- Tom Banton is ready to put red-ball cricket on hold in the fight for England’s World Cup place. The Somerset batsman signed a white-ball only county contract in June 2026 and has since returned to England’s ODI and T20 teams under Harry Brook.
- Tom Banton looks forward to putting red-ball cricket on hold in the hunt for England’s World Cup place (Photo by Stuart Leggett/MI News/NurPhoto via ) Tom Banton has no regrets about retiring from red-ball cricket as he focuses on securing a regular place in the England ODI team ahead of next year’s World Cup.
- The Somerset batsman had emerged as a potential all-format player less than 18 months ago after scoring 371 in a first-class game, the highest individual score in the county’s history.
Tom Banton is ready to put red-ball cricket on hold in the fight for England’s World Cup place. The Somerset batsman signed a white-ball only county contract in June 2026 and has since returned to England’s ODI and T20 teams under Harry Brook.
Tom Banton looks forward to putting red-ball cricket on hold in the hunt for England’s World Cup place (Photo by Stuart Leggett/MI News/NurPhoto via ) Tom Banton has no regrets about retiring from red-ball cricket as he focuses on securing a regular place in the England ODI team ahead of next year’s World Cup. The Somerset batsman had emerged as a potential all-format player less than 18 months ago after scoring 371 in a first-class game, the highest individual score in the county’s history. However, he opted for a white-ball contract with Somerset in June after weighing up the demands of international cricket and franchise leagues.
Banton is back in the England ODI and T20I squads under the guidance of his close friend Harry Brook. With multiple franchise opportunities available, the 27-year-old decided to prioritize white-ball cricket and manage his workload more effectively. Banton explained that the busy cricket schedule played a big role in his decision.
“With the calendar there’s never really a break when you’re playing county cricket in the English summer and there’s franchise stuff and you’re playing for England. When I was playing in the Indian Premier League (this year), I decided to give red-ball cricket a break for a while. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and have the confidence to do it,” Banton was quoted as saying by the Independent.
“I’m glad I did it and it’s good to try to be the best white-ball player I can be.” I am not saying no to red-ball cricket. When the time comes for me to come back and play, we’ll see. I’m just trying to play as many games as possible for England and take advantage of the franchise opportunities.
I’ll be honest: your career isn’t forever and I want to try to make the most of it. “I also thought it was important to take breaks, come back refreshed and complete this training block. With the amount of cricket you play, I found it difficult to practice and improve as a batsman. Tom Banton wants to cement his place in the England ODI squad. Banton was a regular member of the England T20I team, particularly in the middle order, but opportunities in the 50-over format were limited.
He recently got a chance to open the inning after Jacob Bethell was sidelined with a knee injury. The batsman made the most of the opportunity, scoring four consecutive scores of 50 or more and scoring his maiden international century last month. However, he was also dismissed after scoring his half-century in England’s two defeats in the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan.
With the ODI World Cup in Southern Africa just 12 months away, Banton still has a lot of work to do to establish himself as a reliable player at the top of the order. His limited experience in the format, with just 30 List A pearances, means he continues to learn while adting to the demands of 50-over cricket. Banton admitted that the England team still has a lot to learn in this format, with few players having significant experience.
“Only Joe (Root) and Adil (Rashid) have played a fair number of 50-over cricket games, so we are still learning. There’s so much time in the game, in the opening, you get lost and forget a little bit, so for me it’s a learning process to keep hitting. “England must win in the three-match series. Meanwhile, England are under pressure to secure a place in next Saturday’s three-match series final after suffering defeat to Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.” Sri Lanka completed the second most successful chase in ODI history and overwhelmed Brooks’ side, leaving England little room for further error.
As the tournament reaches a crucial stage, England must improve the performances of their batting line-up, including Banton, to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
