An adjusted England ODI side....

I would have Bell as opener - I think it's a no-brainer. Although he has an essentially orthodox technique, he knows how to manoeuvre the ball into gaps in the field.

Like I said, why not open with KP? There wont be much movement with the new ball in the Sub Continent. He can either hit boundaries and maybe get going, or not waste any time, slog one up in the air, and let more correct players rebuild the innings if need be.

We have an unhealthy obsession with opening the batting with our wicketkeeper. Just because Gilchrist was so successful for Australia. Most keepers in the world bat down the order in ODI cricket- Dhoni, Sanga, DeVilliers, and McCullum has gone down the order now as well. Bat Prior at 5 or 6

In tests, Prior gets his runs by batting in an essentially orthodox manner - you don't often see him try to shovel the ball from outside off stump to deep midwicket.

Yet in ODIs he does daft stuff like trying to nurdle a bowler who is bowling at 90 mph down to third man. Why - is it because he thinks that he has to play differently in ODIs, or has he been told to?

I think it's his mindset that's the problem.

Basil wrote:In tests, Prior gets his runs by batting in an essentially orthodox manner - you don't often see him try to shovel the ball from outside off stump to deep midwicket.

Yet in ODIs he does daft stuff like trying to nurdle a bowler who is bowling at 90 mph down to third man. Why - is it because he thinks that he has to play differently in ODIs, or has he been told to?

I think it's his mindset that's the problem.

Well he's played around 200 List A games now and averages less than 30. You could say that him and one day cricket just don't go together based on his stats. Yeah, his shot last night was just awful, and typical England- pre-meditated, with excessive risk attached when a single was probably the only outcome.