‘Not where England is at’: Marcus Trescothick talks up ailing ODI team

England legend feels there is a lack of clarity over roles and a lot of chopping and changing in the 50-over setup

Former batter Marcus Trescothick believes England are not where they should be following their ODI series defeat to South Africa.

The tourists suffered a 2-1 loss in the three-match rubber, with their preparations for next month's World Cup in India thrown into disarray.

Trescothick believes there is a “clear imbalance” in the batting order, with captain Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, and Jason Roy out of form.

The 45-year-old also feels there is a lack of clarity over roles and a lot of chopping and changing in the 50-over setup.

“There’s been a lot of ins and outs. You look at the team going into the World Cup, I don’t think they know their best XI, I don’t think they know their best batting order,” Trescothick told ESPNcricinfo.

“There’s been a lot of talk about the balance of the side and where people fit in. I don’t think they’re clear on that just yet, and that’s why there’s been chopping and changing.”

Trescothick believes England need to find a settled batting order and give players a run of games in order to build confidence.

“They need to give guys a run of games now. They need to know where they are in the batting order. They need to know what their role is in the team,” he added.

“You can’t keep chopping and changing. You need to give guys a bit of a run, let them find some form, let them get used to the role they’re playing, and the best way to do that is to give them a run of games.

“There’s no point in picking guys and then dropping them after one or two games. You need to give them a bit of a run so they can find their feet.”