James Taylor is relishing the honour of leading England for a “fresh start” in Ireland next week – and has warned of the dangers of focusing on the 2019 World Cup at the expense of the Champions Trophy which will also be played on home soil in the summer of 2017.
The 25-year-old Nottinghamshire batsman, who has played 17 one-day internationals for England, has been appointed captain of a new-look squad for the one-off match against Ireland at Malahide.
England’s World Cup captain Eoin Morgan was unavailable because he is playing in the Indian Premier League, and Jonny Bairstow is the only member of the Test squad in the West Indies who has been included, although the selectors may add one or two more once the team for the third Test in Barbados has been finalised later this week.
“To be given the opportunity to lead your country is a huge honour,” said Taylor, who was given the news when playing for Notts in their LV= County Championship match against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.
“Obviously the circumstances mean that this is slightly different, with Morgs at the IPL and the other lads in the West Indies.
“So I doubt it’s quite the same feeling as it would be if I was the one, if you know what I mean. But never mind that, it was still a huge thrill to hear that I’d been chosen.
“There are still some very experienced and talented cricketers in that team who I’d have been delighted to have as my captain, so it is a privilege and one I’m going to relish. It’s going to be brilliant leading an England team in a one-day international.
“I’ve had quite a bit of captaincy experience with the Lions, on tour and at home, and I’ve always enjoyed the added responsibility of leading from the front. That will be the case again for this game, because it’s going to be really tough.
“Ireland have always relished the chance to play England at home – I’ve played in a couple of games over there before – and obviously they’re going to have confidence from what they achieved in the World Cup.
“But I see this as an exciting time for England as well. We have to put the World Cup behind us – not ignore it, but learn from what went on, and put it to bed. This is a fresh start, it has to be a fresh start.
“I know people are talking about the next World Cup in 2019, and obviously that’s something that every English cricketer would want to experience with it being on home soil. But I actually think that’s looking too far ahead. We’ve got a massive summer coming up, against New Zealand and Australia in both Test and one-day cricket.
“Then the year after that it’s the Champions Trophy in England, and I think we have to see that as the next step for us as one-day team rather than the World Cup – it breaks up the four years nicely.
“When you think of the guys we’ve got out in the West Indies, to see the quality of the squad we’re taking to Ireland is exciting for English cricket. We’ve got guys with lots of international experience but others who are fairly new on the international stage and have huge talent and potential. It’s exciting for me to be part of that, especially as captain.
“It has been an up and down few months for me, with what happened at the World Cup, and then being left out of the West Indies tour. That was massively disappointing, there’s no point pretending it wasn’t.
“But I’ve spoken to Mooresy and I understand it – they were only taking one spare batter and with Lythy being the opening batsman I understand why they took him.
“I’ve had to knuckle back down at Notts, and now this has happened so early in the season. I’m delighted.”