English cricket moves closer to rehabilitation
It is less than four weeks since the great and the good of English cricket embarked on one of their periodic bouts of self flagellation. The 95 run defeat to India in the second test at Lords brought forth a volley of criticism with Alistair Cook taking the brunt of the vitriol. Though he had 28 test match centuries to his name a dramatic loss of form made many question whether he was fit to be selected let alone lead the side. Never one to hide his light under a bushel the charge was lead by none other than Geoffrey Boycott who in the Daily Telegraph wrote “Now that Alistair Cook has declined to give up the Captaincy for the benefit of the team, will the England set up have the balls to sack him?” He continued “it is obvious to most ex-players that he cannot cut it. Tactically he has not got it and the team are playing poor cricket”. Another offering their valued opinion was the ever chipper Shane Warne who suggested that Cook’s his captaincy lacked flair and even Michael Atherton, normally a fount of reason wrote that Boycott was right. “It gives me no pleasure to write it but the tap on the shoulder should come”.
One sensed the brooding presence of Kevin Pietersen in the background, he and Piers Morgan no doubt feeling vindicated in their view that the England team had been greatly diminished by his sacking and that the side would not find itself in such dire straits were he still wielding his bat in the middle. Which in turn directed the jibes towards ECB Managing Director Paul Downton, who had delivered the coup de gras, yet continued to support both his struggling Captain and coach Peter Moores - whose earlier tenure as England coach had been shabbily scuppered by none other than……… Pietersen. That said things were in a sorry mess coming as they did on the back of the humiliating whitewash in Australia and a first home series defeat to Sri Lanka.
Ex choir boy though he may be Alistair Cook is nothing if not resilient and to hijack a phrase from politics, three weeks is a long time in cricket. One can argue – with some justification – that this is a poor Indian side. Like a two year old in the back of a car they do not travel well, but even that doesn’t paper over the inadequacies of their performance and particularly their grit, today’s second innings collapse being a case in point. One could perhaps forgive the defeats had the side at least demonstrated a hint of cussedness but for whatever reason – perhaps they are being remunerated too grandly – resilience has been in scant supply.
“You can only beat what is in front of you” is pretty rank cliché but since the embarrassment at Lords England have undergone something of a damascene conversion. Bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad who, during the previous home tests looked jaded, suddenly found some form. On song they are a formidable new ball pair and it was their renaissance that set the tone for Alistair Cook to regain his touch and at long last get some runs. Supporting the older guard in no small measure were Garry Balance, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan. Yes it is very much early days and this group of youngsters are still learning what test cricket is all about but if England stick with them I sense the future looks very bright. Furthermore they are all Alistair Cook picks which can only serve to give him greater confidence on the back of which will come more runs and more daring leadership. He is only 29 and in many ways still learning the art of captaincy but has plenty of time in which to do so.
Cook together with Anderson and Bell have been representing England for the best part of eight years without a break but can now look forward to nine months before they take the field again. Plenty of time to recharge the batteries and come back refreshed and more than enough time for Boycott, et al, to hold their hands up and muster an apology. Gloucester Old Spots and something about them being airborne, springs to mind.