We need a culture change. We need to stop pandering to the undropables.
We need a side that has a clear plan, clear leadership and eleven players who are somewhere close to being in form, and in their correct position.
In the current squad, we have no clear plan, limited leadership and a lot of undeniably talented players who are not in any kind of form.
How to get from one to the other?
1.Sack Root. We need Root the batsman more than we need Root the leader, and as captain he has gone from one of the top 3-4 players in the world to a bit of an also ran. Stokes will bowl less and less as time goes on and, if not a tactical genius, is at least a leader of men.
2.Give players a decent run in the team. Burns, Denly and Pope should all be picked consistently through the winter and the first series of the English Summer. They've all done some silly things, but if they were the best available when picked, then they ought to be the best available still.
3.1 and 2 give us a clear idea of five of our top 6 - and I would give Sibley more time as the other. Foakes should be playing as a specialist keeper so my third point would be a litmus test - Bairstow (and to a lesser extent Buttler) are quality players in awful form - they should be invited to choose between their IPL riches and 6 games in green conditions proving their first class credentials.
4. Then we come to the bowling. If Stokes is only going to bowl 8-10 a day, which is where we are now (at best) then either Leach or Virdi needs to be there as a spinner who can block an end. Archer should be allowed to bowl fast, attacking lines (but not consistently fast, short ones) and Curran bears a run in the team. Anderson or Broad, not and. Oh, and get the right Overton in the squad, please.
5. Learn from Vern. Having a seamer who hits areas and moves it around is priceless. The likes of Roland-Jones, Coad and Porter should be seriously considered.
Author
Topic: England Tour of South Africa, Test ODI and T20 (Read 148979 times)