After England's Ashes win, Sky Sports’ Rob Key hopes for further England success in the T20I and ODI series against Australia...
Sunday 30 August 2015 22:45, UK
Can England's one-day squad feed off the Test side's Ashes win?
Actually I think they'll take more momentum from the New Zealand ODI series earlier this summer. This is a different side from the Test side, especially from a senior player point of view. Someone like the captain, Eoin Morgan, who didn't play in the Ashes, but played so well against New Zealand. That New Zealand side was a very good side, while I think this Australian side is a bit more of a team in transition. But the mentality that Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace have instilled in this team means that England are still going to play the same kind of attacking cricket, and come out swinging.
Morgan is coming back from a break out of the game after struggling for Middlesex, can he find that form again?
I always think Morgan rises to the occasion. As much as he gives everything for Middlesex, he goes up a notch for England. It's probably a good thing he has had some time out actually, as the county season can be draining, physically and mentally. So hopefully a bit of time out will put him in a good spots. Just a few decent nets will have him back in nick and scoring like he did against New Zealand.
Joe Root misses out on this series, being rested, is that the right move?
Yes, because he is a precious commodity at the minute – the best Test batsman in the world, and right up there in one-day cricket as well. It gives an opportunity to someone else, and they need to take on that mantle though, whether it is James Taylor, James Vince, or perhaps Moeen Ali at three. I think it will probably be Taylor who comes in almost as a like for like replacement.
Jos Buttler struggled in the Ashes, but did fire in that ODI series against New Zealand. Which version will we see?
Buttler is far too good to be out of form for too long. I think he will end up as one of England's greatest-ever wicketkeeper-batsmen. The ability he has will just see him get better and better. And he is that good a player that a tough time with the bat – like he had in the Ashes – will just accelerate him along to being one of the best in the world. In one-cricket he is up there already.
Is your pal Sam Billings at Kent looking forward to being involved with the side again?
Absolutely. It almost came at the wrong time, the end of the New Zealand series, because in the last game at Durham he played really well, under a lot of pressure. Everyone remembers Jonny Bairstow's knock, and rightly so, but Billings' knock was just as important to help get England out of a hole. It would have been nice if they had of played another couple of games with him in form, but he has carried it on for Kent, scoring a magnificent hundred against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
David Willey is another in that squad who has been in great form in county cricket recently?
He is a serious cricketer. He doesn't bowl 90mph, but he doesn't have to. He runs in hard, has good changes of pace, hits the pitch hard. Some guys clock up higher numbers on the speed gun, but I can tell you that facing him – he hits the bat harder and feels quicker. He is the type of cricketer, that at whatever level he plays, he will make something happen. The same with the bat too, just look at that hundred he scored for Northants in the T20 quarter-finals against Sussex.
As for Australia, what can we expect from this new-look squad of theirs?
They seem to have an endless amount of bowlers coming through, guys like Nathan Coulter-Nile, who has had a little bit of a taste of international cricket, but now has a chance under a new captain in Steve Smith to impress. There's quite a few of those guys in the squad. Sometimes after an Ashes series, the one-day stuff can appear to be a little bit of an afterthought, but that won't happen with Australia.
Watch the England and Australia ODI series exclusively live on Sky Sports Ashes HD, and the T20I between the two on Monday from 2.30pm.
