The Cricket Thread 2016

[Villan For Life]

Yet again we have failed at a major tournament. No doubt the inquests will be long and detailed but the simple fact remains that, in one day cricket, outside of the UK we are very poor. We invented the one day game and have not evolved. We have not won a knock out game in CWC since 1992 when we reached the final. That is a truly pathetic statistic.

We need our top players playing in the IPL. T20 techniques and tactics are now being played in the 50 over game yet we seem to refuse to acknowledge that they are even linked. To do this the ECB must give up on the spring home test series which is generally poorly attended anyway. Victory in a World Cup would boost the ECB's coffers more than a few test series against the likes of Pakistan, New Zealand or the West Indies.

We badly need a new, innovative coach. Someone who can work on techniques and also on the mental side of the game. Rob Key said that Alex Hales would have faced an attack similar to the Bangladesh attack several times on the county circuit and invariably dominates them. Yet stick him in an England shirt and he fails. There is something deeply ingrained in the dressing room that forces players back into their shell. You would assume that this is a fear of failure because most of this group are good players, not world class but good solid players.

So where do we go from here? I reckon Moores is safe until after the Ashes. I think he should go but don't think he will. What we should do is get a one day coach who is well versed in T20 and IPL/BBL. Someone like Steven Fleming or Tom Moody who probably don't want to commit to a full time England role but would work with the one day sides.

Bell, Bopara, Anderson, Broad and Finn should go. We need a young and hungry squad that are not held back by the fear of failure playing with freedom under a new coach.

The next CWC is in England. Let's start planning for it right now. Be bold ECB and for once get the right man!

[JD]

Good post VFL.
New Zealand have vastly improved in one dayers since the introduction of T20 and having specialist short form players, a lot of whom don't play test matches. England need to adopt this same approach.

India showed today how to chase a total of around 260 without breaking sweat.   

[PaulWinch again]

I think we need a free thinking coach rather than a disciplinarian. We are too reliant on a rigid structure and that's part of the problem. I agree that Anderson, Broad, Bopara and Bell should go now as we need to move on. I wouldn't abandon Finn yet though, because he's still pretty young. However, that is on the condition that he goes away and gets his pace up again. We need some bowlers with genuine pace.

[Villan For Life]

Good post VFL.
New Zealand have vastly improved in one dayers since the introduction of T20 and having specialist short form players, a lot of whom don't play test matches. England need to adopt this same approach.

India showed today how to chase a total of around 260 without breaking sweat.   

They did. Then again they're a top one day side but a poor test side, almost like England in reverse. We all prefer tests - maybe that's at the root of the problem - but even so we want England to do well in the shorter formats.

It's pathetic that we've had our best ever preparation for a CWC and still fail miserably.

[PaulWinch again]

I also don't think a country with the resources of England should only be able to focus on one form of the game. It doesn't matter whether we view Tests as more important, we should be able to compete at both. Australia are an excellent Test and ODI side, NZ are that as well now and so are South Africa. The best teams tend to be good in all formats. India are the slight exception, but they're a bit of an isolated case.

[OzVilla]

One comment from Moores this tournament sums up where we are.

When asked a question about the teams performance he gave some corporate bulshit speak and ended with "we'll review the stats."

That's the problem, no feel for the game, playing via spreadsheet on the probables. The Aussies have just shown pity today, that's worse.

[Villan For Life]

I thought Freddie Coleman played a very mature innings for the Scots today, albeit in a losing cause. Looks a good prospect for the Bears.

[pooligan]

Yes, it was good to see Coleman have a decent knock today. Along with Hain,it shows we have some good young Bears coming through.

[tomd2103]

Yet again we have failed at a major tournament. No doubt the inquests will be long and detailed but the simple fact remains that, in one day cricket, outside of the UK we are very poor. We invented the one day game and have not evolved. We have not won a knock out game in CWC since 1992 when we reached the final. That is a truly pathetic statistic.

We need our top players playing in the IPL. T20 techniques and tactics are now being played in the 50 over game yet we seem to refuse to acknowledge that they are even linked. To do this the ECB must give up on the spring home test series which is generally poorly attended anyway. Victory in a World Cup would boost the ECB's coffers more than a few test series against the likes of Pakistan, New Zealand or the West Indies.

