On Thursday Harry Brook described his team’s preparations for their last ODI series, against South Africa last month, as “a bit of a shambles”, and the same phrase could be used to describe many of their recent performances in the format – and for that matter a tour of New Zealand that has so far featured one completed T20 and two washouts.
England’s series against South Africa started less than 48 hours after the Hundred final, the squad assembling at Headingley much as a dripping tap might fill a bath: irritatingly slowly. “I don’t think we even got a training session in together,” Brook recalled. The team’s performance in the opening match was as shambolic as had been their assembly.
