Tom Banton has no regrets about stepping away from red-ball cricket as he focuses on securing a regular place in England’s ODI setup ahead of next year’s World Cup.
The Somerset batter had emerged as a potential all-format player less than 18 months ago after scoring 371 in a first-class match, the highest individual score in the county’s history. However, he opted for a white-ball-only contract with Somerset in June, having weighed up the demands of international cricket and franchise leagues.
Banton has returned to England’s ODI and T20I teams under the leadership of his close friend Harry Brook. With several franchise opportunities available, the 27-year-old decided to prioritise white-ball cricket and manage his workload more effectively.
Banton explained that the packed cricket calendar played a significant role in his decision.
“With the schedule, if you’re playing county cricket in the English summer and there’s franchise stuff and playing for England, there’s not really ever a break. When I was at the Indian Premier League (this year), I decided to give red-ball cricket a break for a while. I’d been thinking about it for a while and it’s having the confidence to actually do it," Banton was quoted as saying by Independent.
“I’m happy I’ve done it and it’s nice to try to be the best white-ball player I can be. I’m not saying no to red-ball cricket, if it happens at the right time for me to come back and play then we’ll see. I’m just trying to play as many games as I can for England and take up franchise opportunities. I’ll be very honest, your career doesn’t last forever and I want to try and make the most of that.
“I’ve also found it’s important to have your breaks as well, come back refreshed and get that training block in. With the amount of cricket you play, I found it hard to actually train and improve as a batter.”
Tom Banton aims to cement his place in England's ODI team
Banton has been a regular member of England’s T20I side, particularly in the middle order, but opportunities in the 50-over format have been limited. He recently got a chance to open the innings after Jacob Bethell was ruled out with a knee injury.
The batter has made the most of the opportunity, recording four consecutive scores of 50 or more and scoring his maiden international century last month. However, he has also been dismissed after reaching his half-century in both of England’s defeats in the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan.
With the ODI World Cup in southern Africa just 12 months away, Banton still has work to do to establish himself as a dependable option at the top of the order. His limited experience in the format, with only 30 List A appearances, means he is continuing to learn as he adjusts to the demands of 50-over cricket.
Banton acknowledged that England’s squad still has plenty to learn in the format, with only a couple of players having accumulated significant experience.
“There’s only Joe (Root) and Adil (Rashid) who have had a good amount of games in 50-over cricket so we’re still learning. There’s so much time in the game, as an opener, you get lost and you forget a little bit so it’s a learning for me to keep batting."
England face a must-win situation in the tri-series
Meanwhile, England are under pressure to secure a place in next Saturday’s tri-series final after suffering a defeat against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. Sri Lanka pulled off the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history to stun Brook’s side, leaving England with little room for further mistakes.
With the tournament reaching a crucial stage, England will need improved performances from their batting unit, including Banton, to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
