If there’s one word I’d use to describe Eoin Morgan’s 2019 World Cup winning team, it’s fearless. The players were not afraid to take risks, play aggressive shots, and intimidate the other team. Seeing swashbuckling assaults from players like Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, and Eoin himself was a sheer pleasure; they were the apotheosis of entertainment, like watching your uncle singing ‘Dancing Queen’ at the top of his lungs after one too many. Watching Jos Buttler’s men in the West Indies this month has been like watching him the morning after. It seemed like the pressure on them was too immense – able to pass by the smaller teams confidently, but cracking under the slightest burden in the big games. Whisper it quietly, but England seemed timid. This is not the mentality of the England white-ball team we know and love; it is time for a reset.

Time for the big questions – does this mean Buttler and coach Matthew Mott should go? Not necessarily. Jos Buttler is one of the best limited-overs batsmen in the world and has the authority and savoir-faire to win. Let’s not forget that he and Mott have already won one World Cup together. But it is time for some new players to re-energise the team. I am a fan of the Buttler-Salt partnership at the top of the order and would like it to be emulated in ODIs (One Day Internationals) too, but Buttler prefers to bat in the middle of the team. Long gone are the days of Roy-Bairstow with a sprinkling of Dawid Malan to open the batting with vigour from the get go, and England now need two batsmen ready to be destructive in the powerplay. Salt works perfectly in fulfilling this requirement.

“Whisper it quietly, but England seemed timid"

Then if Buttler is not willing to open, who bats with Salt? Several names come to mind – do we recall Jason Roy, stick with Bairstow, or give Will Jacks a chance? As I am writing this, Jonny Bairstow has been brutally dropped from the Test Squad, perhaps signalling the end of his red ball career. It could well be time to give him a tap on the shoulder after a fairly dismal campaign. If Bairstow is truly done and England are looking to the future, then I believe that we need to borrow from our Test team, meaning Zak Crawley opens. His confidence has grown massively on the international stage, with a Test strike rate of 89 in 2023. He fears no bowler, which might not be said about other players in the team. His versatile repertoire of shots also makes him an excellent ODI candidate.

With our openers sorted, who bats in the crucial no.3 position? While our middle order has been dominated by Root, Stokes, and Buttler in recent years, it seems we can no longer rely on them. Stokes missed this World Cup, and “came out of retirement” for the last ODI event, so it seems like he is focusing more on his red-ball responsibilities. Root will be around for a while yet, but the question is whether he bats at three or four. I think three, the anchor role, suits him best in ODI. This allows him to set a strong platform for the middle order to kick on during the latter overs. A left-field alternative for this role is Ollie Pope, who has demonstrated his vast range of shots while in the Test team, always with intent to score. In the T20 team, I think Will Jacks deserves time to nail down the no.3, as he has the talent shown by his IPL hundred this year, but perhaps requires refinement and finesse in his shot selection.

“A personnel shake-up will facilitate the restoration of England’s previously intrepid approach to the white-ball game”

No.4 in both teams should unequivocally be Harry Brook. He seemed a little apprehensive in this World Cup and should focus on his strike rotation to accompany his stunning sweeps and ramps, but still was head and shoulders above the rest of the middle order. After him, England are looking for a new number five as Stokes steps back, and I believe the answer lies in Ben Duckett. He has been waiting in the wings during this World Cup, and I would love to see him accelerating the innings in T20 and ODI formats, maintaining the momentum that England have been losing mid-innings. If Buttler decides to open, I think England should get Jamie Smith in the side as soon as possible to give him the experience he needs, not only as a very powerful batsman but also as a keeper when Buttler hangs up his spikes. In the same way, Will Smeed has to be given a chance in the T20 side. His aggressive style cannot be ignored, and we need to give young players like him game time if we are to rebuild this side.

Bowler-wise, England have fewer questions to answer, yet important ones. Sam Curran plays an important role at seven, as he can bat and bowl. They have already started to develop pace bowlers in Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse. With their assets of raw pace and ability to bowl at the death, both can add crucial depth to the bowling attack. Jofra Archer, returning from injury, can lead the side with his already significant experience. I would also like Hampshire’s John Turner and Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood to have some games; we should be investing in our younger bowlers as they can learn from the current ageing bowlers before they leave the side.

The bigger problem, as it often is with England, is spin bowlers. Moeen Ali has frankly been underperforming for a while now and the World Cup should be his final run for England. As good as Adil Rashid is, he is moving towards retirement and cannot carry England’s spin attack for much longer. Liam Livingstone could be a part-time spinner, but his batting remains too inconsistent to be in the side. My main preference to replace him would be Tom Hartley, as a left-arm frontline spinner with the ability to take key wickets, but Rehan Ahmed and Jack Carson also stand out as potential candidates.

Whatever happens next, this England set-up cannot remain the same, and I deem that a personnel shake-up will facilitate the restoration of England’s previously intrepid approach to the white-ball game. Give these new players some space to flourish, allow them to settle without the threat of being dropped, and soon England will be competing with the world’s best teams again.

My sides for the next series:

T20: Buttler (C, WK), Salt, Jacks, Brook, Duckett, Smith, Curran, Hartley, Archer, Wood, Atkinson

ODI: Salt, Crawley, Root, Brook, Buttler (C, WK), Smith, Curran, Hartley, Carse, Archer, Atkinson