history, including skipper Jos Buttler and Joe Root, who each scored two centuries in the 2019 competition.

The pair will be ready to bat after Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow open the innings for England. With a strike rate of 92.84 in his 2019 tournament debut, the latter was incredibly excellent.

Jofra Archer is a phenomenal fast bowler who excelled throughout the 2019 World Cup. He will be a miss in the squad, but will be hopefully available as a reserve due to injury.

Archer has endured a lot of debilitating injuries over the previous few years, but if he can stay healthy and help England in the forthcoming tournament, it might finally be possible for him to realize the full extent of his enormous talent.

Team England SWOT Analysis:

Strength

Undoubtedly, the explosive power that England possess in their batting is their greatest strength. This strength has also helped them in becoming probably one of the best white-ball team ever and a very exciting side to watch for. Such is the strength of this group that selectors had to make some difficult judgments about world-class players, with Jason Roy being left off and Harry Brook joining the team. If anything, teams will be facing Three Lions will beware of their batting the most.

Weakness

Injuries and lack of options in spinning department is the major weakness of England. If one have to conquer the subcontinent conditions, then it’s necessary that team must team have quality spinners. But in the case of England, missing quality spinners and untimely injuries to their key players have become their weakness. Injuries to Jofra Archer, Jason Roy have derailed England’s plans a bit.

The key spinner Adil Rashid, who participated in one game of the New Zealand series, recently got cramps in his sole game.

Opportunities

Excellent bowling and fielding could make the difference this year, even if England have a ton of firepower when it comes to big scorers. These are sectors where England are extremely strong but have different approach in others.

With shorter boundaries in India, aggressive England will enjoy themselves the most in upcoming ODI World Cup.

Our @CricketWorldCup 1⃣5⃣ 😍

Are we excited yet?! 😆#CWC23 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/u5FOly7rAk
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 17, 2023

Threats

It is beyond dispute that the Three Lions has quality depth. They have one of the best national cricket teams ever put together. But the biggest threat against them will be hosts India. They are clearly stronger than India on paper, but the circumstances could significantly affect the outcome of the negotiations.

In the Indian subcontinent, the ball spins more, and the Indians have the best spin spinners in cricket.

If England wants to defeat India at home, they have a big task ahead of them. The calibre of the team merely gives an indication as to how the competition might turn out. Cricket, more than any other sport, benefits on home field advantage, which this Autumn might dramatically change the result.

Performance in last ODI World Cup

England defeated New Zealand in the 2019 Final to win the prestigious ODI World Cup for the very first time. That game is regarded as the greatest ODI match ever played in cricket history.

Everyone will remember the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 Final differently, whether they were one of the fortunate fans inside Lord’s or one of the millions watching on screens around the world.

It was a game that had it all, from Trent Boult unintentionally standing on the boundary rope to Ben Stokes sliding in to redirect a throw for the luckiest of overthrows to the debut of the first-ever ODI Super Over on the biggest platform.

With Martin Guptill out of bounds, Jos Buttler whipped off the bails, giving England the victory on a boundary countback after the regular match and Super Over finished tied. The mythical home of cricket has rarely heard such a cacophony of uproar.

It was the culmination of England’s incredible journey led by Eoin Morgan, who set out to win the World Cup at home and succeeded, as famously said by commentator Ian Smith, by the barest of margins.

Key players in England

Ben Stokes: The England cricket team has experienced a significant transition in every aspect of the game since their untimely exit from the 2015 ODI World Cup.

Ben Stokes, a powerful all-rounder whose on-field accomplishments and leadership abilities have changed the team’s fortunes, is at the center of England’s incredible journey. England has been inspired by Stokes’ consistent dedication to the group’s goals as a player and a leader.

When England won the 2019 mega-event, the 32-year-old was also named Player of the Match in the final.

All eyes will once again be on the renowned all-rounder as England gets ready to defend its crown in the ODI World Cup in India in 2023.

Dawid Malan: With Jason Roy out, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow in India will almost definitely open the batting.

Malan, 36, is in excellent form as seen by his opening 54, 96, and 127 runs in the 3-1 series win over New Zealand.

Moeen Ali: When England played New Zealand in a recently finished ODI series, all-rounder Moeen Ali made his return to international cricket.

Jack Leach’s injury forced him to return to Test cricket for the Ashes series, but he has vowed not to do so for the impending India series the following year.

The off-spinning all-rounder, 36, has participated in 132 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for England and will probably play a significant role in their title defense in India in October and November.

Team England Squad for World Cup 2023

Jos Buttler (c), Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, David Willey, Sam Curran.