By The Intruder -
January 9th 2009 @ 4:14am
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England’s crisis is music to my patriotic ears
Sitting in my little office in the heart of London, I can’t help but smile as my English colleagues debate the current cricketing crisis. Just days ago they were goading me about the faltering Australian team, Matt Hayden’s woes, and the demise of our attack.
Now their focus is entirely on their own problems.
Whether the headlines prove to be correct is yet to be seen, but as it stands today, the captaan of the English Cricket team has resigned, and so too has the coach. While at home we have lost consecutive Test series and have some selection issues on our horizon, the news is not all is not that bad in comparison.
Tim Nielson has just earned a contract extension, and though Ricky Ponting is not going to be remembered alongside the greats in terms of captaincy, he has the full support of his team, his coach and his board.
Without the knowledge of the inner workings of the English Cricket team, it is difficult to suggest how much of an impact the dispute between Pieterson and Moores is having on the rest of the team. But one thing is certain, it can’t be a positive.
In such an important year for English cricket, their concentration should be solely on cricket and improving their game so that they can be dangerous against an Australian team which will give it opportunities in the summer.
Their current line up has some quality in its ranks: a good all-rounder, a stable batting line up and a menacing pace pair with Stuart Broad emerging as a world class prospect. They will also most certainly raise a notch when the fight for that magic urn transforms mere men into something so much more come July.
The problem, however, though is that the strengths are mostly theory based and rarely co exist, which is, of course, the reason for the constant English frustration.
Andrew Flintoff, despite his imposing talents, has been constantly below fitness and often carried too much expectation on his broad shoulders. The batting line up, with Ian Bell at three and Collingwood still in the top six, is hardly daunting, especially with the distraction of the captaincy charade involving their only batsman who can dominate an attack.
Though Harmison is back in the fold after a bizarre form slump, fluctuating over the last few years, his new ball partner Stuart Broad has shown promise but also a tendency to break down when needed most.
The others, Jimmy Anderson and off spinners Swan and Panersar, Australia simply don’t fear.
There are men waiting in the wings, with both Ravi Bopara and Owais Shar on the brink of breaking into the team, and by July, one may fill Collingwood’s number six spot. Perhaps even Michael Vaughan remains in contention, and if he can capture even a semblance of form, he will most likely be chosen because of his history of success against Australia and his popularity with his fellow players.
These positives though are, once again, theory based and while certain to be part of the continuing debate of my colleagues, is yet to be proven out on the field where it matters.
Australia’s problems can wait a week or two. Today’s crisis is English and music to my patriotic ears.
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(11)
LeftArmSpinner said | January 9th 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Intruder, never a truer word spoken. However, bitter experience has taught me not to expect to receive the cash from winning bets with Poms on cricket or rugby games.
Nick said | January 9th 2009 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
Would be a total nightmare for Australia should they somehow secure Shane Warne in the next few weeks.
Brett McKay said | January 9th 2009 @ 1:54pm | Report comment
nice one Intruder – even looking on the England situation from afar, it’s hard not to have just a little bit of a chuckle…
Intruder said | January 9th 2009 @ 7:46pm | Report comment
Nick i could imagine the joy if Shane Warne announced he was available to be picked, i think public pressure alone would force selectors into picking him. Being in England for this coming summer i feel like this Ashes series is mine and i would smile forever is S K Warne came back to haunt the poms one more time.
Ian Noble said | January 9th 2009 @ 10:31pm | Report comment
SW has in his Times article stated he is too busy with other things to consider the coach position. Personally the appointment of KP was wrong from the beginning; it was a crash waiting to happen. His does possess the necessary skills to be an England captain, he is too egotisical, bull headed and disruptive to harness the strengths of the squad. He lost the changing room and it is not the first time. At Notts the rest of squad threw all his gear out of the pavilion because he was so disruptive.
KP is a fine cricketer and perhaps he will flourish under Strauss, who I have always felt was better candidate. As for the Ashes, it is still a few months away and perhaps the forthcoming series In the Windies will be an indicator of Strauss skills to motivate the current squad. In many ways similar to Mike Brearley when he took over from Botham who had been an abject failure as a captain.
Ian Noble said | January 9th 2009 @ 10:33pm | Report comment
Sorry should have read “He does not” in the third sentence.
dasilva said | January 11th 2009 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
KP as captain was definitely a bad idea as it was obvious that KP had personal issues with Moore even before he was appointed captain. You don’t appoint someone captain when you know they don’t get along with the coach
However KP as a captain itself isn’t such a bad idea. Remember he came in and one the dead rubber against South africa and then clean sweep the one day series. People were talking him up as a saviour.
Although they did drop off in form later on. Pietersen was widely praised for his diplomacy and handling of the media during the Indian tour.
He has potential as a captain. Just unfortunately he was captain under a coach that he publicly disliked.
Forgetmenot said | January 11th 2009 @ 4:03pm | Report comment
England need to do what Australia does very successfully and stick with one captain.
Captains need experience and it wont be gained if they fear for their postion. Pieterson should have stayed, he is young but not too young, and has plenty of experience in the international game.
dasilva said | January 11th 2009 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
yeah agreed forgetmenot
He was the right man at the wrong time.
Shane Falco said | January 16th 2009 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Great article dave, back in Australia i wonder if any othe the aussie boys have been practising playing swing bowling, isn’t that why we lost the Ashes over there last time. Can any of these english bowlers swing it still.
Ian Noble said | January 17th 2009 @ 1:14am | Report comment
Shane
Anderson is probably the bowler who swings it the most but he lacks control, Flintoff’s strength is speed and some reverse swing. Sidebottom is a leftie who bowls at a reasonable speed and is renowned for his swing bowling but with better control than Anderson. There is big clammer for Simon Jones to be recalled if he can stay fit, since the 2005 Ashes he has spent more time in the treatment room than on the square. He swings it appreciably and is particularly adept at reverse swing. Hoggard is probably no longer considered for England although he was probably the most reliable of all the swing bowlers.
I think the main reason OZ lost the Ashes in 2005 was the injury to McGarth in the warm up for Edgbaston Test. Now there was a class bowler of swing and control and if he had played England would not have got off the first day start that they enjoyed.