By Matt Hardy
It’s yet another World Cup year and English international cricket returns on Friday when Jos Buttler’s side take on South Africa in a trio of ODI matches on the African continent.
England are the best one-day team in the world and begin their preparations for this year’s Cricket World Cup – held in India in October – this week.
As defending champions, England under Matthew Mott are playing their first limited overs series since adding the Twenty20 World Cup to their collection last year.
The two sides will compete in Bloemfontein for the opening two fixtures before travelling to Kimberley for the potential decider.
Between now and the World Cup – which England are defending after their dramatic Super Over win against New Zealand in 2019 – they will play South Africa three times, thrice against Bangladesh, four times against New Zealand and three times against Ireland.
There is, then, a lot of time against a variety of opposition for England to finesse their game plan before they head into a tough tournament on very difficult pitches.
SA20
But in a move that seems extremely well thought out to be one promoted by the current England and Wales Cricket Board, a number of the England squad have been down in South Africa for a couple of weeks.
The likes of Buttler, Jofra Archer and Harry Brook are competing in the new domestic T20 SA20 competition – in which all sides are owned by IPL franchises.
Archer returned to competitive cricket for the first time since 2021 and has already been impressive in terms of his placement, wicket taking and bowling speed.
English duo Butter and Will Jacks currently top the run stats in South Africa while Phil Salt also makes the top 10.
Adil Rashid’s nine wickets puts him in the top 10 of bowlers, too, with Archer 12th.
It appears that England players are already enjoying the conditions in which they’ll soon be playing international cricket – and that’s something we can expect to see from the likes of Stokes and Archer in spring’s IPL, too.
Head coach Mott has time to tinker with his squad ahead of the World Cup, and he is likely to do just that.
It’ll be little surprise to see a bit of movement in the squad between each ODI, enough to try combinations and options without altering the overarching game plan, across the next week.
ODI prize
The thing is, like every World Cup cycle, it doesn’t matter how many times you lose in the build-up if you win the prize event, so the pressure is off England – and that’s the way they will like it.
The Test team has shown how an enjoyable atmosphere can generate great cricket, and the limited overs side will be keen to continue in that vein.
Of the 66 matches the two sides have played against each other, South Africa have won 29 and England have won 31.
England have won nine ODI games in South Africa while South Africa have beaten the tourists 17 times at home.
The tourists haven’t won a one-day series in South Africa since 2009-10, when they triumphed 2-1 in a five-match series, but the last time England toured the country the two sides drew.
England may have players performing well in South African domestic leagues and will be looking to build on their limited overs World Cup success last year, but the home side are a different beast on the global stage, and they shouldn’t be underestimated by a confident England.
The ODI squad
Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes.
The schedule
First ODI: South Africa versus England, 27 January, 1pm local, Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein
Second ODI: South Africa versus England, 29 January, 10am local, Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein
Third ODI: South Africa versus England, 1 February, 1pm local, De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
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