England’s poor one-day form fails to shift World Cup odds

Has the England one-day cricket team been having a bit of a punt on their chances in next month’s World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh?

For a game scandalized by match-fixing allegations in recent months – mostly surrounding some downright dodgy performances by the Pakistan team – Andrew Strauss’ men might be outraged by such a suggestion, however light-heartedly intended.

Certainly, England’s latest performances seem to have had no impact on London-based bookmakers.

Given the relatively short odds offered on England’s World Cup chances, it might have been a reasonable question to ask of the core of the side that demolished Australia in the Ashes Test series, yet has since then capitulated quite tamely to lose the first three games in the their seven-match series of one-day matches.

Despite England’s abysmal form in the 50-over games, and an unfavorable draw in their World Cup group, they remain no better than 6/1 to win that tournament – no change in their odds at all over the past month.

India are the strong 7/2 World Cup favorites, with co-hosts Sri Lanka at 5/1. Defending champions Australia are a weak 11/2, their wins over England seeing their odds tighten by a mere half a point.

There is undoubtedly a feeling of “phony war” about the Australia-England series, where injuries to key players and the resting of others have rendered the matches almost an exercise in cricketing shadow boxing.

Biggest blow to Australia, already without Ricky Ponting, the skipper who has led them to three successive World Cup titles, has been the dislocated shoulder suffered by spin bowler Nathan Hauritz when fielding.

Hauritz’s recall to the Aussie side, alongside Brett Lee, had helped to give them the sharper edge to its bowling attack that they so lacked in the Test matches.

England, too, have lost their top spin bowler, Graeme Swann. Originally rested because of a knee problem, the off-spinner is now back in England recuperating from a back injury in the hope that he will be 100 percent in time for the World Cup.

England continue to experiment with their one-day starting line-up: for the fourth game in the series in Adelaide on Wednesday, they named seven batsmen in the XI, including wicketkeeper Matt Prior opening the innings and veteran batter Paul Collingwood at No. 7.

England coach Andy Flower will remain concerned about the poor form of his star batsman, Kevin Pietersen, who was dismissed tamely for just 12 runs in Adelaide off the second-rate leg-spin bowling of Steve Smith.

Or maybe Pietersen is just keeping his best form under cover until he arrives in India?

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