SWOT Analysis of England Cricket Team against New Zealand in ODI

After a fabulous performance in the Ashes, England will be now hosting New Zealand for a limited-over series where both teams will play four T20 internationals and ODIs. With every day passing, the ODI World Cup is coming closer, and the pressure of performing in the ODI format is reaching new heights. 

Both teams have always been the contenders for the trophy and England won their first ODI World Cup in 2019, the champions will be looking forward to lifting another trophy and claiming their supremacy over all the other cricketing nations.

Coming for the ODI World Cup, England will be high on confidence as they scored a T20 World Cup victory in 2022, even though their performance in the ODI format has not been as good as it should have been. The team has already been in the headlines because of their performance in red-ball format with “Bazball” gaining attention. 

However, the focus has been shifted to ODI and the England Cricket Board has announced the team that will be playing against New Zealand. The same players will be in the spotlight because, on the basis of this performance, the ECB will handpick them for the ODI World Cup.

Strength

England has a strong batting lineup which can do major damage to the opposition. Since Phil Salt was not selected for the same series, the opening lineup is expected to be led by Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy. These two openers are capable of scoring big runs quickly, and they have the ability to take the game away from the opposition in the early overs. Jos Buttler or Dawid Malan might come at number 3 and the duo are also in good form. 

The depth increases more in the batting lineup in the middle order with the presence of Ben Stokes- who decided to make a comeback to the ODI format. Liam Livingstone will play the role of allrounder for the team and he is one of the most hard-hitting batsmen in the world. Joe Root has also made it to the squad and his attributes can also come in handy considering his recent performances with the bat.

Weakness

England’s major weakness is the void created in the pace attack by the absence of Jofra Archer. Mark Wood and Sam Curran are the only two pacers on whom the team will be dependent with the new ball. Chris Woakes and Reece Toply have been inconsistent in the past and they were unable to handle the pressured situations. 

ECB has not selected Jofra Archer because he has been not in the right form since his recovery from the injury. David Willey has also made it to the squad but considering his experience, he might not get many games to play.

Opportunity

The spin attack of England is the biggest opportunity for the team. With the presence of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone, England can bowl some magical spells in the middle overs. Adil Rashid is known for his flight, spin, and control. He has a very unorthodox bowling action, which makes it difficult for batsmen to pick him. 

Liam Livingstone is known for his variations and a wide range of deliveries, including the off break, leg break, googly, and carrom ball. He is a very accurate bowler who can control the run rate of the opposition in any given conditions.

Threat

The major threat to England’s cricket team is from their own philosophy of Bazball. It has been observed in the past that if England plays with aggression, they end up losing wickets at an early stage and hence Bazball is not as effective as it could be. 

To make sure that makes a huge impact in every game against Kiwi’s bowling attack, the batters will have to adapt according to the conditions and not play blindly by adopting “Bazball”.