As the stench of yet another forgettable Ashes trip Down Under continues to linger, serious questions are being asked of an infuriatingly inconsistent outfit.
Chris Silverwood’s side have been stuck in reverse for months. So this is no longer a case of two steps forward and one step back. It’s more like three blindfolded lunges being made in an entirely wrong direction.
The ECB, though, will point to the fact that various plates are being spun and that – much like London buses – four major international tournaments have come along in as many years.
Although the Test team is clearly down in the dumps, England have remained fiercely competitive in white ball formats and look set to chase down more honours. In 2022, Space Casino betting has Eoin Morgan’s men at 7/2 for ICC T20 World Cup glory and prices them as 59/20 shots for 50-over success when seeking to defend that particular crown on Indian soil next year.
However, whilst it’s important for English cricket to chase more trophies, it’s equally imperative that the bread and butter of red-ball action is not forgotten. Consequently, supporters will be desperate to see some improvement in the Test series against the West Indies in the coming weeks. Thus far, both Joe Root and Chris Silverwood remain in situ, even though change has been mooted at great length for an extended period of time.
Things are not about to get any easier as we head towards the summer, either. With New Zealand, India and South Africa to come, and doubts over how much red ball practice key men will get ahead of these series, not many will envy the job Silverwood has on his hands (that’s if he manages to keep it).
Schedules do, of course, have to be managed. The enduring appeal of IPL riches will see many depart for that event through April, May and early June; therefore little or no time will be spent on preparation before Kane Williamson and the Black Caps roll into Lord’s.
Consequently, this could be an opportunity to experiment with selection. Maybe England should give priority to players who are grafting in the championship and actually getting some red ball cricket under their belts?
During the Ashes post-mortem, most pundits claimed that England had selected the best cricketers available (instead preferring to blame the domestic structure). But are these players really the best available if they’ve been focusing on T20 for weeks?
Switching formats is notoriously difficult. T20 and Test cricket are completely different games necessitating contrasting skills and a totally different mindset. Therefore, is it even fair to ask England’s top players to transition from one form of the game to another overnight?
Plenty of supporters would already like to see England separate their red and white ball sides entirely. But this doesn’t seem to offer a solution either. White ball cricket is where players make their money. Therefore, given a choice between life on the franchise circuit or the grind of the county championship, young cricketers are going to make one choice.
Josh Samuel
