Top 5 current England all-rounders

#4 Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett returned to England’s ODI side after a gap of 4 years and 4 months

Having credited the former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie for his revival, the 31-year-old all-rounder from Yorkshire may not have the age on his side, but with his vast experience, as far as playing competitive cricket is concerned, Plunkett can be a permanent member of the English side in the lead up to the 2019 World Cup.

Plunkett became a comeback hero for his side when he sealed off a tie against Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI of the 2016 series by hitting a six off the last ball of the match. But, before that shot came in, Plunkett had already shared a vital 45-run stand for the 9th wicket with Chris Woakes, who himself finished unbeaten on 95. While this performance sealed the deal for the cricketer in England’s limited-overs side, at least for the season, it was his bowling for which he was initially picked.

Plunkett has 60 wickets from 43 ODIs, since making his debut in 2005. Just 60 games over 11 years speak in abundance about the struggles that the pacer has had in terms of retaining his place in the side. In fact, he returned to the ODI scenes in June 2015 against New Zealand after a long gap of 4 years and 4 months. 445 ODI runs at 22.25 and a strike-rate of 99 explain two things – one, his limited stay in the England ODI setup, and two, his ability to make the stay count if given a longer rope.