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How low can England go?
By Scott last year, at the end of January, 7 Comments »
The team is as low as Michael Vaughan has seen them. Meanwhile, as I write, New Zealand are making a good fist of chasing down 344, and even if they do not get there, New Zealand will take some heart from how well they are batting.
I do not think that England do themselves any favours by making it so plain that they do not like one-day cricket. Australia do not particularly like it either, but they really do like winning, and the best way to win is to keep winning. It becomes a habit.
I will take the positive view and say that England did have a plan entering the Commonwealth Bank Series, but either it was blown out of the water by Kevin Pieterson’s injury, or it has simply been blown off course by their total lack of confidence. Certainly there’s not been any backup plans.
Given England’s total disarray, they could do worse then to talk to the likes of Michael Atherton. I do not think Atherton’s plan is going to win the World Cup for England, but at least it is a plan. At the moment, England look like they are working out their plans with a dart board.
7 Comments »Big Brother isn’t watching you
By Scott last year, mid-January, 11 Comments »
All you people who have been watching this ‘Big Brother’ imbroglio should hang your heads in shame. When the British Prime Minister is commenting on it, then it’s a sure sign that England’s sense of priorities are warped. No wonder England’s cricket team doesn’t win much.
Mind you they came close last night- a four wicket victory and a bonus point to Australia doesn’t indicate how tense it was out there for a while. That Australia won was due to the nerves and good luck of Michael Hussey, who got a clear edge early in his innings. However, unlike Adam Gilchrist, he’s never been a walker.
Who knows what might have happened if England had set Australia a decent target? England got their first opening partnership of 50 thanks to the introduction of Mal Loye. The rest of them went down to McGrath and co very meekly.
And to make matters worse for England, Michael Vaughan won’t be available for another couple of matches. England’s one day summer is turning out as bad as was feared.
11 Comments »Mike Selvey on Michael Vaughan’s return
By Scott 2 years ago, at the end of December, 8 Comments »
Basically, he’s against it, and he thinks that it is more evidence of sloppy thinking by English management.
In my view, he’s quite right. England need to consider their long term as well as their short term goals. There has to be plenty of doubt about Vaughan being fit enough for a tough campaign in the West Indies for the World Cup, and lets face it, he’s not likely to make a difference to an English side that is chronically short of potent ODI bowlers. England’s batting is fine, it’s the bowlers that hinder them, in both forms of the game.
If Vaughan has any use at all to English cricket, it is by being fit and in charge at the top of the order, preparing for the 2009 Ashes campaign. Why you would risk him for the World Cup is an interesting question.
8 Comments »Vaughan and his duck
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of November, 6 Comments »
There has been a quiet, bubbling undertone of farce surrounding Michael Vaughan’s injury. Armfuls of straws have been shipped to Australia, and everyone is clutching at them in blind hope.
For no other reason than he is the captain who retained the Ashes, he is seen as the only one who can keep Australia from regaining them. Desperation was always likely to be in plentiful supply after a trouncing at Brisbane, but the interest in Vaughan has been an unwelcome distraction for England’s preparations to Adelaide. In a one-day match against the might (no sarcasm intended as you’ll find out) of Western Australia 2nd XI, Vaughan last seven balls and walked back to the pavilion for nought. At one point England Academy were 12 for 5 and Vaughan could only wryly smile at the hopelessness of the situation.
Even if he his knee somehow survives these warm-ups; even if he does find form; even if he does hit a century and take seven wickets with his offspin, is he really going to be ushered in and will he really be ready to lead England in Australia? He’s practically gone bald and grey since he last played for England. Only Brearley did the grey thing to any great success. The less said about Andrew Caddick the better.
Call me a cynic, call me a bitter old bastard but I don’t see it happening. Worse still, it’s another destabilising factor for England who, at the moment, can hardly walk in a straight line without falling over.
6 Comments »Vaughan (still) hopeful of Ashes spot
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of October, 12 Comments »
Devon is treating me to its most spectacular storm today so I’m slumped in front of the TV this morning. And I happened to see Michael Vaughan on Sky News just now who is playing golf in Scotland.
The event, he claims, is a perfect exercise for his troubled knee and I see Cricinfo has some quotes from him (usual Vaughan stuff - he could yet play in the Ashes, etc etc)
12 Comments »Mathew Vaughan, come on down
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of September, No Comments; be the first!
The duhhhhhh award this week goes to…
Australians are still licking their wounds from losing the Ashes in England to the side captained by Mathew Vaughan.
From the Daily Mail.
