As England slipped to their 12th defeat in 18 ODIs since the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup last year in the first ODI against West Indies in Antigua, the lack of experience in the side came under the scanner. 

In Antigua, England fielded as many as four debutants and two other individuals in Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell who were relatively new to ODI cricket. Such was the inexperience in the side, especially on the batting front, that Adil Rashid was the team’s highest run-getter in ODI cricket. 

As the Three Lions folded to an eight-wicket defeat, there were calls to bring back some of the older players – whether it be Jonny Bairstow or James Vince – and make it a mix of youth and experience.

But the team’s stand-in head coach, Marcus Trescothick, defended the team’s strategy and said that bringing back older players, even on a temporary basis, would go against the side’s mantra. “Playing people who have played before would probably be going against the mantra of what we’re trying to do at the moment,” Trescothick said ahead of the second ODI.

“It’s probably a better question for the selectors more than anything else. It’s not my decision who comes in,” Trescothick said.

“But I think you can see from the plan of the England team in the last year, probably, and maybe a little bit further back, how much we want to invest in the next generation.”

The numbers are damning, given England have lost nearly 70% of the ODIs they’ve played since last October, but Trescothick believes the results aren’t a fair reflection of where English white-ball cricket is right now.

He feels so since the Three Lions have hardly had their first-choice XI representing them in 50-over cricket after the ODI World Cup in India. 

“I think it’s certainly not where England cricket is at,” Trescothick said, speaking of the team’s results.

“Because for a long period of time now, you’ve not had our main team in white-ball games. You don’t really know where white-ball cricket is.

“I think with the system that we’ve had and the volume of cricket that we’ve been trying to play and still look after the players, I think you could put a team together tomorrow for a World Cup, and it would probably look different to what you had this series and some of the series that we played against Australia.

“So I don’t think you can judge it to say, look where white-ball cricket is at the moment. It’s been a tough period of time, there’s no doubt about it, but that’s been challenges from numerous different things.”

While admitting results are important, Trescothick insisted that the management are also keen to blood in youngsters and use these games as a platform to give the younger players invaluable experience. 

“I am trying to get the priority right at the moment. I want to win every game and we dictate that in the dressing room. But we also want to see a few players in the environment before the structure changes and Brendon takes over. So, why not give them the opportunity to thrive in this environment?” the stand-in coach said.

“That’s very much how we’re framing it. The opportunities are there for the guys to come in. We’ve seen four debutants in this match, we’ve got a couple other young guys in the squad who may make their debut across the next two weeks. [With the opportunity] you’re going to be further up the ladder than you were six days ago. So go out there and show what you can do.”

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