Latest news with #BrendonMcCullum
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Jacob Bethell is 9/1 to top-score for England yet again on Sunday - as Brendon McCullum's side clash with the West Indies in an ODI in Cardiff
England were dominant in their opening One Day International against West Indies at Edgbaston on Thursday, with the hosts winning convincingly by 238 runs. They will look to build on that performance and sew up a series win at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens on Sunday, as the two teams meet in the second of three ODIs. Unsurprisingly, England are huge favourites to be victorious, with Brendon McCullum's side currently priced at 1/7. Conversely, West Indies are sizeable underdogs at 9/2 to upset the applecart and level the series at 1-1. In addition the head-to-head odds - let's take a look at the Runs market for Sunday's contest in Wales. Joe Root is the best-backed with Sky Bet to score the most runs for the hosts at 3/1 - while Ben Duckett is second in the market at 10/3. Both Root and Duckett performed well with the bat in the first ODI, with the pair notching up scores of 57 and 60 respectively. Meanwhile, if you're after an outsider in the market, Jacob Bethell is a 9/1 seventh-favourite according to Sky Bet. Bethell top-scored for the hosts on Thursday, with the batting all-rounder registering an impressive score of 82 off 53 balls. Sky Bet odds for England vs West Indies: England 1/7 West Indies 9/2 Sky Bet odds in England Most Runs market for England vs West Indies: Joe Root 3/1 Ben Duckett 10/3 Jos Buttler 9/2 Harry Brook 5/1 Jamie Smith 5/1 Tom Banton 11/2 Jacob Bethell 9/1
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Jacob Bethell is the future for England cricket but here's why he should be kept waiting for Test call, writes NASSER HUSSAIN
England's new white-ball era under Harry Brook got off to an excellent start on Thursday. When I arrived at Edgbaston and looked at the team sheet, especially the batting line-up, my initial thought was, 'Crikey, how have this side lost seven in a row and slipped to No 8 in the world?' Everyone has been writing off our white-ball team. But I never viewed England as a side lacking in talent. They have just been underachieving and needed a reset, which you often get with a change of captain. I have seen some people comparing the situation to the Eoin Morgan reset in 2015, when they also started by scoring 400 at Edgbaston against New Zealand. I would be careful with that comparison because this West Indies side are ranked ninth in the world and really struggling. One good game doesn't change everything for England. But what Thursday did prove was that there is undeniable talent out there, it is just up to Brook and Brendon McCullum to get the best out of them, just like Ben Stokes and McCullum have done with the Test team. Whatever the format, this England regime have always selected very well. They are very good at talent-spotting and they have certainly spotted a talent in Jacob Bethell. As soon as Jos Buttler stood down, I said I would give it to Brook, Nasser Hussain writes I am told he is very organised — not just with the way he bats, but in everything he does. He is meticulous in his preparation. When I was England captain, I always looked for that in young players coming into the side. Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick were two who turned up and prepared for a game exactly how you'd want them to. When you add that characteristic to the raw talent that Bethell has, he is clearly going to have a long career in all formats for England. He is the future. For that reason, you might want to get him back into the Test team sooner rather than later. My view would be to keep him waiting. I would find it very difficult to leave someone out who has just got a big hundred in a Test match for someone who is yet to score a professional hundred. But if they went the other way and played Bethell, I would completely understand. As for Brook's captaincy, the early signs are positive. As soon as Jos Buttler stood down, I said I would give it to Brook because he is not someone who is easily fazed. He does not overthink or overcomplicate things in life, not a bad habit for a captain, especially when the pressure is on. I looked down from above at Edgbaston on Thursday and there were a lot of people trying to help Brook at times. At this stage, against this West Indies side, I would just leave him alone and let him show everyone who is in charge. I like the way he stands at mid-off, so he can be in constant communication with his bowler, as opposed to when Buttler kept wicket as captain and had a long way to go to talk to his. He also thought clearly about the ground dimensions at Edgbaston, which was something Morgan was very good at. Today in Cardiff, it is short straight but big square, so he will want to get his seamers to bowl it into the surface. I still think England need a left-arm seamer to give them more variety, whether that is Luke Wood or someone else, and they need to introduce a left-arm spinner, be it Tom Hartley or Liam Dawson, with next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in mind. When picking their next squads, England need to keep an eye out for their future wrist spinner I'd also like to see some succession planning for Adil Rashid. When Buttler handed him his 150th ODI cap at Edgbaston, he told him in the huddle that he was probably the most irreplaceable player in the side. That is all well and good, but you do eventually have to replace him, whether that's because he is injured or you are just thinking about a few years down the line. When picking their next squads, they need to keep an eye out for their future wrist spinner. Another thing which is going to determine the success of this side is player availability. With two iconic Test series against India and Australia coming up, I will be intrigued to see how much white-ball cricket England's red-ball stars play this year. For people like me, the Ashes is the absolute priority, but England need to be successful in ICC events again. You can't rock up to next year's T20 World Cup and say, 'We had the Ashes so we didn't focus on this tournament enough'. That will no longer wash with fans. It is going to be fascinating to see how Rob Key, McCullum, Stokes and Brook strike that balance between the different formats.
India Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Jasprit Bumrah on England's Bazball style: It's interesting, but I don't understand it
Star India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has said that he doesn't understand England's Bazball style of cricket, saying that it creates wicket-taking opportunities for opponents. England have been playing an aggressive brand of cricket since 2022 under the regime of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, termed 'Bazball' by the have been scoring at 4.63 runs per over in Tests since June 2022, the highest run rate in the format in the time period. They're set to take on India in the upcoming series, scheduled to begin from June 20. Ahead of the series, Jasprit Bumrah has called England's batting style 'interesting' as he doesn't understand it. He also said that the bowling unit feels confident when the opponent is being ultra-aggressive as it creates in England is always a different challenge, I always love bowling with the Dukes ball. The weather, the swinging conditions sometimes, and then when the ball becomes soft, there's always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England. Obviously they're playing an interesting style of cricket, which is an interesting one because I don't really understand it too much. But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra aggressive on a given day, anybody could run through and, get wickets,' Bumrah told Michael Clarke on Beyond23 Cricket Podcast. Furthermore, Burmah opened up on the challenge of playing all three formats of the game and said that one has to be smart about using his body and be a bit s tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long. I've been doing it for a while, but then eventually you have to understand where your body is going at, what is the important tournament. So you have to be a little selective and you have to be a little smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. At this moment, yes, I'm OK, but I don't set goals. I look at it one day at a time. The journey is going good so far. The day I realized that the drive is gone or the effort is not there and my body is not holding up, that is a decision when you take your time. But right now I'm ok,' he has been suffering from injuries since 2022 as he's missed several major tournaments for India, such as the T20 World Cup 2022, World Test Championship final 2023 and the Champions Trophy 2025. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is also managing his workload accordingly and don't usually pick him in bilateral ODI and T20I series against weaker teams.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Harry Brook to score 50+ runs and England to win is a BOOSTED 3/1 - as Brendon McCullum's side clash with the West Indies in the first of three ODIs at Edgbaston today
England's One Day International series against the West Indies gets underway today - as Birmingham's Edgbaston plays host to the first of three matches over the next week. England are heavy favourites to come away with the victory in the opener - with Brendon McCullum's side priced at a short 2/7. Conversely, the West Indies are 5/2 outsiders with Sky Bet to upset the applecart in enemy territory. In addition to the above market - there are three Price Boosts on offer for this fixture courtesy of Sky Bet. The first boost - which is valued at 3/1 - requires Harry Brook to score 50+ runs and England to win the match. Brook had a fantastic 2024 campaign - with the supremely talented batsman registering two half centuries and a century in five ODI appearances. Additionally, he averaged an impressive 78 runs for the calendar year. Meanwhile, the other two boosts need Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett and Evin Lewis to each hit a six, and Joe Root to score the most runs in the match. The odds for those two bets have been enhanced to 11/2 and 6/1 respectively. Sky Bet odds for England vs West Indies: England 2/7 West Indies 5/2 Sky Bet Price Boosts for England vs West Indies: Harry Brook to score 50+ runs and England to win the match WAS 9/4 NOW 3/1 Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett and Evin Lewis to each hit a six WAS 9/2 NOW 11/2 Joe Root to score the most runs in the match WAS 5/1 NOW 6/1 All odds are correct at the time of publication
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Jamie Smith is handed chance to be England's answer to Adam Gilchrist as he is urged to 'bang it' by new captain Harry Brook
Jamie Smith has been given the chance to become England's answer to Adam Gilchrist after being promoted to open the batting at the start of the new white-ball era under Harry Brook. Thursday's first one-day international against West Indies at Edgbaston represents the latest white-ball reset, with Brook — stand-in captain against Australia last September — embarking on the role full-time following the resignation of Jos Buttler. And one of his first acts has been to make Smith central to transforming the fortunes of a side who have contrived to lose nine of their last 10 ODIs, and 19 out of 26 since the start of the 2023 World Cup in India. Backed to the hilt by head coach Brendon McCullum, the big-hitting Smith has already made the successful transition into a Test wicketkeeper. Now he been tasked with getting England's one-day innings off to a flyer, just as Gilchrist — another wicketkeeper-turned-opener — once did to such devastating effect for Australia. McCullum came up with idea during the recent Champions Trophy in Pakistan — despite Smith's struggles in an experimental move to No 3, which brought him only 24 runs in three innings. And while England will return the gloves to Buttler, the faith in Smith is a move right out of the Bazball playbook. 'Me and Baz just have this desire that Smudge [Smith] could be an unbelievable white-ball opener,' said Brook. 'I'm not saying he's cemented his spot, but he's going to get a good crack at it. He's such an immense player. He can play the moving ball, as we've seen in in Test cricket, and there's no reason why you can't go out there and bang it as an opener.' With Jacob Bethell, who controversially missed last week's Test win over Zimbabwe so he could extend his stay at the IPL, returning to international cricket, and Will Jacks ensuring a deep batting line-up at No 7, Brook is determined to throw everything at a West Indies side who inhabit a similarly lowly slot in the rankings. England begin the three-match series eighth in the ICC table, with West Indies in ninth. Should either side drop any lower, it could imperil automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa — an unthinkable humiliation. For the moment, though, Brook simply needs to get England — world champions until less than two years ago — winning again, even in a year when much of McCullum's focus will be on two seismic Test series against India and Australia. 'New era now, new leadership,' said Brook. 'Hopefully we can bring a lot of energy, competitiveness and fun out there.' England will again turn to legspinner Adil Rashid to provide breakthroughs in the middle overs His clarion call came on the day the ECB confirmed they were establishing a new entity — GB Cricket — with a view to qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. 'It would be pretty cool to get an Olympic gold medal,' said Brook. Right now, escaping the lower reaches of the rankings will be enough to keep everyone happy. England: 1 Jamie Smith, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wkt), 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib Mahmood.
