1. Alaister Cook - Personally, I would love to see Cook just focus on test cricket and drop the ODI's, but it's too close to the World Cup to do that now. So he's opening the batting for my England XI. If the world cup were in two years, I'd get Cook out of the scene, and bring Jason Roy in.
2. Alex Hales - Hales has had a fantastic domestic season for Notts, and fully deserved his call ups in the recent games against India. He counteracts the steady batting of Cook and could potentially give us that flying start that is crucial in this format.
3. Joe Root - Root has had mixed fortunes for England in the last 18 months. After hitting that huge century against Australia at Lords, many expected to see him kick on and help England win the Ashes down under. That didn't happen for him, but it has to be remembered that he's still young at the age of 23 and he still has the best part of 10 years to improve as a player. For that reason, he has to be in the team.
4. Eoin Morgan - Morgan isn't everyone's favourite England player, he personally isn't mine. I don't think he's good enough to be in the test team, but when it comes to ODI's, he gives us something that some of our top order lack; flair. His array of shots have the ability to turn a game on its head, couple that with his damn fine fielding and you've got yourself a bloody good one day player.
5. Moeen Ali - After the summer that Moeen Ali had, I'm hoping his place in my team doesn't need too much justification. His spin came on leaps and bounds, and I want him to be our front line spinner against Sri Lanka. Joe Root can also be utilised for his part time spin if Ali isn't on the money.
6. Ravi Bopara - Along with Morgan, I think Bopara is nowhere near up to test standards. His record says all you need to know, after his first few games against West Indies he never fulfilled his potential, and he was rightfully dropped from the team. But he is a very useful all rounder in one day cricket, winning games for Essex and England in the last few years. His bowling can slow the game down, and his batting can speed it up. He's my number six.
7. Jos Buttler - Wicketkeeper batsman. This guy is a matchwinner. Alex Hales can start an innings, Bell can fill the middle overs, but Buttler has the ability to come in and blow away the opposition in the final stages of a match. Not only that, but he excites people. He envisages everything we want England ODI cricket to be like, and he'll be the cornerstone of hopefully, a better England ODI team in the next few years.
8. Sam Billings - When I first wrote this post, I put Ian Bell in at 3. But then I remembered all the times I'd watched England play ODI cricket, and within minutes I'd put Friends back on because of how dull we can be at times. For this reason, I've gone for Sam Billings at 3. Is it a gamble? Yes, of course it's a gamble, Bell is a proven player where as Billings hasn't even got a cap, but it's risks like these that need to be taken if we are going to progress at all in the form. I've taken the risk, Bell is gone, I've replaced him with Billings and moved Root up to 3.
10. James Anderson - Anderson hasn't got too many years left in him at the top level, but he's still good enough to bowl well at the start of an innings. He was one of the first names in my England XI.
11. Steven Finn - England's bowling doesn't always impress me, in fact, it mostly doesn't. But Finn has just got that extra bit of pace which can do damage in a bowling attack. Since my other bowlers are hardly rapid, I've put Finn in at 11 to spice things up a bit.
Who have I left out?
Ian Bell - Bell is a great of recent times, and his record speaks for himself. But at this time, England need quick, exciting players to take the game to the opposition. For me, Bell doesn't quite do that, which is why he's not in my XI.
James Tredwell - For the same reasons as Bell, Tredwell is a gonner. Although Sri Lanka does clearly offer spin friendly wickets, the world cup is in Australia & New Zealand where this is not always the case.
James Taylor - I just couldn't fit James Taylor into my team, but if Root or Morgan don't perform to expectations, he's a damn fine player to come instead.
Clearly a change in tactics needs to be implemented also if we're to make any significant gains against Sri Lanka and then the World Cup (more aggressive batting, disciplined, tactical bowling and better fielding) but with this team, I think we're a better team than the one who faced India in the summer.
