What is he ever doing in the ODIs side?!?? In T20s I can imagine his bits n pieces, hustle bustle, type could be handy and failings not so exposed, but even in T20s he's what I'd call a 'passenger' - someone who chips in with an odd wicket and a few runs, but rarely plays a match winning role. In 29 T20s Wright has bowled just 26 overs, he's batted 24 times and averages a measly 15.73, albeit at more than a run a ball.
But my main focus here is on his ODI inclusion. I've broken down his ODI record to look at how much he bowls, how much he offers with the bat and where in the order. Batting SRs for me are irrelevant in this analysis, while he might biff and bash away at near a run a ball, 19 runs per innings off 21 balls is handy only if in the right situation - the late sprint to the finish line. But that doesn't justify a player included in the all-round slots, his inclusion is at the expense of better batsmen, and his bowling isn't used enough to justify his inclusion at all.
LJ Wright (ODIs)
Batting : 600 runs @ 21.43
Bowling : 15 wkts @ 51.27 (SR 60.40, ER 5.09)
His bowling average needs to be mid-30s or lower to justify inclusion as an all-rounder, or his batting average quite a bit higher to make him a batsman who bowls a bit. Looking further at his bowling :
BY OPPONENT
vs Australia : 6 wkts @ 42.17 (SR 53.00, ER 4.77)
vs India : 0 wkts @ n/a (SR n/a, ER 5.50)
vs New Zealand : 3 wkts @ 47.67 (SR 56.00, ER 5.11)
vs Pakistan : 1 wkt @ 34.00 (SR 48.00, ER 4.25)
vs South Africa : 3 wkts @ 52.00 (SR 50.00, ER 6.24)
vs Sri Lanka : 1 wkt @ 34.00 (SR 36.00, ER 5.67)
vs AUS/IND/NZE/PAK/SAF/SRI : 14 wkts @ 45.07 (SR 52.29, ER 5.17)
vs BAN/SCO : 1 wkt @ 138.00 (SR 174.00, ER 4.76)
Slightly better against the better Test nations. Perhaps more telling stats are in terms of how many overs he bowls per ODI and how many wickets he takes
BY OVERS BOWLED
0 overs (10 ODIs) : n/a
1-5 overs (16 ODIs) : 39 overs, 1 wkt @ 245.00 (SR 234.00, ER 6.28)
6 overs (8 ODIs) : 48 overs, 5 wkts @ 45.00 (SR 57.60, ER 4.69)
7-8 overs (5 ODIs) : 36 overs, 6 wkts @ 28.50 (SR 36.00, ER 4.75)
9-10 overs (3 ODIs) : 28 overs, 3 wkts @ 42.67 (SR 56.00, ER 4.57)
Wright doesn't bowl at all in 24% of his ODIs, in a further 38% of his ODIs he bowls up to five overs at a terrible economy rate with just the one wicket in those 16 ODIs.
It does seem when he bowls 7-8 overs he is quite handy, although that is in just five ODIs and success can quite often extend the use of someone who is normally removed completely from the attack after five overs ie he got the 7-8 overs for bowling ok, quite obviously though he doesn't bowl well enough to get more than five overs in 57% of his ODIs.
In fairness his bowling wouldn't get used much in helpful bowling conditions, but then that doesn't happen all that often. He's played Scotland twice and Ireland once, has bowled just the one over against Scotland for three runs. His one innings against Ireland in those three matches saw him score 36 batting down at seven in the order. In nine ODIs against Bangladesh, Ireland and Scotland he's batted just five times and bowled just 29 overs - in part because there are 5+ other bowlers in the side, and in part because England need to take wickets and he is not a major wicket taker so you wouldn't give overs to effectively a part-timer when you want to bowl sides out cheap - you may have surmised his figures against Bangladesh with 28 overs bowled and one wicket taken making up most of the figures against those three weaker sides.
So where in the order does he usually bat and is he really effective in any of them?
BY BATTING POSITION
2 : 6 inns, 107 runs @ 17.83
3 : n/a
4 : 1 inns, 0 runs @ 0.00
5 : n/a
6 : 7 inns, 132 runs @ 26.40
7 : 16 inns, 344 runs @ 22.93
8 : 1 inns, 17 runs @ 17.00
Both his 50s came in his first seven ODIs, his first ODI producing a 50 batting at seven and his second in his seventh ODI opening the batting. He scored 50, 24 and 47 batting at seven all within his first five ODIs, his average batting at seven since that fifth ODI is 18.58. He's been batting seven in six of his last seven knocks, scoring 87 runs @ 17.40 and taking 1/124 off 24 overs.
26.40 is his best average, batting at number six, but then he doesn't do enough with the ball to make him an all-rounder so he could easily be replaced with a better batsman :
ALTERNATES
Bopara : 54 ODIs, 1140 runs @ 28.40 & 10 wkts @ 33.10
Shah : 71 ODIs, 1834 runs @ 30.57 & 7 wkts @ 26.43
Denly : 9 ODIs, 268 runs @ 29.78
Cook : 26 ODIs, 858 runs @ 33.00
Denly's SR is only in the mid-60s, Shah, Bopara and Cook all move along at a respectable SRs in the 70s. I believe of those only Cook doesn't bowl that much in any cricket, but even he can. I guess the inclusion of Wright is because of his SR with the bat and because he can bowl. However, most of the time the main five bowlers should bowl their allocations, unless Collingwood is drafted in as the fifth bowler, or is not in the side, I see no reason to include a seventh whose record is pretty poor.
