England will consider Joe Root and Ben Stokes for their 2025 Champions Trophy squad despite neither playing a 50-over match since last year’s World Cup. Root (rested) and Stokes (injured) are not involved in September’s five-match ODI series against Australia, and will both miss November’s tour to West Indies due to England’s Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand.
The Champions Trophy will begin in mid-February in Pakistan, with England due to play three ODIs in India at the start of that month as preparation. Those fixtures will be the only opportunities that Root, Stokes and other all-format players like Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have to play 50-over cricket before the tournament.
“We’ll want to be as strong as possible,” Luke Wright, England’s selector, said at Lord’s on Tuesday. “There’s no Test cricket around at that point, so it gives us an opportunity to play our strongest team. The schedule over this next period up until Christmas is crazy, so there will be opportunities for guys to stake their claim. But come the Champions Trophy, we will be able to pick our strongest side.”
Root struggled for form at the World Cup after hardly playing 50-over cricket in the build-up, averaging 30.66 as England crashed out with three wins in nine group-stage games. He will face a similar challenge at the Champions Trophy but Wright defended the decision to rest him against Australia, saying England have “asked a lot of Joe” across his international career.
“He’s given a lot to English cricket,” Wright said. “There’s no reason why he can’t then come into the major tournaments… we know how important Joe is to the England team. He also offers us [something] with the ball as well, and there’s not many that do that… With someone like Joe, we’ve got to look after him, we don’t want him to burn out.”
On the difficulties of adjusting to a format that English players hardly play, Wright said: “It’s a challenge for everyone, isn’t it? And even more so for us in England… Those top players are able to adapt as well as possible, as I don’t think it’s as big a problem for them as it would be for some of the others. That’s why it’s great to get that cricket into some of the younger guys.”
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England have dropped Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow from both their T20I and ODI squads, though Wright denied that their international careers are now over. “They’re disappointed to miss out,” he said. “I certainly won’t be saying that that’s the end for them. They’re fine cricketers, but right now, we just want to give some other opportunities.”
They have picked three uncapped players for September’s Australia ODIs – Jacob Bethell, Josh Hull and John Turner. “It’s nice for guys to get 50-over cricket under their belts: we don’t play much of it,” Wright said. “I don’t decide the schedule so I’ve just got to make the best of what we can and we try to do that, but also try to make sure we’re looking after players’ welfare.”
Jos Buttler has retained the captaincy despite England losing their status as world champions in both white-ball formats in the past 10 months, with Matthew Mott instead paying the price. Buttler is under pressure heading into September’s series, and looks set to hand the gloves to Phil Salt during the three T20Is – though is likely to keep wicket in the five ODIs.
Buttler kept wicket at June’s T20 World Cup, but may field at mid-off to be near his bowlers in the absence of Moeen and Chris Jordan. “It is something that he’s considering,” Wright said. “It’s something he’s open to. He’s spoken about that before, the need to be in the field and be with the bowlers at times. It’s something that could easily happen in this Australia series.”
Among Buttler’s biggest challenges is to restore some energy to the white-ball set-up, after two disappointing World Cup campaigns. “I wouldn’t say [things have been] stale,” Wright said. “Those guys have given us some of the best times we’ve had in white-ball cricket. It’s life… It’s a great time now: without a World Cup just round the corner as there hasn’t been for a while is an opportunity to blood some new players.”
England have generally stuck to the tried and tested in white-ball cricket but September’s squad represents a shake-up. “We haven’t needed to [take risks in selection] with the white-ball team,” Wright said. “They’ve been one of the outstanding teams. We’re very lucky to have had that team for such a long time.
“Now feels like the right time to have a few more picks in there, and look probably for the future as well. It’s an exciting time for everyone to watch and see how that builds going forward.”
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
Source: ESPN Crickinfo