No Comments »Hugo Boss to sponsor English cricket
By Will 2 years ago, mid-August, 17 Comments »
We get all sorts of press releases at Cricinfo. Some are breaking news of a player’s injury; others are more PR-related (”Gloucestershire announce new chef - stop the press!”) and most are plain banal. This, however, takes the biscuit:
Hugo Boss are to sponsor English cricket. According to the sickly email we received, Andrew Strauss said “The photo-shoot was a great experience and good fun, with all the boys really getting into it,” a statement bordering on the hilarious yet with a hint of the disturbing, too.
I suppose it’s a good thing. Could you ever have imagined England cricketers being sponsored by anyone other than a tractor company, or Mrs Brabbleflop’s pork pies in Shrewsbury, in the 1990s? Although perhaps that’s just the point: with success (or at least an increase in popularity) comes commercialism, and hungry marketers desperate for a slice of your fame.
I’ll leave the opinions of those pictured up to you. One final thought: is it significant that Strauss is pictured in the middle of the photo…?
17 Comments »Vaughan comeback all but a “dream”
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 4 Comments »
Following on rather nicely from the ongoing debate about the apparent mind games England may or may not be playing, Michael Vaughan has today declared himself unlikely to play cricket again. If that is a psychological mind trick to thwart the Australians, then….well, it’s quite clearly not, is it? He is, for want of a better phrase, about as screwed as a pig with one leg hobbling into an abattoir.
“I have real hope I’ll get better”, Vaughan told the media after watching the Old Trafford Test between England and Pakistan. “I’ll do all the hard work and I believe there’ll be another day when Michael Vaughan takes the field in an England cricket shirt. But I have to be realistic. I’ve read I might never play cricket again, and that might well turn out to be the case.
“Is there any chance I might be ready for Melbourne or Sydney? Probably not, but I’m going to hang on to that dream.”
More worrying even than his injury is the realisation he has now started talking in the third person. Full story at Cricinfo.
4 Comments »England’s injuries ignite the phoney war?
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 28 Comments »
OK this pretty interesting. Stu’s been blogging a while and is a regular commenter, as he was during the Ashes. But something strange is happening. While everyone else in Australia has already written England off since last September - understandably, given the piss-awful-luck with injuries and whatnot - Stu has a different theory: it’s mind games! Here’s what he says (sorry Stu for nicking it…)
“The devil’s greatest trick, was convincing the world he didn’t exist…”. Australia weren’t just outplayed during the Ashes series of 2005 - they were out thought, out managed, out administered and played by the English press like Grand Pianos…and it’s happening again.
My tip is, that Jones will play in November, as will Vaughan, and Flintoff and anyone else who, between now and then, has doubt cast on them…and there will be someone else who is “out of the Ashes”. Australians pride themselves on this “sportsmanship” (read mind games) but they are being done now, by canny Englishmen, who for once have the ability to back up the talk, on the field.
All I can hope is that that the Aussies stay quiet, and come out onto the Gabba and win the first session of the first test so convincingly that they set up the rest of the series right there…
I can’t say I agree, but then I’m English. So what does this mean? Are England better placed than people think? Will Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones make miraculous recoveries? If you’re an Australian, do you agree with Stu and if not, why not?
28 Comments »Vaughan and Jones could return - Ponting
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 7 Comments »
“You’ve got to remember those guys have been ruled out a long time ago and there is still a few months to go before the series,” Ponting said yesterday.
“It’s a long time to get over any sort of injury. I’m pretty sure they will want Vaughan and Jones here if they can get them here. We are preparing to play a full-strength side.”
Come off it! Vaughan’s finished, everyone knows that. But I don’t know what to make of this. Either he’s stirring, or he genuinely thinks both players could return. He’s desperate, isn’t he, to have the exact same England side which beat them last year. He wants a copybook series but a 4-0 result. He’s hurting, still. Am I reading too much into all this?
And look. Legends, one and all. Tony Greig and Bill Lawry on the right, who we at Cricinfo religiously imitate almost every day without fail
Update: for those preferring proper sentences I’ve written it up on Cricinfo
7 Comments »Desperately seeking authority
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 3 Comments »
Andrew Strauss was given the unenviable privilege of captaining England in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s. He is not only a stand-in, but a stand-in for a stand-in (a double stand-in?). He failed to summon or convey any sense of authority in the first three days of this Test yet today struck a hundred to silence those who, perhaps, felt he was weak of character and lacking in authority. However his quality and authority as a batsman has never been in doubt, and the first three days remain a slight concern.
