England’s third ODI against Bangladesh on Monday might look like a dead rubber in a contextless series but for the tourists it represents much more. It is likely to be the final 50-over match that contributes to the selection of their World Cup squad.
After this tour (three T20s, their first since becoming world champions, follow the ODIs), England do not play white-ball cricket again until September. First it’s the IPL, then Tests in June and July, and the Hundred in August. Coach Matthew Mott will take a break, then scour the domestic competitions for talent, while his assistants Richard Dawson and Carl Hopkinson are being seconded to Hundred teams to keep them busy.
There is no official date yet for World Cup squads to be named, indeed there are no official dates for the World Cup at all, but that is another matter. But, for marketing and admin purposes, the ICC normally like squads in around a month before the tournament begins.
So expect the deadline to be around September 9, the day between the first and second of England’s seven ODIs this summer. This is the last ODI in which to make an impression, after that it’s an exclusive diet of shorter cricket, even at domestic level, as no-one in England’s World Cup squad will play in the One-Day Cup (which is currently without a sponsor). There might be a little bit of Lions cricket available, but not much.
It is for this reason that Rehan Ahmed must make his ODI debut in Chittagong: this is the final opportunity for any form of experimentation.
Ahmed has spent much of the early part of this tour in the hotel, unwell. But he emerged for the second ODI, bowled plenty in practice, and took the field as a sub, even taking a catch to give Adil Rashid his fourth wicket. He is available to play on Monday.
The 18-year-old made an extraordinary impression on Test debut in Karachi in December, picking up a second innings five-wicket haul. We know he is not fazed by pressure, but he – and those around him – believe he is a more advanced white-ball bowler at this stage of his nascent development, which is little surprise. His flat style and variations may mean that he is better suited to white-ball cricket than Tests long-term, anyway.
If he does crack Test cricket, it might be as a side-balancing all-rounder alongside four quicks (could he, indirectly, be Ben Stokes’ long-term successor?), but in white-ball cricket it seems crystal clear: he is Adil Rashid’s heir. The likelihood is that this World Cup will be the last 50-over edition for Rashid, who is 35 now, and that it will come too soon for Ahmed. Even in India, they are unlikely to play together, but there could be space in the squad for both of them, especially as England do not have an obvious third frontline spinner beyond Rashid and Moeen Ali, although Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone are more than handy options.
This series has clarified some elements of England’s squad (with Jason Roy and Dawid Malan making clear that they are going nowhere), but there are still some decisions to make, and experimentation in the final ODI would be sensible. Phil Salt and James Vince seem very unlikely to make the squad, so why not thrust Jacks – whose all-round gifts could get him in – up the order, to provide him an opportunity?
Another reason England should give Ahmed a debut – in both formats – is to ensure that the second half of his winter is well used. Since his Test debut, he has played just six T20s in two and a half months, all for Gulf Giants in the ILT20 in the UAE. England had lots of options – New Zealand, the Lions in Sri Lanka – and do need to keep him playing cricket so his rapid development continues apace.
There are many ways England could accommodate Ahmed, and get Jacks up the order. One would be to rest Rashid, who has had a gruelling few days playing and giving evidence at the Yorkshire hearing. Another would be to drop a batsman, Salt or Vince, and shuffle Sam Curran – who provided a reminder of his hitting prowess – up too.
Ahmed may find conditions unkind. Chittagong is generally more batting friendly than Dhaka, with Ishan Kishan scoring 210 in India’s total of 409 in the most recent ODI there, in December. That will not bother him one bit, which is another reason he must play.
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