Taylor leads way for 'exciting' new England

England's newest one-day captain, James Taylor, may only be in the job for one game but he is hopeful of having a more lasting role to play in revitalising the team. Taylor has been appointed to lead a young and experimental side against Ireland next week and, although he is far from established as an ODI player, it serves as further confirmation of his leadership potential.

Taylor conceded that England's dismal World Cup, where they went out at the group stage, was proof they "weren't good enough" at 50-over cricket in its modern, T20-flavoured incarnation but he believes that the players picked to face Ireland can help dispel widespread disillusionment. Taylor is one of only three World Cup squad members involved, although that is largely down to the majority being unavailable due to England's Test tour of the Caribbean.

The result is an XI that could feature six debutants, among them talents such as Sam Billings of Kent, a bequiffed wicketkeeper with a penchant for hitting sixes, David Willey, Northamptonshire's rugged, left-arm seam-bowling allrounder, and the languid Hampshire strokemaker James Vince. The future, according to Taylor, starts now.

"I think the results in the World Cup showed that we definitely weren't good enough but we know that we've got the individuals to be way better than we were," he said. "It was disappointing individuals didn't stand up and perform like we could but we know we've got the talent to play against the best and perform against the best - consistently, that's the key.

"The guys around the England team are really exciting, we've seen how well the Test team are doing, so we know we've got the talent and it's up to us to perform. There are some exciting young guys around the team and I'm leading a number of them out next Friday. I think it is a bright future for England and we've got to start now and be as positive as we can and get everybody behind us."

With Eoin Morgan absent at the IPL, Taylor confirmed he had not been appointed as "the one" but he has surely become used to England playing hard to get. It is six years since Taylor was named the Cricket Writers' Club Young Player of the Year, aged 19, and four since he made his England debut, also against Ireland in Dublin.

In that time, he has played two Tests and 17 ODIs - 15 of which have come since December, when he finally broke into the one-day side. Having captained Leicestershire at the age of 20, taken charge of Nottinghamshire's limited-overs sides and led England Lions more times than some players have played for them, he will now get the chance to captain in a senior international. "I doubt it's quite the same feeling as it would be if I was the one, if you know what I mean," Taylor said. "But never mind that, it was still a huge thrill to hear that I'd been chosen."

Taylor was given the added responsibility in 50-over and T20 cricket at Nottinghamshire last season, with his coach, Mick Newell, identifying him as the natural successor to Chris Read. Newell's role on the England selection panel therefore gave Taylor an advocate who knows him well.

"It's well deserved in terms of the work he's put in, both as a batsman and as a captain with Notts and the England Lions," Newell said. "He was a fairly obvious choice to captain this team and I've got absolutely no doubt he's up to the job. He's also the sort of person that seems to respond to extra responsibility with a better level of performance."

Morgan has only been in possession of the ODI captaincy for a few months and England have not yet signalled any intention to end his reign by eliding it into the inevitable post-World Cup perestroika but, if leadership candidates are being sought, Taylor has emerged as a leading candidate.

Joe Root has carried the "Future England Captain" tag for most of the two-and-a-half years since his debut - and there have been suggestions that he could replace Morgan this summer - while Jos Buttler was named vice-captain before the World Cup. Taylor has more captaincy experience than both but he understandably wants to focus on firming up his place in the side, during what could be a period of flux.

"It's not something that I'm thinking about massively at the moment. At the forefront of my mind it's getting in that side and getting a settled position, and scoring runs and winning games for England. It's an exciting future, there's some good young players around and I want to be in the mix there.

"It's something I enjoy doing, taking the added responsibility and leading from the front. I feel I've got a lot to offer in terms of the tactical nous behind the game but also leading with the bat - it's something that I've done well when I've been captain, I've scored probably the most runs I've scored, so I like that added responsibility and pressure."

Having forced his way into England's one-day side in Sri Lanka, hitting 90 at No. 3 after another captain, the soon-to-be-discarded Alastair Cook, was suspended for a slow over rate, Taylor was then shunted down the order to No. 6 as part of the last-minute changes that seemed to destabilise the World Cup campaign - and still he produced one of England's more memorable performances, with an unbeaten 98 against Australia at the MCG. Taylor has yet to play an ODI at home but, after the trip to Dublin, England will host series against the World Cup finalists, Australia and New Zealand.

He might be something of a fun-sized batsman but the fun has been distinctly lacking from England's one-day cricket. Can Taylor help raise a few smiles this summer?

"I'd love to do that. It's up to the young guys to keep improving, keep performing on the big stage. I want to do that, I've done it in bits and bobs, in the World Cup and Sri Lanka. It's something I'm excited to do, I love playing for England, love playing on the international stage. It's real good fun when I'm out there and I want it to continue."