No. It’s not Batman. It’s everyone’s favourite technical director of elite coaching, Mr Andy Flower. Oh, hang on a sec, to ‘come back’ necessitates actually going away in the first place … which Flower didn’t. Yesterday’s breaking news that Flower will lead the England Lions in their upcoming triangular series against New Zealand A and Sri Lanka A is rather interesting to say the least. When Flower stepped down as England head coach after the Ashes disaster – when it was apparent to...
The Long Road Ahead
Usually I can’t wait to update this blog. But this time its different. I can barely summon the energy. The England cricket team has reached it’s nadir: being whitewashed in the Ashes, losing the early summer series to Sri Lanka, and now thrashed at home by an Indian team that hadn’t won away from home for three years. Imagine how ugly it would have been if we’d lost the toss. It’s time to face facts folks … We have a toothless bowling attack. We have a brittle batting line-up without a single...
The End is Nigh. Or is it? Day four at Lord’s
Lots of people are making all sorts of assumptions about this test. First of all, they’re certain England will lose – and if England lose, the story goes, Alastair Cook will lose his job. The pundits also seem sure that if he’s relieved of the captaincy, good old Alastair will suddenly recapture his best batting form – he is, after all, an ‘all time great’. The first of these assumptions is probably right. Although there’s still a glimmer of hope, as Root and Moeen have proved their...
And you thought the Ashes nightmare was over …
As I boarded the train home on Monday evening I thought I’d better check my phone to see how Cook & Robson had ended. Ended they had, and numerous of their colleagues had too. 57-5….what the hell had happened?! Being a chap in his mid-30’s I was brought-up on England in the 1990’s. Doing battle against some class sides, sometimes winning, but more than often being taught how one should really play cricket. I remember seeing the likes of Boon, Border, Healey, Hughes, etc...
Moores is a symptom, Cook is the cause
First of all I want to make both a promise and an apology. Here’s the promise: I will not mention Kevin Pietersen’s name in this piece. I do not think the appointment of Moores has anything to do with sticking two fingers up at KP. If you believe the appointment of Moores was a final act of revenge, you assume the ECB are prepared to put a grudge before their own ambitions – which presumably includes creating a successful team, enhancing their personal reputations, and getting more people...
Ashley Giles has failed his audition
And that was that. Sigh. I suppose we all knew, deep down, that we stood a minimilk’s chance in hell of winning the T20 World Cup, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. Although we batted well in three of the games, the bowling was poor and the fielding embarrassing. What’s more, it must not be forgotten that we won two crucial tosses against Sri Lanka and South Africa. It could have been a lot worse. So where do we go from here? I think we all know the answer to that. Despite his...
