Following the dreadful end to England’s world cup campaign, people are calling for change around the setup yet again. Many pundits have called for the ‘old guard’ to be cut from the ODI team to focus on securing their test spot. This would mean giving a lot of young England Lions players a chance in the first team.
James Vince, a product of the Hampshire Academy, has been sniffing around the ODI squad for around a year now, having impressed with performances for Hampshire and England Lions, but he can’t seem to push his way in for some reason.
Vince broke onto the Hampshire scene as a youngster back in 2009, causing a stir amongst pundits at the time. Most pundits compared young Vince to that of Michael Vaughan when he was in his prime: a technically sound yet ruthlessly aggressive, when needed, top order batsman, averaging 35.75 in List A cricket. His over-exuberance is sometimes seen as a weakness by some, at times being seen as somewhat careless when facing certain types of bowling, yet still he continues to make hay, recently making 99 for the England Lions against South Africa “A” in Kimberley.
It was announced before the tour that he would captain the side in the ODI series, a role he was given by Hampshire for the T20 Blast last season. Vince likes to adopt an attacking style when setting his fields, giving his bowlers the best possible chance to take an early wicket, something England could benefit from in the long run. He never lacks enthusiasm and always shows he is willing to listen to senior players as well as back his own ideas in the game. He is still young, but it’s clear he has a bold sense of leadership and players rally around him: something that hasn’t been clear in the England dressing room for a while.
Vince is capable of slotting in anywhere in the top five which gives some flexibility when picking other players. His best batting position may not be opening, so Alex Hales may get a place to do that job, but he certainly should bat somewhere around there. His captaining ability wouldn’t be what his England call-up would be for, as most of the ECB hierarchy have been quoted backing Eoin Morgan in his bid to push England forward. Therefore he would be judged on batting and that alone.
At the age of 24, Vince is counted as one of the many ‘young stars’ floating about the county circuit at the moment. After a good couple of years for Hampshire, does that not make him ready to step up? If he were to do it now, he would have a very healthy career which could potentially last a long time if he stays fit. It isn’t like the situation with his team mate, Michael Carberry who is turning 34 this year. Vince has time to learn the game at a steady rate and work himself into a good spot.
James Vince should most definitely be in the squad to face Ireland in Malahide on May 8th as well as in the ODI squad, at least, to play New Zealand in the early season with a good run of form to see him force his way into the Ashes ODI squad later that summer as a very capable candidate.
