England 2012 Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

Vaughan has correctly slated them and said the batting has been embarrasing in this Test. Two warm up games(not enough) and all the analysts in the World, still haven't adapted at all. We're meant to be the number 1 side in the World.

[Villan For Life]

Oh dear. 88-7.

My concern is that they will be struck by the same malaise that the 2005 Ashes side and 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side appeared to suffer from. These sides went backwards very quickly after they reached their pinnacle and seemed to be infected with a "we've just got to turn up to win" mentality. Instead of leaving their achievements in the past they dwelled on them. Successful sides will look to build on success and remain at the top of their sport. English teams don't tend to do that which may explain why we have seen so few English teams at the top of their sports for a sustained period of time.

I hope I'm wrong and this is a blip but we've been here before.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think it's the same as the post Ashes and Rugby World Cup thing, just because they've been trying to bring players through. However they have approached this Test in an incredibly complacent manner and it's unacceptable. They need a hard look at themselves and how they approach batting.

[OzVilla]

What's that saying about proper preparation? Well we haven't done it and now we must pay the price. 

I just hope that the last 12/18 months hasn't gone to their heads and they've forgotten that it takes hard work to get to the top and even harder work to stay there.  2 warm up games would suggest otherwise i'm afraid.  And my guess is that with a Coaching team as dilligent as Flower and Gooch, the lack of preperation must have come as a firm directive of the players. 

Admittedly, they got overly flogged last year between the Ashes series finnising and the World Cup starting si I can understanding them wanting to maximise their breaks to a degree but you just can't come into a series against decent opposition in foreign conditions with so little Cricket under your belt and still expect to perform.  We're not that good a team ffs.

[PaulWinch again]

Well we avoided an innings defeat, but this has been bloody embarrassing. All the 'batsmen' should be in the nets tomorrow and Saturday practicing until they have worked something out. They need to make some huge changes to their attitude and approach in second test. Also Morgan actually starts need to producing as a Test player.

[PaulWinch again]

One of the worse batting performances across a Test match I can remember.

[Villan For Life]

One of the worse batting performances across a Test match I can remember.

It's up there with the 51 all out against the Windies in 2009

[PaulWinch again]

True but I don't think collectively across two innings I remember a performance that poor. Picking Morgan as the extra batsmen was a disaster as well, he gets a lot of low scores and the odd century or 70. I'm yet to be convinced of him as a Test player, hopefully I'm wrong.

[olaftab]

England have been very ill prepared for this and may well or I think should recover from this. They can not become a bad side overnight. However there is a danger that in condemning England we forget the enormous recovery Pakistan have made in the last 12 months. They have treated the  "exiled" state seriously, developed a very professional set up, removed the bad eggs and got their head down to playing cricket. So  they deserve praise for this demolition.

[The Left Side]

aaaarrgghh that was not good, just read the reports, come on England.

[PaulWinch again]

I like Flower's honesty that we were under cooked, but why are we under cooked? we are number 1 side in the World we should always be fully prepared. Also my concern is how do they sort it out for second Test?

[Chris Smith]

I like Flower's honesty that we were under cooked, but why are we under cooked? we are number 1 side in the World we should always be fully prepared. Also my concern is how do they sort it out for second Test?

Difficult balance though, between giving players a rest from cricket and being fully prepared. They play so many series these days it was understandable that they'd want a break when one became possible.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah I can understand the need for a break, but I think a four month break was a little much. It might have been worth arranging a couple of warm up matches elsewhere if Abu Dhabi has very few options. I know the conditions would be different, but at least it's time in the middle to improve match sharpness.

[OzVilla]

Thng is, like in other sports you have player power now. 

After the crazy schedule of last years tours I think there was some tension between the playing group and the ECB (you only have to look at tweets and columns from the time).  So the ECB gave the players a 4 month match free carrot but it's come back to bite them - also there's so much T20 around it's difficult to find sides to play at this time of year as a warm up match in the conditions.  It's not like there are any 'home' teams to play against in the UAE is it.

[PaulWinch again]

Younus Khan gone, huge wicket.