Fantasy Picks: Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid are worth the punt
Fantasy suggestions for the first ODI between England and Ireland in Southampton
ESPNcricinfo staff
29-Jul-2020
England v Ireland, 1st ODI , Southampton
Our XI: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, Eoin Morgan, Harry Tector, Kevin O'Brien, Moeen Ali, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Barry McCarthy
NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so do keep an eye out for the toss before making your final picks
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow has been effectively relieved off red-ball duties so he can focus on the format he's best at. With an 88-ball 127 to his name in a practice match last week, and in the company of Jason Roy to form the best opening pair in ODI cricket at the moment, Bairstow is worth the punt.
Vice-captain: Adil Rashid
Much of England's planning will revolve around the legspinner, who will be by far the most accomplished white-ball bowler on the ground. Rashid has shown that he is a shoo-in to pick up wickets even at the trickiest of times in this format, and against opposition that might not be as savvy against spin as some others, the odds are stacked in Rashid's favour.
Hot Picks
Eoin Morgan: England's captain will be the most capped player on the field across both sides and is well placed to bring a lot of value from No. 4. He made a duck when he last played against Ireland and will be looking to get even.
Paul Stirling: He made a fifty against England Lions on Sunday, and as someone who is expected to do the bulk of Ireland's batting in the first half, Stirling is a safe pick.
Kevin O'Brien: As always, O'Brien will be in charge of both holding Ireland in shape during the middle overs and launching off later on. The veteran plays exclusively as a batsman these days and has more of a consistency built into his scores as a result. He made an unbeaten 126 against Ireland A last week.
Value picks
Harry Tector: The 20-year-old has been a revelation for Ireland this year. He's made a fifty in each of his last three List A matches - including the two tour matches Ireland have played - and made 29*, 37 and 31 in three T20Is against Afghanistan in between. An ODI debut is pretty certain at this point.
Tom Curran: Apart from the spinners, England's bowling combination is difficult to call at this point, but the absence of some of the main bowlers makes the well-travelled Curran de facto head of the attack.
Points to note