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[alexhilly1492]

No idea as I was only born in 92.. this is fairly dire but iveheras the start of the Duncan Fletcher era and around then wasn't great either!

Which is worse?

[SLA]

Team from 1991 tied 2-2 with one of the greatest west indies teams of all time. They'd thump this current shambles 6-0.

[SurreySam]

The Windies back then would have torn the Australian test team of today a new one.  To tie them (WI) was a greater achievement, than the ashes just gone.

[SD]

The 1991 side contained many elements of a successful 80s side.  The genuine 90s sides were an absolute shower.  Bairstow gets dogs abuse as a keeper with a batting average of 34.7.  One can only imagine what would have been made of Mark Ramprakash playing 52 tests as a specialist batsman with an average of 27.3.

England went through a spell between 92-94 of playing 14 tests against 5 different opponents where we won 1, drew 1 and lost 12.  The current England side is a long way from being a great team but it is light years ahead of what we served up in the 90s.

[Buzz]

Having said those stats may be true, but the Windies team and the Aus team are nothing like as strong now as they were in the 1990s.
Plus Pakistan were pretty strong.
India was an impossible place to tour before neutral umpires too.
Different times.

Where this side is really struggling is that they aren't playing enough first class cricket. They were playing too much back then.

[Buzz]

Atherton
Knight
Hussain
Thorpe
Hick
Irani
Russell
Cork
Lewis
Patel
Mullally

Vs the current lot... I would say pretty close! (Team from eng vs SA in 1996)

[Bats_Entertainment]

I'd take the current lot. Bowling is far superior, and Root is still the standout batsman across the two teams.

[Bats_Entertainment]

I meant I'd take them as better, not worse. Obviously!

[FattusCattus]

Right now I'd take Atherton,  Hussain,  Cork and Russel please

[Wozaboxa]

When was the infamous 51 all out at Edgbaston? That was around 1996 I think? We've never quite sunk that low again.... we've tried though

[SD]

Having said those stats may be true, but the Windies team and the Aus team are nothing like as strong now as they were in the 1990s.
Plus Pakistan were pretty strong.
India was an impossible place to tour before neutral umpires too.
Different times.

Where this side is really struggling is that they aren't playing enough first class cricket. They were playing too much back then.

Looking back at some of the England teams picked in the era, they are even worse than I remember.  The batting was probably the stronger suit - although Hick and Ramparkash getting over 50 tests each as front line batsmem despite averaging 31 and 27 isn't a great marker - but it is the quality or lack of in the seam bowling department that really stands out.  England started the 93 Ashes with Carrick - a very good bowler in my view - taking the new ball with Phil DeFreitas and with Chris Lewis the only other seam option.  Later in the series Mark Ilott and Martin McCaugue with test bowling averages of 45 and 65 get a run out. 

whatever criticism fairly comes the way of the current side, it is a million miles away from the lack of quality that we were selecting 25 years ago.  In recent times I can really only think of Craig Overton who stands comparison as a seam bowler completely out of hhis depth at that level

[JTtaylor145]

When was the infamous 51 all out at Edgbaston? That was around 1996 I think? We've never quite sunk that low again.... we've tried though

England were bowled out for 51 in 2009 in Kingston...sadly I haven't forgotten that disaster 

There are a couple of other notable diesters in recent years:

58 Vs New Zealand in 2018
67 Vs Australia in 2019
72 Vs Pakistan in 2012
77 Vs West Indies in 2019

All in all doesn't make pretty reading or viewing!!!

[WalkingWicket37]

England were bowled out for 51 in 2009 in Kingston...sadly I haven't forgotten that disaster 

There are a couple of other notable diesters in recent years:

58 Vs New Zealand in 2018
67 Vs Australia in 2019
72 Vs Pakistan in 2012
77 Vs West Indies in 2019

All in all doesn't make pretty reading or viewing!!!

85 Vs Ireland 2019

[SLA]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/16340/scorecard/63650/england-vs-south-africa-2nd-test-south-africa-tour-of-england-1994


Both the south Africa and England teams involved in this match from 94 are miles ahead in quality than the two teams playing last week.

[Wozaboxa]

England were bowled out for 51 in 2009 in Kingston...sadly I haven't forgotten that disaster 

There are a couple of other notable diesters in recent years:

58 Vs New Zealand in 2018
67 Vs Australia in 2019
72 Vs Pakistan in 2012
77 Vs West Indies in 2019


All in all doesn't make pretty reading or viewing!!!

No one quite does a collapse quite like us do they!! jesus wept....