As Wright bats at seven more than six, I'd suggest his inclusion is a waste of a place in the side. He doesn't bat well enough to merit a place on batting alone, just two 50s in 31 innings speaks volumes, and his bowling is neither good enough nor used enough to merit a place as an all-rounder or bowler. When will the selectors abandon him completely?
But my main focus here is on his ODI inclusion. I've broken down his ODI record to look at how much he bowls, how much he offers with the bat and where in the order. Batting SRs for me are irrelevant in this analysis, while he might biff and bash away at near a run a ball, 19 runs per innings off 21 balls is handy only if in the right situation - the late sprint to the finish line. But that doesn't justify a player included in the all-round slots, his inclusion is at the expense of better batsmen, and his bowling isn't used enough to justify his inclusion at all.
LJ Wright (ODIs)
Batting : 600 runs @ 21.43
Bowling : 15 wkts @ 51.27 (SR 60.40, ER 5.09)
His bowling average needs to be mid-30s or lower to justify inclusion as an all-rounder, or his batting average quite a bit higher to make him a batsman who bowls a bit. Looking further at his bowling :
BY OPPONENT
vs Australia : 6 wkts @ 42.17 (SR 53.00, ER 4.77)
vs India : 0 wkts @ n/a (SR n/a, ER 5.50)
vs New Zealand : 3 wkts @ 47.67 (SR 56.00, ER 5.11)
vs Pakistan : 1 wkt @ 34.00 (SR 48.00, ER 4.25)
vs South Africa : 3 wkts @ 52.00 (SR 50.00, ER 6.24)
vs Sri Lanka : 1 wkt @ 34.00 (SR 36.00, ER 5.67)
vs AUS/IND/NZE/PAK/SAF/SRI : 14 wkts @ 45.07 (SR 52.29, ER 5.17)
vs BAN/SCO : 1 wkt @ 138.00 (SR 174.00, ER 4.76)
Slightly better against the better Test nations. Perhaps more telling stats are in terms of how many overs he bowls per ODI and how many wickets he takes
BY OVERS BOWLED
0 overs (10 ODIs) : n/a
1-5 overs (16 ODIs) : 39 overs, 1 wkt @ 245.00 (SR 234.00, ER 6.28)
6 overs (8 ODIs) : 48 overs, 5 wkts @ 45.00 (SR 57.60, ER 4.69)
7-8 overs (5 ODIs) : 36 overs, 6 wkts @ 28.50 (SR 36.00, ER 4.75)
9-10 overs (3 ODIs) : 28 overs, 3 wkts @ 42.67 (SR 56.00, ER 4.57)
Wright doesn't bowl at all in 24% of his ODIs, in a further 38% of his ODIs he bowls up to five overs at a terrible economy rate with just the one wicket in those 16 ODIs.
It does seem when he bowls 7-8 overs he is quite handy, although that is in just five ODIs and success can quite often extend the use of someone who is normally removed completely from the attack after five overs ie he got the 7-8 overs for bowling ok, quite obviously though he doesn't bowl well enough to get more than five overs in 57% of his ODIs.
In fairness his bowling wouldn't get used much in helpful bowling conditions, but then that doesn't happen all that often. He's played Scotland twice and Ireland once, has bowled just the one over against Scotland for three runs. His one innings against Ireland in those three matches saw him score 36 batting down at seven in the order. In nine ODIs against Bangladesh, Ireland and Scotland he's batted just five times and bowled just 29 overs - in part because there are 5+ other bowlers in the side, and in part because England need to take wickets and he is not a major wicket taker so you wouldn't give overs to effectively a part-timer when you want to bowl sides out cheap - you may have surmised his figures against Bangladesh with 28 overs bowled and one wicket taken making up most of the figures against those three weaker sides.
So where in the order does he usually bat and is he really effective in any of them?
BY BATTING POSITION
2 : 6 inns, 107 runs @ 17.83
3 : n/a
4 : 1 inns, 0 runs @ 0.00
5 : n/a
6 : 7 inns, 132 runs @ 26.40
7 : 16 inns, 344 runs @ 22.93
8 : 1 inns, 17 runs @ 17.00
Both his 50s came in his first seven ODIs, his first ODI producing a 50 batting at seven and his second in his seventh ODI opening the batting. He scored 50, 24 and 47 batting at seven all within his first five ODIs, his average batting at seven since that fifth ODI is 18.58. He's been batting seven in six of his last seven knocks, scoring 87 runs @ 17.40 and taking 1/124 off 24 overs.
26.40 is his best average, batting at number six, but then he doesn't do enough with the ball to make him an all-rounder so he could easily be replaced with a better batsman :
ALTERNATES
Bopara : 54 ODIs, 1140 runs @ 28.40 & 10 wkts @ 33.10
Shah : 71 ODIs, 1834 runs @ 30.57 & 7 wkts @ 26.43
Denly : 9 ODIs, 268 runs @ 29.78
Cook : 26 ODIs, 858 runs @ 33.00
Denly's SR is only in the mid-60s, Shah, Bopara and Cook all move along at a respectable SRs in the 70s. I believe of those only Cook doesn't bowl that much in any cricket, but even he can. I guess the inclusion of Wright is because of his SR with the bat and because he can bowl. However, most of the time the main five bowlers should bowl their allocations, unless Collingwood is drafted in as the fifth bowler, or is not in the side, I see no reason to include a seventh whose record is pretty poor.
As Wright bats at seven more than six, I'd suggest his inclusion is a waste of a place in the side. He doesn't bat well enough to merit a place on batting alone, just two 50s in 31 innings speaks volumes, and his bowling is neither good enough nor used enough to merit a place as an all-rounder or bowler. When will the selectors abandon him completely?
