Beefy says a World Cup final appearance is not out of the question for Eoin Morgan-led side
Saturday 20 December 2014 13:55, UK
Alex Hales must replace Alastair Cook at the top of England’s ODI batting order for the World Cup, says Sir Ian Botham.
Cook has been removed as captain and left out of England’s 15-man squad for next year’s tournament following a barren run of form with the bat that has seen him pass fifty just once in 20 ODI innings in 2014.
Nottinghamshire star Hales - who picked up a second-ball duck while batting for Hobart Hurricanes against Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash on Saturday - is seemingly competing with Ian Bell and Gary Ballance for a spot as Moeen Ali’s opening partner in Australia and New Zealand, but former England all-rounder Botham is in no doubt who he would choose.
The guy can obviously play and attack some of the best attacks.
And the Sky Sports pundit also feels that the ECB’s decision to hand Eoin Morgan the captaincy could “ignite” England and perhaps take them to the World Cup final on March 29.
“He was picked for his ability to score runs quickly and he deserves to be given a run,” Botham said of Hales, who averaged 76.8 for Nottinghamshire in the 50-over Royal London Cup last term, scoring three tons in five games.
“He has got an international T20 hundred (against Sri Lanka in March) so the guy can obviously play and attack some of the best attacks.”
Botham continued: “England needed a shake-up in ODIs as they were going absolutely nowhere and I think Morgan will respond and respond well as captain.
“This may ignite the team and bring it together and if they get through the group at the World Cup they are only two games away from the final, so who knows?”
Marcus Trescothick, meanwhile, believes Hales’ swashbuckling shots at the top of the order, combined with middle-order boundary hitting from Morgan and Ravi Bopara, could make England a dark horse down under this winter.
But Bob Willis says that despite axing Cook, there are still plenty of questions surrounding England’s line-up and he does not expect Morgan’s men to perform too greatly.
Trescothick said: “We are a more dynamic team without Cook and I would suggest Hales will come in at the top of the order and take over the mantle of being the aggressor in the first powerplay.
“If that goes right, I don’t see why we can’t surprise a few people because our batting, particularly in the middle order with Morgan and Bopara, who needs to be shown a bit of love, is strong.
“In recent times we have written England off and our current form hasn’t been great, but it sometimes only takes small things to galvanise a team and then anything can happen.”
Willis added: “James Tredwell has to play as, alongside James Anderson, he is our best ODI bowler, so does that mean a batsman misses to accomodate five frontline bowlers, or does Bopara, if he stays in the side, have to bowl a bit more?
“There are plenty more decisions to be made, such as whether Ballance and Bell are going to start on the bench, and whether Hales and Moeen will be given a chance at the top of the order?
“I am a realist. England aren’t in good form and aren’t a very good one-day team.
"I would be surprised if they made it past the quarter-finals at the World Cup as I just don't see the quality compared to other sides."
England's World Cup squad: Morgan (c), Ali, Anderson, Ballance, Bell, Bopara, Broad, Buttler, Finn, Hales, Jordan, Root, Taylor, Tredwell, Woakes.
