Before the series began, even casual Cricket followers would have predicted a relatively comfortable victory for England over Pakistan. With Pakistan being the 9th ranked ODI team, it may not seem a stern test for England in terms of judging their form or quality. However, their well crafted performances in the first two matches show that in their home conditions, they are a formidable side. Furthermore, with the next two ICC tournaments being held in England, this gives Eoin Morgan and his team a real chance of success on the biggest of stages.
The question for them now is whether they can keep this consistency for a further three years, culminating in victory at Lord’s in the 2019 World Cup final.
New style gives England hope and optimism
Ever since the debacle of the 2015 World Cup, with the help of change in coaching staff, England have adopted a new attacking brand of cricket. Perhaps this was inspired by New Zealand, but it felt as though England had finally caught up with modern times. Players being able to express themselves, showcase their talents and have genuine fun on the field. This feel good factor brought in by Trevor Bayliss has seen some outstanding results in a very short time. Series wins against New Zealand at home and Pakistan in the UAE have been the highlights in terms of one day cricket.
Even in the lost series against Australia and South Africa, this English side always looked close to victory and maybe should have won. These experiences will hold the side in good stead for the upcoming challenges at home.
Strength in depth is a real bonus
For the first time in many years, England have real quality on the sidelines.
Players such as Jonny Bairstow and David Willey are not able to get a place in the final eleven at the moment. These players would get into most other sides in the world, but the English side is unable to keep everyone playing. The returns of Mark Wood and Ben Stokes is another positive because they give the side a lot of energy, even off the field in the dressing room.
Furthermore, when Steven Finn comes back from his injury, the competition for places will be higher than ever. This can only be a good thing for the side and Eoin Morgan can tinker with the team to get the perfect combination come the Champions Trophy next year. This is the reason why they must be regarded as one of the favourites for the tournament.
All round success gives momentum
Not only has the ODI side had success in the past year, the test and T20 team have been performing exceptionally well in the recent past. Ashes win, series victory in South Africa have been highlights for the test team, whereas an inspirational run to T20 World Cup final in India has been a real positive for England.
With all three formats working so well at the moment, this adds to the positive nature of the squad. A lot of praise must be given to the coaching staff for this because this is a difficulty faced by many sides in the world. Many teams have strengths such as Pakistan in tests but their limited overs form has been patchy at best. Of course, England haven’t been perfect but they are always improving. People will hope this form continues for some time yet, giving more success.
With England looking to wrap the series at Trent Bridge, their form will keep fans optimistic for future victories and they will hope to improve even further.
