The International Cricket Thread

[LeeB]

I’d say there’s a pretty clear divide - basically first 18 months of this “project” they were very strong and the second 18 months or so they’ve dropped off. This is what I mean by not evolving. They’ve had the odd game where they’ve looked like they might be learning, but then reverted back to what was causing them issues.

I do think the balance between constantly chopping and changing and being too secure in your spot is a tricky one, but feels like we’ve been really bad at developing a squad outside of the first 11.

That first 18 months as well, that's great and everything but then the opposition are going to work to find ways to exploit this approach, which is made easier by the bold statements made by the players.

You're absolutely right that they haven't developed from there.

[olaftab]

The biggest threat to red ball cricket at home is of our own making, the awful awful 100. Basically takes out August, possibly the best moth for playing County and Test cricket.

[tomd2103]

I’d say there’s a pretty clear divide - basically first 18 months of this “project” they were very strong and the second 18 months or so they’ve dropped off. This is what I mean by not evolving. They’ve had the odd game where they’ve looked like they might be learning, but then reverted back to what was causing them issues.

I do think the balance between constantly chopping and changing and being too secure in your spot is a tricky one, but feels like we’ve been really bad at developing a squad outside of the first 11.

That first 18 months as well, that's great and everything but then the opposition are going to work to find ways to exploit this approach, which is made easier by the bold statements made by the players.

You're absolutely right that they haven't developed from there.

I was looking through the results since they took over and they have been pretty decent on the whole:

NZ (H)  2022 - Won 3-0
India (H) 2021/22 - Drew 2-2
SA (H) 2022 - Won 2-1
Pak (A) 2022 / 23 - Won 3-0
NZ (A) 2023 - Drew 1-1
Ireland (H) 2023 - Won 1-0
Aus (H) 2023 - Drew 2-2
India (A) 2023 / 24 - Lost 4-1
West Indies (H) 2024 - Won 3-0
Sri Lanka (A)  2024 - Won 2-1
Pakistan (A) 2024/25 - Lost 2-1
NZ (A) 2025 - Won 2-1
Zimbabwe (H) 2025  - Won 1-0
India (H)  2025 -  Drawn 2-2

They are quite a telling set of results really.  The draw in NZ in 2023 was a bit of an indication of how reckless and stubborn they could be.  Won the first test comfortably by 267 runs and then were comfortably on top at the halfway point in the 2nd, 226 runs ahead after the first innings.  Instead of batting again and really turning the screw to get into a position where the series was wrapped up, get enforced the follow-on, conceded 483 runs and then lost by one run.  That lack of ruthlessness abd wise game management when they have been in strong positions has been a bit of a theme really.

That said, it's a pretty decent set of results really, but the glaring thing that stand out are the results against India and Australia.  Again, with a bit better game management, we could have won the home series against them both, but we've looked absolutely miles away from being competitive against them away.  Surely that's something the ECB need to look at going forward.  They are the blue riband test series and surely the right amount of planning and preparation should go into them?

[tomd2103]

The biggest threat to red ball cricket at home is of our own making, the awful awful 100. Basically takes out August, possibly the best moth for playing County and Test cricket.

Agree, but it's not going anywhere sadly.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

Anyone seen the Duckett video? How wrecked is he?

[PaulWinch again]

No, but he’s got form for silly behaviour with drink. Obviously we probably all of that, but if any of them got obscenely drunk then that is very stupid in the circumstances.

[aev]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/dec/21/england-cricket-machine-collapses-like-castle-of-dust-in-11-days-ashes-australia-cricket

[taylorsworkrate]

I fully agree with them having time to themselves on a long tour, but you just cannot get yourself into the state Duckett has in that video. Its really poor.

I do think the people who filmed it then uploaded it are ****** themselves though....

[taylorsworkrate]

Crawley saying today that losing 3-2 would be a "pretty good series"

Do the collective brain cells in this England set up reach double figures?

[olaftab]

Anyone seen the Duckett video? How wrecked is he?

Don't need to see the video as we saw them most nights at bars near Noosa Heads resort they were staying at. It wasn't pretty.

[PaulWinch again]

In fairness he’s not wrong - even if it’s a clumsy way of saying it.

[taylorsworkrate]

In fairness he’s not wrong - even if it’s a clumsy way of saying it.

Statistically he is probably correct considering the batterings England have taken down under.

It is though yet another example of someone in the set up being too stupid to understand how bad the optics are of what they are saying or doing. If they aren't being stupid, then they are being incredibly arrogant

[PaulWinch again]

Jof out of the series.

Blimey that bowling attack looks very light now.

[ChicagoLion]

In fairness he’s not wrong - even if it’s a clumsy way of saying it.

Statistically he is probably correct considering the batterings England have taken down under.

It is though yet another example of someone in the set up being too stupid to understand how bad the optics are of what they are saying or doing. If they aren't being stupid, then they are being incredibly arrogant

Yes, it is what happens when people become blinkered by a pervasive culture.
It is like they are operating in a vacuum, sending out backroom staff to deal with the press, thinking it is ok to go on the piss after being humiliated on the field.
The has -been comment.
Considering the importance of the Ashes , the lack of preparation and attention to the practical matters of a Test series shows up very poor judgement.
Contrast this with the recent Lions tour.

[Stu]

Key and McCullum have to go, I can’t believe the ECB don’t want to change things.