{
  "id": 10385125,
  "title": "England are learning - these are the World Cup issues they need to solve",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/england-are-learning-these-are-the-world-cup-issues-they-need-to-solve-10385125",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-28T06:42:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/england-learning-world-cup-issues-053330138.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "England's recent victory over Sri Lanka at The Oval highlighted the need for the team to address several issues ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Coaches such as Brendon McCullum have started arranging warm-up games and have a more robust backroom staff, aiming to boost the squad's white-ball cricket skills. While England has shown improvement in the 50-over format, they still lag behind other teams in this department. Ben Duckett, the only Englishman to score a Test century and 141 runs in an ODI, has struggled with consistency in recent matches, averaging 27.15 across formats. Despite his high scores, England is hesitant to drop him due to his experience and List A expertise. However, other players like Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton have shown they could step up if needed. The team's shaky performance at the World Cup in 2023 led to Rehan Ahmed being given a chance as the leg-spinner, but he failed to progress further. Liam Dawson, who took 3-26 in the second Test, was a more reliable option for England. The series also highlighted the importance of players like Jordan Cox, who has shone with his consistent performances across formats. England's depth is growing, with players like Cox and Banton stepping up, while experienced players like Buttler and Curran are also likely to feature in the squad.",
  "summary": "Who are England's openers? Which spinner supports Adil Rashid? Which seamers will get the nod when Sam Curran returns?",
  "key_points": [
    "England to address white-ball cricket issues before World Cup",
    "Ben Duckett inconsistent across formats despite Test success",
    "Liam Dawson more reliable option than Rehan Ahmed as leg-spinner"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "England are learning - these are the World Cup issues they need to solve",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/england-are-learning-these-are-the-world-cup-issues-they-need-to-solve",
        "published": "2026-09-28T05:33:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}