England verdict: who’s in and who’s out for Cricket World Cup?

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/dec/17/england-tour-cricket-world-cup-alastair-cook

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Amid the torment in Sri Lanka there were advances for England among the younger players – Joe Root, Moeen Ali, James Taylor, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan – but it was necessary to concentrate hard to see them. The spotlight was forever on the England captain and this had an enervating impact on the squad. Every player, every coach/manager when confronted with a microphone or a Dictaphone was questioned about how the captain was bearing up and whether he would be leading the side to the Antipodes for the World Cup. That does not help.

It was almost as if Alastair Cook himself was too immersed in the burden of captaincy and the impact that his poor form might be having on the rest of the squad. During the series Kumar Sangakkara, the sage of Kandy, observed: “You are not the captain when you are batting.” Such demarcation is hard to achieve and will be Cook’s challenge in the new year, assuming that the selectors give the nod on Friday .

If Cook can start scoring runs again – and it is not helpful to be too pernickety about the pace that they come – then the tension will ease and the gifted youngsters can prosper some more.

England will not be embarking upon the World Cup campaign as one of the favourites. So they may as well relish the underdogs status that they have been nurturing for the past 12 months. There is still time. The absurdity of the World Cup schedule is that it is possible to play badly for a month and still qualify for the quarter-finals.

Currently there is no sign that England are going to peak too early. And there is still no certainty about what constitutes the best lineup. However, these are the likely lucky 15.

And they must remember, despite all the recent defeats, how lucky they are.

On the plane

1 Moeen Ali With the bat he has been mesmerising and exasperating in equal measure. It is compulsory to turn up on time now if England are batting. Steady with the ball.

2 James Taylor Seized his chance expertly having being compelled to time his World Cup run like a ruthless jockey with the finishing line in sight.

3 Joe Root Now established as the no-nonsense, commonsense Yorkshireman in the middle. Alongside Moeen and Buttler, Root is now playing whatever the format.

4 Eoin Morgan Fastening his seatbelt due to his reputation rather than recent form. He has batted well in Australia in the past but there was only one innings of substance in Sri Lanka.

5 Ravi Bopara Recently moved up the order so no longer the “finisher” (was he ever?). Still frustrating. Looks great. Gets out.

6 Jos Buttler Delivered one match‑winning innings in Sri Lanka and the odd cameo; his wicketkeeping became more ragged later on. One of the few feared by the opposition.

7 Chris Woakes Reliable seamer, reliable chap whose confidence is rising fast with a regular run in the side.

8 James Tredwell Is like a canny solicitor. Have him on your side and there is a good chance of avoiding infuriating fines – since he bowls his overs quickly and cleverly.

In the departure lounge

9 Alastair Cook It would require such a major U-turn for Cook to be omitted that it is assumed he will be there. But a scintilla of doubt surfaced this week. However, the selectors back home would have to be extraordinarily grumpy to vote for change.

10 Chris Jordan His stock rose rapidly in Sri Lanka after he was omitted at the start. He bowled straight, which can help. One of the best fielders in an average fielding side.

11 Steven Finn The rehabilitation may not be complete but he has a good idea where the ball is going now – perhaps not at the same pace as a few years ago.

12 Ian Bell Dropped after two games. One reason was that they know all about him. But the blunt truth is that they would never have considered omitting him if his record matched his talent.

13 Alex Hales Initially omitted, whereupon his reputation soared. Then selected, whereupon it dipped a bit. Still worth the gamble although they may reconsider the merits of Gary Ballance.

14 Stuart Broad Has to be in the departure lounge just to check the body is in working order. If it is, he’ll be on the plane. No alarms have been reported from his time in South Africa.

15 Jimmy Anderson The same applies to Anderson though it may be a source of concern in the Antipodes that these damn white balls do not seem to be swinging much.

Staying at home

16 Harry Gurney In Sri Lanka they soon decided that he was surplus to requirements. His bowling was adequate but he offers nothing with the bat and little in the field.

17 Ben Stokes A source of great frustration. The talent is obviously there but it takes some digging out at the moment. They could not trust him with the ball in Sri Lanka and there were no compensatory runs.