Cricket Feature: England's turnaround in red and white ball cricket this year

    Since Ben Stokes took over the reins from Joe Root to lead England in the red-ball format under the coach Brendon McCullum, there has been a dramatic turnaround

    Winning Combinations: Ben stokes with Brendon McCullum Winning Combinations: Ben stokes with Brendon McCullum

    The team dynamics on the field have changed and become challenging to comprehend. Apart from red-ball, the white ball team also looked to transform under the leadership of Jos Buttler. 

    New culture and leadership 

    One of the biggest positives that came to light after a change in leadership roles was the difference in the on-field attitude of players. Players looked much more attentive and aggressive at any moment of the match, carrying an intent to win. 

    The changed culture suddenly made their long-term batting woes fade away. From struggling batting line-up to the batters chasing a target of 270-plus score in the fourth inning of the test to win it, the team took a giant leap. 

    White ball strategy by England

    On a much similar note to the red ball strategy, the English team looked to follow the same aggressive approach in the shortest format. 

    With the presence of a power-hitter right from top to lower-middle order, the team keeps the potential of hitting hard. Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, and Moeen Ali, the team has lots of powerful strikers who can potentially carry an aggressive approach in any format of the game. 

    Trusting players, no player dropped, and the rise of Ollie's in England Camp 

    The other positive change that has come on a good note for the team is trusting and backing their players. 

    England openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawley have been struggling to give a good partnership start for their team. And despite that fact, the team has backed both the players for the role, giving them sufficient opportunities. 

    They trust new players like Harry Brook across all the formats after an impressive performance in County cricket. Ollie Pope coming out to smash 67 shows what continuous support can bring out of a player during challenging times. 

    "It's very important to give guys time to perform. Pope showed us what he's capable of doing. Credit to Lees and Zak. The opening is very tough in England, said Ben Stokes.

    Backing players like Ollie Robinson, whose career looked to reach a doomed end, the management trusted him in the South Africa series. As a result, he reinforced faith with his career-best fifer and won Player of the match in the series decider. 

    Evergreen pace players in Stuart Broad and James Anderson

    40-year-old James Anderson and 36-year-old Stuart Broad are redefining the longevity of pacers in the game of cricket, especially in the most extended format. Both the pacers have been winning matches for England without fail.

    Being dropped after a terrible defeat in Ashes by 4-0, the duo returned to squads under Ben Stokes' leadership. Defying the age factor, both the bowlers are scripting history for Englishmen and will be there in Ashes 2023, as confirmed by coach Brendon McCullum. 

    The pacers are evergreen for the team, still capable of bowling tricky overs for a stretch of long inning sessions. They hold the promise of ushering in a new dawn for English cricket.