We badly need a new, innovative coach. Someone who can work on techniques and also on the mental side of the game. Rob Key said that Alex Hales would have faced an attack similar to the Bangladesh attack several times on the county circuit and invariably dominates them. Yet stick him in an England shirt and he fails. There is something deeply ingrained in the dressing room that forces players back into their shell. You would assume that this is a fear of failure because most of this group are good players, not world class but good solid players.

So where do we go from here? I reckon Moores is safe until after the Ashes. I think he should go but don't think he will. What we should do is get a one day coach who is well versed in T20 and IPL/BBL. Someone like Steven Fleming or Tom Moody who probably don't want to commit to a full time England role but would work with the one day sides.

Bell, Bopara, Anderson, Broad and Finn should go. We need a young and hungry squad that are not held back by the fear of failure playing with freedom under a new coach.

The next CWC is in England. Let's start planning for it right now. Be bold ECB and for once get the right man!

Agree with a lot of that VFL.  Moores and the players should be apportioned their share of the blame, but let's face it, this is not a new problem.  We have not been competitive in limited overs international cricket since the early 90's and we are currently way behind the times.  We've got some good ODI series coming up in the summer and what I want to see is something resembling a plan in terms of players and approach.   

[tomd2103]

Yet again we have failed at a major tournament. No doubt the inquests will be long and detailed but the simple fact remains that, in one day cricket, outside of the UK we are very poor. We invented the one day game and have not evolved. We have not won a knock out game in CWC since 1992 when we reached the final. That is a truly pathetic statistic.

We need our top players playing in the IPL. T20 techniques and tactics are now being played in the 50 over game yet we seem to refuse to acknowledge that they are even linked. To do this the ECB must give up on the spring home test series which is generally poorly attended anyway. Victory in a World Cup would boost the ECB's coffers more than a few test series against the likes of Pakistan, New Zealand or the West Indies.

We badly need a new, innovative coach. Someone who can work on techniques and also on the mental side of the game. Rob Key said that Alex Hales would have faced an attack similar to the Bangladesh attack several times on the county circuit and invariably dominates them. Yet stick him in an England shirt and he fails. There is something deeply ingrained in the dressing room that forces players back into their shell. You would assume that this is a fear of failure because most of this group are good players, not world class but good solid players.

So where do we go from here? I reckon Moores is safe until after the Ashes. I think he should go but don't think he will. What we should do is get a one day coach who is well versed in T20 and IPL/BBL. Someone like Steven Fleming or Tom Moody who probably don't want to commit to a full time England role but would work with the one day sides.

Bell, Bopara, Anderson, Broad and Finn should go. We need a young and hungry squad that are not held back by the fear of failure playing with freedom under a new coach.

The next CWC is in England. Let's start planning for it right now. Be bold ECB and for once get the right man!

I agree, but unfortunately we're now in a situation where Team England funds the game in this country.  That's why we play so many internationals.   

[PaulWinch again]

We need to improve our domestic 50 over and 20 over cricket, but that'll take time. I think a team moving forward should be something like -

Hales
Vince
Ali
Taylor
Root
Roy
Buttler
Stokes
Rashid
Overton
Willey

That might lack a fourth seamer, but it would be a reasonable template moving forward. Obviously if the likes of Morgan and Finn get back to their best they'd be in.

[paul_e]

Harsh on Woakes who I think deserves the opportunity to stay, I'd certainly have him ahead of Stokes at the moment.

[PaulWinch again]

Yep totally forgot Woakes actually! So I think I'd keep Stokes in and bat him up the order and swap Woakes for Roy.

[Villan For Life]

At the moment I think that the side selected is almost secondary to the need for (a) a new innovative coach and (b) a change to the fixtures that allows our best one day players play in the likes of the IPL.

[tomd2103]

At the moment I think that the side selected is almost secondary to the need for (a) a new innovative coach and (b) a change to the fixtures that allows our best one day players play in the likes of the IPL.

Agree again VFL.  The biggest issue is sorting out the structure of the domestic season and competition formats.