This England team just gives me the fantods. Despite having had all the time in world, all the resources they could possibly have had, they’ve always proved out to be hinky in whatever they do on the field.
I’m afraid ‘Can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t field’ is the reality of an English ODI team and the very fact only disenchants anyone associated with English cricket.
The question that arises is why, despite having got so much time to get themselves prepared, have they failed in a manner that even the word failure would be ashamed of?
Even a doofus would answer that question though. It’s the mindset, it’s the culture of an English team, it’s the management of these players, and not the players that are necessarily in the wrong.
I’ve kept on sounding shrill about the fact that England are being too nice, way too nice. They lack intensity on the field, there’s no visible aggression, and the desire doesn’t seem to be present either, so you can’t just expect any positive results when the team is boasting about its negativity.
Also, I’ve often noticed that a number of England’s players look a bit disinterested, and often don’t put their full efforts into ODI cricket. I agree that England are a Test nation, everyone in the country prioritises Tests over limited-overs cricket, me included, but that really doesn’t mean you keep on losing in the shorter versions, does it?
Even Australia prioritise Test cricket very highly, but never do they overlook short-forms, and their one-day and Twenty20 teams are a proof of that.
Team selection
If you are an England batsman, who got out trying to be aggressive, your place in the team is in danger. If you are someone who just got out on a 55 off 73 deliveries, you’ll play for the whole series no matter how many runs you score in the matches to follow.
Isn’t this selection procedure just absolute bunkum if you want to win a World Cup? Of course, the very procedure is the reason why Gary Ballance has been able to retain his place at number three, despite regular failures. Alex Hales, the poor guy from Nottingham, who was scoring hundreds for fun with Nottinghamshire and England Lions, has hardly been able to remind Peter Moores he exists, for a reason unknown.
Maybe it’s for the reason that even ODI cricket is being used to see who plays in the Test team? Or maybe because the selection procedure for the one-day team is as same as the one that is used in Test match cricket. Or maybe they fear that Alex Hales’ inclusion, or guys like Jason Roy, Sam Billings and James Vince, could result in England getting dismissed within 200, a feat that if the management doesn’t know already, has been achieved numerous times anyway.
If The ECB really does care about the future of English cricket in the shorter versions, then they ought to have a totally different set-up in these versions, with the Test players not even getting a sniff of a place in the one-day or Twenty20 team. That’s the way it should be, rather than playing every Chris Rogers that English cricket finds, in the coloured vestiture.
The management
The way England’s players are managed is totally wrong. It’s just that the players can’t do what they want to do, or what they generally would do. I’ll put it rather simply – there’s a lot of back-room staff, along with the coaches, that influence the players in whatever they do.
The English players just don’t have the right, or the freedom, to play on instinct. There are a lot of pre-meditated tactics, and strategies around which does this team revolve, but this is absolutely wrong. You just can’t be too much definite about your plans. It should be about going out, working out situations, and doing what you want to do.
But then, I remember that most of England’s players can’t really think it up for themselves and it’s not because they lacking the capabilities, it’s because they simply aren’t in a habit of doing so, and so they often find it difficult to handle pressure-cooker like situations. It is always the coach that keeps on telling an England team about what they must do, and what not.
“They’ve never been able to think for themselves, there’s too many coaching staff, too many blackboard stuff, too much information about so much going on,” said Geoffrey Boycott while talking to Mark Chapman on 5 Live Sport.
“You stop thinking for yourself so when you get in pressure situations … if you’ve been doing it for a while and if you’ve been doing it all the time in matches then you’re able to handle it.
“When you’re in those high pressure situations, you’re mum can’t help you. Your auntie, the Queen of England, nobody; you’re on your own.”
The coaches, analysts, and all those background people must be given less of an influence. That’s because modern day cricket, especially the shorter versions of it, can’t be played on pre-meditated tactics. The only way to be successful in limited overs cricket is playing more on instinct, and if the Englishmen can’t do that and if they are not allowed to do so either, then I’m afraid nothing would change at all.
What follows when England play Bangladesh?
If England really do want to turn this campaign around, they must go out there with a ruthless approach, and tear Bangladesh apart. It’s as simple as that.
No doubt it is a tricky fixture, on a drop-in Adelaide Oval pitch, which will be on the slower side, and will have something in it for the spinners. But if Eoin Morgan and his team play the way they have throughout the tournament then these men will be staring at the exit door.
Look at South Africa, or Australia, they have simply crushed any team of a slightly lower level, whereas the English on the other hand just prowled around with a poor body language even against Scotland. They say they want to turn the campaign around, but that won’t happen by setting a target of 280, and winning by 30 runs.
Or bowling Bangladesh out for 240, and chasing it down with two overs to spare. Rather, to make a real statement, England must hit 370 and bowl the opponent out for 150. Or bowl them out for 150, and chase the total down with 25 overs left. That’s how you make a statement.
Talking about the potential changes for the Bangladesh fixture, Alex Hales has got to play. Even Her Majesty is craving to see the young Nottinghamshire prodigy bat. Gary Ballance, by no means is a limited-overs player, and he has proved that on the biggest of stages.
It’d be better to let him enjoy the bench, and not make him lose the confidence that he earned back in the English summer. Another change I’d like to see is either Stuart Broad or Steven Finn to be rested and for Chris Jordan to come in.
The Sussex bowler is most likely to enjoy bowling on the Adelaide surface because of its general nature. Also, the variations that Jordan has on offer, along with the capability to whack a few at the back-end, will be very useful for the team. The rest I believe shall be the very same line-up.
I can only say that the chances for the Englishmen aren’t yet over at this World Cup. It’s more about making changes in what goes inside them (the mindset) and then what happens outside will change for sure. The time though is running out, and it’s now or never.
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