Following this week’s 41-ball century in the Hundred, Jos Buttler said that Harry Brook might still push his way into England’s final World Cup team, but he also emphasized that Ben Stokes’ return to ODI cricket as a specialist hitter “changed the dynamic” for selection.
After being unexpectedly left out of England’s 15-man squad last week, Brook replied by scoring 105 runs off just 42 balls for the Northern Superchargers on Tuesday night at Headingley. After 20 balls, he entered at 10 for 3, while the next-highest score was only 15.
He is now expected to go to India as a reserve, but England has until September 28 to make changes to their 15-man provisional World Cup roster. They made two last-minute roster adjustments four years ago, replacing Joe Denly and David Willey with Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson.
Buttler entertained the thought that he could still force his way into the team based solely on performance. Brook is a member of England’s squad for a four-match T20I series against New Zealand that gets underway on Wednesday. “We’ll wait and see what happens,” he said, noting that there was still plenty of time until everyone was supposed to board the aircraft.
“We all know Harry’s a fantastic player, and we saw what he can do the other night,” Buttler continued. It’s not surprising because we already know what a great player he is; he was just an unfortunate member of the squad at the time.
In fact, Ben Stokes’ return and availability as a batter only slightly alter the situation. It’s difficult to choose because Ben is a terrific player to have back.
There is no apparent like-for-like switch that would keep the squad’s balance, despite the fact that several members of England’s preliminary squad, including Liam Livingstone, who may be Brook’s closest equivalency as a power hitter, had quiet tournaments in the Hundred. For England’s chances on the wickets in India, Livingstone’s ability to bowl both off- and leg-spin could be essential.
Buttler stated that “there have been many players who have performed really well over time. “That’s where we are right now,”
Buttler argued that the caliber of players England could afford to leave out should be framed as a positive.
“We’re blessed with a lot of strength, depth, and talent. Buttler will captain the Manchester Originals in the knockout rounds of the Hundred this weekend.
“That temporary squad at this time is missing some quality players. It has truly been the England teams’ nature in the white-ball games over the past several years, which is fantastic for us. They’re beneficial issues to have.
Buttler argued that the caliber of players England could afford to leave out should be framed as a positive: “We’re blessed with a lot of strength, depth, and talent. Buttler will captain the Manchester Originals in the knockout rounds of the Hundred this weekend.
“That temporary squad at this time is missing some quality players. It has truly been the England teams’ nature in the white-ball games over the past several years, which is fantastic for us. They’re beneficial issues to have.
There is still time to do that in a game this short. In a T20 or the Hundred, you might only need three or four balls, and that’s okay. In a test match, it might be that you soak it up for an hour or something. You may still go through those small getting-in phases, I’ve discovered with time.
Buttler will play against the Southern Brave in the eliminator on Saturday. He missed the end of the Hundred last season due to a calf ailment, but he is excited to take the Originals into the knockout stages of a competition he says has “gone from strength to strength.”
These are the contests you should play in if you want a shot at the championship, he said. “The Oval is sold out, and it’s going to be a fantastic night. Even though it’s an elimination game, we’ve played some very solid cricket to earn the right to be in this position, and now it’s about trusting that again to play with the same ease.
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