Broad says England need extra ODI seamer after India defeat

BIRMINGHAM: Stuart Broad believes England must add an extra fast bowler to their attack if they are to be competitive at next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.

Three days on from on leapfrogging India at the top of the T20 world rankings, England’s poor form in one-day international cricket continued with a decisive six-wicket loss to the top-ranked 50-over side at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

England have now lost 14 of their last 20 ODIs and are a lowly eighth in the rankings, below Afghanistan. 

“England are eighth in the world rankings and are playing like they are eighth,” former England fast bowler Broad told Sky Sports.

“They need to get more experience into the roles of the players.”

England captain Harry Brook had five spin options in his side at Birmingham but just three seamers, meaning he had to use the bulk of express quick Jofra Archer’s overs early in India’s innings.

But an extra seamer might have meant Liam Dawson missing out, with the veteran Hampshire all-rounder’s 68 - his maiden ODI fifty – and Joe Root’s unbeaten 76 not out reviving England after they had collapsed to 80-5.

Both Root and Dawson have played plenty of domestic 50-over cricket – something difficult for younger team-mates who are often playing in a Hundred competition that clashes with the English game’s One-Day Cup.

Root and Dawson’s partnership of 121 enabled England to set India a target of 259 for victory.

That proved too little, but only after India had recovered from losing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the space of six balls.

India captain Shubman Gill’s superb 80 from 75 balls before retiring hurt did much of the damage after Archer and Josh Tongue – the only two outright fast bowlers in the attack – bowled 13 of the first 16 overs between them.

And Broad says more firepower is needed to ease the load on Archer, Tongue and leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

“After defeat at Edgbaston, there might be a shift in mindset towards playing another seamer,” said Broad.

“Looking ahead to the next World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, it’s going to be the faster, taller bowlers who do the damage there.

“Taking 10 wickets in an ODI, particularly through that middle period, is difficult.

“I look at Archer – he’s a natural wicket-taker, the best white-ball bowler we have.

“Tongue can take wickets. Rashid can take wickets. But I feel England need one more fast bowler to back up that group.

“Sam Curran is a very good cricketer, but he’s not a first-change seam bowler. England need someone to come through in the middle overs, bowl bouncers and seamers, and take the outside edge, so they don’t have to go to Archer all the time.

“Could that be Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson or Saqib Mahmood? England need to start trialling that now.”

The second ODI of three between England and India takes place in Cardiff on Thursday.