We’re more than halfway through the four-year cycle between World Cups, so it’s crucial that this England team establish their own brand of one-day cricket as soon as possible and then stick with it all the way to the subcontinent in 2011. In the past, England’s one-day cricket has suffered through injury and a lack of selectorial consistency, but now – with the seven-match NatWest Series against Australia starting today – is the chance to pave the way for the road ahead.
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The immediate problem England face is that they will be without both Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff. That’s two match-winners gone in an instant, so Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss must be realistic about the type of cricket England can play in their absence.
It’s possible that Jonathan Trott can fill the Pietersen role and take the attack to the bowlers, and that would be a huge boost for England ahead of the Champions Trophy and the one-day series in South Africa. But that is easier said than done, and it’s also possible the team as a whole will have to revert to a more old-fashioned style of play while they wait for the big beasts to return. England may have to adopt a more workmanlike ethic in the first 15 overs, keeping wickets in hand for a push in the batting powerplay or the last 10 overs.