ODI World Cup 2023: SWOT analysis of England Cricket Team – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

England team pic in ODI (Photo Source: Twitter)

England will go to the 2023 World Cup as the defending champions. In the 2019 edition of the World Cup, England won their maiden title as the hosts under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy. In June 2022, Morgan hung up his shoes from international cricket and the One-Day International (ODI) captaincy mantle was passed to Jos Buttler. 

Under Buttler, England bagged the 2022 T20 World Cup title in Australia and now, the wicketkeeper batter will look to lead his team to another World Cup trophy win and add another feather to his cap as a skipper. England are performing exceptionally in ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup debacle which made them the favourites to win every major cricketing competition they played since then.

The 2023 World Cup in India is not an exception as England are again picked up by cricket pundits as one of the favourites to win the distinguished trophy. Discussing more, let’s assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the English side to be led by Jos Buttler.

Here is the SWOT analysis of the England cricket team

Strengths

Fierce openers

England will rely on Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan for fierce starts in their World Cup matches. Both openers possess aggressive batting attitudes which can pose problems for England’s opponents. Bairstow was the second-leading run-getter for England in the 2019 World Cup, scoring 532 runs in 11 matches at an average of 48.36. 

England will want Bairstow to dominate bowlers in the 2023 World Cup again to defend the title. After returning to international cricket from a lower limb injury, the dashing English opener has not appeared in many ODIs and his performance hasn’t been up to the mark. Despite his dismal performance in recent games, the England team management isn’t anxious about his form as the batting excellence of Bairstow is something extraordinary that assures the English side that the veteran will emerge as a match-winner in crucial matches.

Malan has been in amazing touch in 2023. The southpaw has amassed 591 runs in nine one-day contests this year. In the recently concluded three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home, England registered a 3-1 win, and Malan ended up as the highest run-scorer in the series with 277 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 105.72.  

Formidable middle order

England have some incredible batters in the middle order. Ben Stokes’ comeback has added more strength to their batting. In the recent one-day series against New Zealand, England’s Test skipper exuded confidence from his bat. The stylish left-handed batter accumulated 235 runs in three matches and ended up as the second-highest run-getter in the series. Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Stokes’ fine show with the bat will haunt England’s rivals.

Along with Stokes, captain Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, and Moeen Ali will also carry the responsibility to reinforce England’s middle order. Buttler will be expected to lead the side from the front and he will look to fulfill fans’ expectations with his magnificent batting and leadership talent. 

Liam Livingstone, who is known for his hard-hitting abilities, will strive to play the role of a match-finisher in the upcoming ODI competition. The right-handed batter has scored 436 runs with three fifties in 14 innings of 16 outings in his two-year one-day career. The 30-year-old has played a decent number of matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and this experience has helped him to understand Indian conditions. In the upcoming World Cup, he will look to utilize the IPL experience to deliver match-winning knocks to his national side in the 2023 World Cup.     

Moeen Ali, who has played two World Cups so far, also possesses the potential to play big strokes against bowlers in the final overs of matches. The 36-year-old veteran has been active in ODI cricket for more than nine years and his experience will be crucial for England to defend the title.

Exceptional all-rounders

England opted aggressive playing style in ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup and since then, they have extracted positive results from their tactics. There was a time when England used to be an average side due to the lack of quality players. Following the 2015 World Cup, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has started picking up players who have the potential to not only chip in one department of the game but all three (batting, bowling, and fielding).
 
Currently, the English side has all-rounders such as Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, and Chris Woakes. All these players specialize in one department of the game but along with that, they also possess the capability to make essential contributions to the team in the other area of the game as well. 

Weaknesses

Injuries

Injuries have plagued the England cricket team before the 2023 World Cup. Jofra Archer, who ended up as the third-leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps in the 2019 World Cup, hasn’t featured in England’s 15-member 2023 World Cup squad due to his elbow injury. Jason Roy failed to mark his presence in the home ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury which led to his snub from the World Cup team. 

Lack of quality spinners

All sides in the upcoming World Cup will heavily bank on their spinners to emerge victorious. England have Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, and Liam Livingstone in the squad to bolster their spin department but among these three names, Rashid can only be relied on to get match-winning bowling figures consistently. The lack of regular spinners in the squad might go against England in the tournament.

Opportunities

Indian pitches are known for being batting-friendly and this factor can benefit Buttler and his men to defend the title. The English side has a lot of remarkable batters. From the opening position to the lower order spot, they have players who can play big strokes against bowlers comfortably. Sam Curran and Chris Woakes are also known for clearing fences in the final phase of the innings. 

Threats

England’s poor record in India

England’s one-day record is underwhelming in India. The English side has played 66 ODIs in the sub-continent nation but has tasted success in only 26 and faced defeat in 39. One of the biggest causes of England’s poor numbers is their failure to counter spinners. Like Australian players, England batters also struggle against spin bowling. Competing against sub-continent teams such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, English batters might collapse as these sides have some quality spinners. 

Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, and  Dunith Wellalage are some spinners who can make English batters dance to their tunes in the upcoming tournament. England’s one of the biggest challenges in the 2023 World Cup will be to overcome their frailty against spin on the turning surfaces of India.