Zak Crawley to lead England in Ireland ODIs as Harry Brook's World Cup pendulum swings the right way

Even though Harry Brook failed to make it to England’s provisional squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup, head coach Matthew Motts and many of his teammates have stated that the youngster can still make it if he performs to his potential. As things stand, the stars align as Brook has a massive opportunity to show his class as he has been called up for the ODI series against New Zealand (batting cover) and Ireland. This will give him a fantastic opportunity to cement his spot in the 15-member squad for the global tournament, which is slated to begin on October 5 in India.

Notably, Brook has recently impressed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with a cracking century in The Hundred and the first two T20Is against New Zealand. Hence, the team management has called him up for the ODI series against Ireland to oversee his development.

On the other hand, the ODI series against New Zealand, too, now holds a lot of value. If Harry Brook makes his way back into the squad, any of the batters will have to make a way for him; hence, the pressure is on Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone and Dawid Malan. Interestingly, Malan is one of the players who is yet to prove himself in the subcontinent, but the flamboyant batter has two centuries in ODI cricket in 2022/23, and so does Jason Roy. On the other hand, Livingstone has a lot of experience playing in India and also offers spin bowling, which can come in handy for the team in the tournament.

Meanwhile, England have announced a second-string squad for the series against Ireland. Zak Crawley will lead the side, while the likes of Luke Wood, Brydon Carse, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts and Rehan Ahmed will also feature in the series. The plan is to keep a second-string team ready in case there’s any injury concern in the World Cup squad. ECB have consulted with the county clubs as their standing was considered before announcing the squad.

England squad to play Ireland: Rehan Ahmed, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley (captain), Ben Duckett (vice-captain), Sam Hain, Will Jacks, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, George Scrimshaw, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood