2010 Revisited.

A lot has happened to English cricket since my last blog in November when I had some concerns about the planning and tour of Sri Lanka.
The brave move to axe Captain from his role and the squad was seen by many as inevitable as was the decision to appoint Eoin Morgan a player who has been schooled in limited overs cricket. The overdue action, by the selectors who finally removed their heads from the sand, wont due the ECB' image any favours and some may say they gave Cook all the opportunity to secure his seat on the plane that left our shores yesterday.


However I am now looking in every corner for positives as we get closer to the world cup and recall Paul Collingwood's recent comments about Morgan "He's a modern captain and a modern thinker who will bring some good ideas"
Collingwood understands the experiences of success born out of chaos as in 2010 World T20 competition and alongside Andy Flower they were acknowledged as ripping up the original plans and ended up winning the tournament. It is slightly ironic that if Ashley Giles had remained in charge the Collingwood would have been part of the coaching staff and instead he will be with Scotland squad when they play England in New Zealand in February.


We certainly new ideas and be able to score 330 - 350 in order to win games, we need to be unorthodox as we have not won anything bowling lines and length and batsmen being cautious. The choice of the top 4 batsmen from Hales, Bell, Ali, Taylor and Root needs to resolved quickly as I personally would like to see Morgan bat at 5 especially if we are chasing a game. The bowling attack must also find a formula for restricting runs during the last 10 overs, whether bowling first or last they often they fall apart having had a decent beginning. Certainly the value of Anderson and Broad has gone up just by missing the Sri Lanka trip and I am really looking forward to see how Morgan/Moores select the bowling attack that could include Jordan, Woakes and Tredwell.


I am a member of the jury that still has to be convinced about Finn but will leave that one to more experienced media pundits. 


I am very fortunate to be able to watch England's first game v Australia at the MCG next month and looking forward to Joss Buttler being one of our starts of the tournament but then that's a Lancashire fan's view!!


Feel free to comment via Twitter to @NotSubject


Thanks for reading.


Terry

From Sri Lanka to Success

OK, lets start this latest of my blogs with a quote
" I don't want to think too far ahead, but I want to make sure I'm ready for Mitchell Johnson, for anybody. I'm confident it'll be alright" Moeen Ali- November 2014.


Well I always like a bit of humour in my blogs.


As England embark on the journey to Sri Lanka it is the start of an unbroken run of one internationals starting with 7 games against Sri Lanka, then a triangular tournament in Australia which leads towards the start of the world cup. I am fortunate to be visiting Australia in February and will be taking in the England v Australia game at the MCG. I must confess that watching an England/Australia game at the MCG has been a life long ambition and no matter what the result will be, I am determined to enjoy the occasion.


The selectors have taken a squad away the fine tune and I just hope we look to compete and at least look like winning a game or two. Captain Cook, still a controversial choice, stated at a recent press conference that the last time England were number 1 on one day cricket was when he was captain.
Yes you can laugh but apparently we were for a week or two.
Has a campaign ever been so meticulously designed? The schedule now puts the focus entirely on the 50 over game from now, until hopefully, the end of March  so there will be no excuses if it becomes a total disaster.


But I have concerns;
-Not only are the conditions in Sri Lanka going to be totally different than those expected in the world cup in Australia/New Zealand.
-As the selectors try to fine the right balance of the team we are up against one of the best one day sides and in their own back yard.


Confidence could be shot to pieces even before I get on the plane. I hope not, and next Friday's first of two games against a Sri Lanka A side could be the start of something xxxxx you can fill in the gap because rest assured Swann/Vaughan/KP will all be having their say


Remember that if things do start really badly whilst in Australia we already have KP & Freddie there -just a thort'


Thanks for taking time to read this - please send any comments via twitter to @NotSubject.


More to follow over the coming weeks.

When is Bullying Banter

OK so the  autobiogs' from Roy Keane and KP are out and they both focus on the relationships in the changing room and it was with interest that I  read a really good article in todays Sunday Times by ex cricketer Ed Smith who wrote as his time as a young cricketer making his way in the game.
He wrote that conforming sometimes borders on bullying and ask's when is bullying banter?


When does a group of friends become a clique? Is freezing someone out bullying?


Respect for senior players can be overstated and gives them the opportunity for bullying, they had it bad when they were making it so "now it's our turn to dish it out."


KP says he saw it in the England changing room and singles out Prior, then Roy Keane was accused of it by Fergie but also states Fergie never tried to stop it.


Confused?  

Don't Panic, Paul Downton is in charge

Well it's been a few weeks since I last posted any comments on English cricket but now we have been eliminated from the WT20 comp' I felt I had to share my thoughts with you.


My main concern at the moment is the apparent status of Ashley Giles as odds-on favourite to get the Head Coach role, something that will baffle most English supporters and likely to have you shouting WHAT!!! 
His record as one day coach is poor and stats aside, for the last year he has been a member of the selection panel that has seen such failure that many younger fans will not remember England being so bad. He also kept faith with Broad as captain when he simply isn't up to the task.


Now Ashley Giles appears to the public to be a very nice man, good with the media & generally a good professional, but when I read reports that the players like him for "what he is"  does that suggest the players will influence the final decision, when what the public really want someone who will kick backsides and I am really not sure if being on the inside already he would willing do that and bruise a few ego's.


 I have also read that the team would prefer on English man in charge of the team, (cue the Belly Aching laughter) that's a joke when you consider the players we currently have in the squad and their country of birth.


My final criticism of Ashley Giles is the selection of Jade (Dirtbag) Dernbach, the guy must have a little black book full of secrets to keep getting paid for what he does.
I could role out lots & lots of stats' to support my belief and many other Englands' fans continued amazement of his selection  but decided however to use yesterdays bowling figures as confirmation.
3 overs for 44 runs and that included in the 18th over, a nine (yes I said 9) ball over that went for 26 runs and he's the guy we selected coz he bowls well at the death!!


Whether it is Giles or someone else I want to see the decision make quickly and can not believe that Paul Downton is waiting until the middle of April before starting the interview process and although he states the "the shortlist will be assembled from a strong multinational field" (cue more laughter) I remain to be convinced.
Leading candidates in the media have already ruled themselves out due to personal reasons or earning more cash coaching an IPL team, it's just not one of the top jobs in internation cricket Downton & Collier think it is anymore. Though I still understand Geoff Boycott (Mr Crickeeet) is available to offer his opinions should the ECB wish to accommodate him. (cue even more laughter)


As a Lancashire cricket fan I am particularly interested that Peter Moores has applied to take over again, his tenure came to an abrupt end last time and he's turned Lancashire around over the last few seasons.
Applications close this Friday so "Dear Reader" please feel free to apply.


Welcome any comments on Twitter to @NotSubject


Thanks for reading.

Giles Clarke - Democracy is Dead

As the sweeping changes to the governance of world cricket are approved and start to roll out, the ICC seem keen to assert that No member will be worse of than they are at present as a justification for all the changes. In other words the richest nations can expect to be come disproportionately richer than the poorer ones. Sorry do I sound a little sceptical, or is it as ICC Preseident Alan Issac stated "the board made changes to the long term certainty of the financial models of the ICC"


As the dust begins to settle on the fact that 2 of the 8 full members abstained from voting it has been interesting to read the comments of Giles Clarke Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board. In an article in todays Sunday Times in which he tries to defend the KP saga, although officially this decision was actually taken by Paul Downton and Alastair Cook, Clarke talks about taking unpopular decisions.
In a PR exercise worthy of those undertaken by the Royal Family's press machine (and we all know my thorts' on that) Clarke actually says " The ICC has 105 members of whom 10 have voting rights, it's not a democracy and doesn't aspire to be"


Now I am not going to suggest that the ICC is run alongside the lines of North Korea and it's democratically elected leader Kim Jong Un who has such a wonderful relationship with all his relatives, but his comments and his power grabbing colleagues seem to me to be so far removed from the true feelings of the real fans. Although any protests that took place recently were ignored by both the majority of the media and the ICC.


Clarke claims that huge numbers (meaning true cricket fans) have not actually understood the decisions taken that benefit so few countries, ooops sorry, world cricket. Well perhaps Mr Clarke you should be open and transparent in the discussions you undertook ahead of the ICC meeting and try to understand why Pakistan and Sri Lanka abstained from voting.


Every organisation can change over time but Giles Clarke's faith in  future ICC broadcasting rights as the answer to all problems is a dangerous step, just like getting rid of KP. I worry that the ECB may well spend their future income in advance, rather like those football teams in the English Premier League and then when results go against them and fans stop turning up rely on the pound or dollar to sustain themselves.


Financially cricket should be in a very healthy position, the various T20 competitions around the world have injected interest in the game whilst the Ashes series (although a disaster for this writer) proved how a nation can get behind the test team.


In the ICC we have to trust, Don't We?


any comments welcome on twitter to @NotSubject


thanks


Terry

Flower Power

It seems such a shame that a proud and talented man who was able to stand up against the injustice of Robert Mugabe's regime and who took England to the number one spot in world cricket, will end his coaching role with the national side and all that has been built previously, falling apart so badly during this Ashes series. Many coaches in different sports have found it very difficult to keep a team at the top once they have got there.


You could argue that his standing in the England set up started to go downhill when he gave up half of his job to another coach. Relentless schedules, work-life balance and a young family were all cited as reasons behind his decision. As admirable as this may have been it has meant that he was absent from the squad for long periods of time.
Andrew Strauss suggested in his article today that Flower "cared about the players and cared about the support staff". This maybe true but it becomes difficult to be that paternal figure when you are not around 100% of the time. Perhaps 5 years in charge of a national side is as much as any coach can be expected to devote, do coaches have a limited shelf life?


The elephant in the room has obviously been KP despite any attempts by the ECB to suggest otherwise. We often read how Flower was very protective of the team (that's TEAM) environment, but it appears KP would throw a spanner in the works from time to time oblivious to what effect it has. "Textgate" is just one example, and lets not forget that when KP was captain he wanted Flower sacked along with Peter Moores.


I wish Andy Flower all the best in whatever role he will take with ECB and from listening to both current & ex players he is too talented to drift away into a minor role.


Whoever does take the role on they need to decide who will be the core of the team now the break up has begun, they must install Cook with belief to be his own man on the pitch and remove what appears to be a general state of defeatism in the changing room. Good luck to that man.


Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments or thorts' via Twitter @Notsubject


Terry