He joined unique company, too, today; only Allan Lamb and Archie MacLaren have made hundreds on their captaincy debut. To do it at Lord’s, his home ground and where two years ago he made a hundred on his Test match debut, gave the occasion added posterity and wistfulness. His celebration on reaching three figures was noteworthy too; gone were the youthful arm-swinging and bat-waving of 2004. In its place, both arms were calmly raised in a gesture which perhaps signalled his relief in leading from the front as he intended. Although he had just run out Ian Bell…
He is no Flintoff. There is a diffidence and reverancey to his character; he is a potentially fine writer on the game, an erudite reader of match situations and ever since his debut has been earmarked as a Future England Captain. Unlike Flintoff’s “follow me into battle, guys”, his calm air might serve him and England well in the forthcoming months.
The first three days are nevertheless a real concern though. Nothing much happened. And when nothing happened, he did little to affect a change. A resigned smile, hunched shoulders and much chewing of nails did little to stop Mohammad Yousuf, much as it will do nothing to stop Ricky Ponting and co. in the winter. Without the tongue-lashing of Michael Vaughan England rather drifted along. Well done, Strauss, but Flintoff’s my man for the Ashes.Desper
3 Comments »Vaughan’s career is over
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 4 Comments »
Since Vaughan last played a Test both Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood have scored Test match centuries: by the time next summer comes round, who knows, they might have four apiece. Any player, Vaughan included, can become yesterday’s man very quickly, left behind in the wake of the next generation. He could be trying to get fit only to be discarded.
[...]
His knee, in other words, is shot, its condition chronic. In which case this is no longer about getting Vaughan fit for cricket. It is about trying to make sure that by the time he enters middle age he is not doing so on a stick.
Mike Selvey in today’s Guardian.
4 Comments »England’s Ashes situation
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of July, 2 Comments »
Michael’s out, but remains favourite. Fred is out too, but he is the second favourite. Andrew’s no one’s favourite, really, but stays in. This all sounds like something from the interminable Big Brother but in fact this is England’s captaincy nightmare.
It’s hard to make head or tail of what has happened. Even yesterday, when Michael Vaughan was officially, finally ruled out of this winter’s Ashes series, there were rumblings from the ECB machine that “it’s really not that serious; we expect him back for the World Cup” and similar. And Flintoff? He is the stand-in captain and remains the favourite to replace Vaughan - when fit. When’s that? Who knows?
You have to feel a bit for Andrew Strauss, the stand-in stand-in. The ship’s engine is broken, there are bloody great big holes letting in gallons of water; steer us towards safety if you would! The calamity England find themselves in is, conversely, quite a relief. At least now they (we) can start from scratch and build from here, without constant, confusing, ambiguous medical reports from every doctor and his dog.
On similar lines, Kathy left a very interesting comment yesterday, making mention of Matthew Hoggard who, via Vaughan, was allowed to play in England A’s match against Pakistan (scorecard):
Interesting comments for two reasons: Vaughan still ably managing the team from the sidelines, and Hoggard’s belief that current form has got nothing to do with temporary captainship.
Perceptive thoughts, but I disagree that a team can be captained from the sidelines. It simply can’t. However, Hoggard’s belief that the temporary captaincy conundrum isn’t affecting England is perhaps indicitive of the confidence England still have within themselves. At least, I hope so.
Worst of all, and I can’t explain why I say this, the recent events with Vaughan and all the other injuries have really put a dampener on what England achieved last summer. It has been made futile - at least, that’s the impression I get. All that hard work - for what? Half the team are broken; the replacements are mostly still in nappies and are understandably flapping. England won the Ashes in 2005; why do I get the distinct feeling that we’re back to square one again?
2 Comments »Michael Vaughan is out of the Ashes
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of July, 13 Comments »
Not surprising, but what a tossing nightmare that is for England. My thoughts on it tomorrow. Sorry for lack of updates but, then, not a lot’s been going on. Go to Cricinfo for more on Vaughan.
13 Comments »Vaughan injury worries Aussies?
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of June, 1 Comment »
Well perhaps not - but worries one of them!
No Vaughan no Ashes good people, England must find the nearest hyperbaric chamber and hibernate for the next six months. I cancelled a perfectly good family holiday in Queensland to watch two great teams lock horns in Melbourne on boxing day; i can not and will not settle for anything less!
it’s over to you England………..DO SOMETHING.
I IMPLORE YOU…….DO SOMETHING.
Comment of the week by a long shot.
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