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England have called up Brydon Carse to their World Cup squad in India, with Joe Root claiming the seamer could inherit Liam Plunkett\u2019s mantle as master of the middle overs.<\/p>\n
Struggling England lost their leading wicket-taker during Saturday\u2019s record-breaking defeat by South Africa, when Reece Topley fractured his left index finger fielding off his own bowling.<\/p>\n
Head coach Matthew Mott initially suggested there was no guarantee another seamer would be brought in as his replacement, inviting the likes of Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed into the conversation, but Carse\u2019s selection maintains the status quo.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old was the next seamer in line and may have made a stronger push for the original 15-man squad had he not suffered injury issues of his own over the summer. He was ultimately overtaken by Surrey\u2019s Gus Atkinson, but will now link up with the group in Bengaluru.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s game against Sri Lanka will probably come too soon for Carse, who has taken 14 wickets in 12 ODIs to date, but with questions surrounding a team that has lost three out of their first four games he will hope to push hard for a chance.<\/p>\n
England have never quite found their heir to Plunkett, the 2019 World Cup winner who nailed a tricky role through the middle of the innings, and Root believes Carse could carry that baton.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrydon is a brilliant all-round package. He scores some handy runs for you, is very dynamic in the field and he\u2019s got a unique wicket-taking ability,\u201d said Root.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got that Ben Stokes element to him where you sometimes feel like nothing is happening and then he\u2019ll pick up wickets, almost in a \u2018Junior Plunkett\u2019 kind of way. He\u2019s very similar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plunkett was often undervalued for his role in England\u2019s white-ball revolution but played a crucial role in the 2019 final and was the only squad member to enjoy a 100 per cent record at the tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cPudsey (Plunkett) won\u2019t like me saying this, but he\u2019s almost got more to offer with the bat,\u201d Root continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s probably not got as much to offer in the dressing-room just yet, but he\u2019s a big personality too and a great character to have around, so he\u2019s a good addition. Whenever someone comes in and they\u2019re excited, and you can see it on their face straightaway, a smile is infectious isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can bring the best out of everyone and having that come into the group can\u2019t be a bad thing for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n