WHEN the last Cricket World Cup ended in 2011, the England selectors talked about instigating a four-year plan that would help ensure there was no repeat of the sorry showing that saw Andrew Strauss’ side lose to Ireland and Bangladesh in the group stage before suffering a ten-wicket hammering to Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals.

For more than three years, the plan progressed fairly routinely, albeit with a succession of England sides showing little to suggest they were capable of competing at the very highest level in the one-day arena. Then all hell broke loose.

First, Kevin Pietersen, arguably England’s only world-class ODI player, was axed from all forms of the game, taking him out of the World Cup picture. Then, in December, less than two months out from the opening World Cup game, skipper Alastair Cook was dismissed. The four-year plan became a four-week scramble to cobble together a team.

Rarely has an England side travelled to a World Cup in a greater state of flux, yet as their opening game against co-hosts Australia in the early hours of tomorrow morning draws near, there is a growing sense that a new-look side might be emerging from the chaos with a chance of springing a few surprises.

An ideal preparation ahead of the last five tournaments did not enable England to progress beyond the quarter-final stage. Perhaps with less time to think and prepare, a more off-the-cuff approach will be of benefit to everyone.

There is no doubt that the England camp has a more laid-back look to it following Cook’s departure, and the enforced reshuffle at the top of the order has also resulted in a more dynamic batting order.

Eoin Morgan’s form with the bat is every bit as bad as Cook’s was prior to his dismissal – the new skipper has only scored two runs in his last four innings – and his performances will have to improve quickly if he is not to be faced with a barrage of difficult questions about the justification for his own position.

But his captaincy has received almost universal praise in the last two months, both on and off the field, and he has successfully reenergised a youthful England side that was treading water under Cook.

The recent tri-series with Australia and India might have ended with a defeat in the final, but it showcased an England side unafraid to display its attacking intent. In a tournament where big scores are likely to be commonplace, England’s players are going to have to be willing to take a risk, and whereas Cook’s default setting was to play the percentages, Morgan will urge his players to be positive at every turn.

With Cook gone, Moeen Ali has been partnering Ian Bell at the top of the order. The former remains somewhat sketchy, but the latter has been a revelation this winter, scoring 51 and 187 in England’s tri-series warm-ups before smashing an unbeaten 88 against India and racking up 141 against Australia.

The one-day game increasingly mimics the world of Twenty20 in terms of middle-order batsmen racing to scores that would once have been regarded as unimaginable, but in hard, bouncy Australian conditions, where the new ball is likely to be crucial, a genuine top-order batsman capable of crafting an innings will still be worth his weight in gold. In Bell, England have that batsman.

They also have a middle order packed with potential, although that encompasses the potential for a rapid collapse as well as the potential for a flurry of runs.

Joe Root is still to prove he is as effective in the ODI format as he has been in Test cricket, although there is no reason why he should not be, while James Taylor, Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler are capable of moving a game on quickly, but also liable to a cheap dismissal. As previously mentioned, the situation would look a whole lot better if only Morgan was scoring runs.

England’s pace attack should be one of their most potent weapons, and while Australia and South Africa might argue otherwise, there won’t be too many better new-ball pairings on display than James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

Stuart Finn and Chris Woakes are likely to be there supporting them, and while history suggests it is hard to succeed in the one-day environment without a frontline spinner, if a four-strong pace attack is going to succeed anywhere, it is surely Australia and New Zealand.

England’s chief problem with the ball comes at the end of an innings, with opponents continuing to plunder a large number of runs in the final ten overs or so. ‘Death bowling’ has become a key art in both ODIs and T20s, and England do not really possess anyone with a track record for applying the brakes. In a tight game, that can often prove the difference.

They have also been unfortunate to end up in a group that includes both co-hosts (Australia and New Zealand) as well as the ever-dangerous Sri Lanka. England could lose to all three sides and still make the last eight provided they beat Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Scotland, but given the possibility of a wash-out somewhere down the line and the need to carry at least a degree of confidence into the knockout stage, they could do with beating at least one of their top-tier rivals.

Their first chance comes in the morning, and it goes without saying that a win over Australia would be the perfect boost to morale. Defeat need not be too catastrophic, though, provided the performance is there or thereabouts.

Given the value of home advantage, it would be a major surprise if Australia and New Zealand did not make it to the last four. From the other pool, South Africa do not appear to have any obvious weaknesses and should be semi-finalists.

Beyond those three, though, the other semi-final spot is up for grabs. India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will all be deprived of their optimum conditions, while the West Indies are in a parlous state.

England to make the last four? Despite their interrupted preparation, there’s no reason why not. And if they can make it that far, then anything can happen.