Yahoo News England 2019 World Cup squad: Our experts on who misses out, who makes the starting XI and why
England completed a resounding 4-0 series win over Pakistan on Sunday with victory by 54 runs.
The five-match series represented the final opportunity for several players to stake their claim for a World Cup spot - but now there is no more that can be done.
England name their 15 on Tuesday. We ask our cricket experts who they think has done enough - and who misses out.
Scyld Berry
Starting XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer.
Reserves: James Vince, Liam Dawson, Tom Curran and Mark Wood.
England will have one swing bowler in Chris Woakes and I think they need the option of a second, in David Willey, if they reach the semi-final at Edgbaston, a swinging ground. But even if Willey is omitted from the squad, that eventuality can be catered for: one of the other pace bowlers could well be injured during the nine qualifying games, then replaced by Willey. In the meantime England, on flat pitches, will need two spinners for every game. So there has to be a reserve in Liam Dawson, more reliable than Joe Denly.
Nick Hoult
Starting XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer.
Reserves: Tom Curran, Liam Plunkett, Liam Dawson, James Vince.
Straightforward choice for the selectors. Denly is not a good enough bowler to step in and deliver ten overs in case of injury to Moeen or Rashid so Dawson should be called up. Plunkett is fortunate to survive and is a worry, but edges out Willey because of his record in the middle overs. Curran should be picked ahead of him in the XI though. Willey is a good reserve to have but the emergence of Archer means England now have three new ball bowlers (Woakes and Wood are the others) so he is surplus to requirements.
Isabelle Westbury
Starting XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (vc, wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood
Reserves: James Vince, Tom Curran, Liam Plunkett, Joe Denly
Vince is a cut above any other candidate, while Archer and Wood’s pace is hugely exciting. Curran has demonstrated his all-rounder credentials while Denly has a mature head, is a reliable bat and is able, when given the chance, to bowl decent legbreaks. His returns in domestic cricket last year proved that and if Dawson is to be judged on the same criteria, Denly wins. Extra spinner over another seamer due to the relentlessly increasing economy of seamers and pitch wear-and-tear as the tournament progresses. Genuine injuries can be replaced.
Tim Wigmore
Starting XI: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood.
Reserves: James Vince, Liam Plunkett, Tom Curran, David Willey.
The need for balance suggests picking a balanced squad, with a third spinner. But as England's pace bowling reserves are so much deeper than their reserves in spin, England may be better-served picking six specialist pace bowlers, and so picking four in their XI if Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid were injured for a game, with Joe Root adding some very passable auxiliary overs of off-spin if necessary. Besides, over a long tournament - 11 games if England reach the final - the pace bowlers are all likely to need some rest, particularly Chris Woakes and Mark Wood based on their previous injury records. A more balanced squad might be ideal, but not when the quality of the reserves is so uneven.
Rob Bagchi
Starting XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer.
Reserves: Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett, James Vince, Liam Dawson
Sadly Joe Denly's reliability as a bowler cannot be counted on and it was clear on the postage stamp at Bristol that Eoin Morgan felt unable to give him more than one over, so the nuggety Liam Dawson comes in as back-up to Moeen and Adil Rashid. Mark Wood's sheer pace, as illustrated when he struck the classy Imam-ul-Haq, and Liam Plunkett's height and ability to gull batsmen with cross-seam bouncers earn them places in front of the unfortunate David Willey.
Alan Tyers
Starting XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Liam Plunkett.
Reserves: Tom Curran, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood.
I accept that this is bowler-heavy, but I think that given almost all of England’s bowlers can bat, it’s worth prioritising variety and options with the ball over having more bats on the bench. I can also see injuries and fatigue being a factor for England’s seamers so want cover. Unlike my colleagues, I back Willey's left-arm swing and combative nature to come good. I’d like to include Joe Denly but I don’t think Morgan rates him as a bowler so what’s the point? James Vince is sure to chip in with the odd attractive 35 but I have real faith in England’s top five these days and see him as a sub only or to be used in a non-critical fixture.
