The Reverse Sweep

The Plan by Steve James | Book review

With England taking the field at Edgbaston later today as the number one Test side it would be conveniently easy to forget that it hasn't always been milk and honey for the team's loyal supporters.

The 1990's were the decas annus horribilis of English cricket. From being crushed in every Ashes series to a host of horrific batting collapses and a haphazard selection policy, the last decade of the twentieth century was not a good time to be an England cricket fan.

The last year of the millenium when England were knocked out of their own World Cup a day before the official song was released and a Test series was lost at home to a poor New Zealand side to slip to the bottom of the rankings - below even Zimbabwe - thankfully proved to be the nadir.

The Plan by Telegraph scribe and former Glamorgan and England opener Steve James describes how English cricket rose from the canvas and describes the pivotal roles that the two Zimbabweans Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower played in the renaissance.

James writes from a unique perspective. As the former batting partner of ECB managing director Hugh Morris, a player under Fletcher at Glamorgan and Flower's closest confidant in the press corps, James is able to both relate and analyse the reasons behind the rise.

He is also a very good and engaging writer; as we perhaps should expect from a contemporary and fellow Cambridge blue of that doyen of cricket scribes Mike Atherton.

As such The Plan is a hugely enjoyable and engrossing read and comes highly recommended. It is the perfect book to teach an alien (or an American) about how English cricket rose to the force it is today demolishing India at home and winning two successive Ashes series. The latter would have been unthinkable before Fletcher took the reins of a demoralised side in 1999.

At the end of the book, James ponders who is the best coach between of the two. We won't spoil your enjoyment by revealing here the conclusion James reaches. If you want to find out who gets the vote you’ll have to buy the book.

Where next?

Chasing Sachin by Adam Carroll-Smith | Book Review

Cricket heroes: Andy Flower and Duncan Fletcher

Kevin Pietersen's retirement from limited-overs cricket: the case for the defence

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Naughty boy nets - 2012 style

Unlike many of his predecessors as England coach, Andy Flower doesn’t inflict naughty boy nets on his charges. Instead, he has the modern equivalent of punishing poor performers by releasing them to play county cricket in chilly April.

Whilst central contracts have played a significant role in the improvement of England’s fortunes since their introduction and eradicated the ridiculous motorway dash as players scramble to get back to their counties at the conclusion of a Test match, many county cricket fans rightly lament the almost total absence of their England stars from their county line-ups. So, perhaps England’s struggles over the winter have a silver lining after all?

Middlesex and Warwickshire fans will certainly be happy that the winter’s biggest dunces Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell will be turning out for their counties this week against Durham and Lancashire respectively.

Over the forthcoming weeks all of England’s winter squad will feature for their counties ahead of the 1st Test against the West Indies on 17 May – even Kevin Pietersen will have to cut short his stay in India to return for Surrey’s game at Worcester, which starts on 9 May; that’s if he can find his way to New Road as it is an awfully long way from Chelsea.

But is it enough? Whilst one can understand why James Anderson for instance needs a decent rest following his sterling efforts over the winter, it is difficult to understand why Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior (especially if he played solely as a batsman) are being held back longer than Strauss and Bell.

Maybe Flower is indeed punishing the biggest failures over the winter with a longer stint with their county - Eoin Morgan may not be so disappointed to be warming the bench for the Knight Riders after all.

Where next?

It's not jealously KP, it's pure and simple indifference

County Championship XI of the week #2

2nd Test: Sri Lanka vs England - England marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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Andrew Strauss resigns as England captain; Alastair Cook resigns as vice-captain

Word reaches us of truly sensational news from Colombo this morning. After a run of four straight defeats and only one hundred in his last 48 Test innings, Andrew Strauss has resigned as England Test captain with immediate effect ahead of the 2nd Test with Sri Lanka, which starts on Tuesday.

Even more surprising - and a move that harks back to the famous day in 2008 when Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood simultaneously resigned as Test and ODI captains respectively - is the stunning news that Alastair Cook has also fallen on his sword as vice-captain.

Strauss has come under immense pressure this winter as the number one ranked side have lurched from batting collapse to batting collapse and his own powers with the bat continued to dwindle, but the news about Cook is particularly surprising given that everyone assumed he had been confirmed long ago as the heir to Strauss.

We understand that Cook has pointed to the fact that his form is actually worse than his opening partner, with Strauss scoring 167 runs in his last five Test innings to Cook's 71. With T20 captain Stuart Broad on a flight back home nursing an injured calf, coach Andy Flower has had to make an emergency appointment to lead the side in Colombo on Tuesday.

Kevin Pietersen has none of the honour and virtue exhibited by Cook and has snatched the opportunity with clinical aplomb and now has the most unlikely second coming as England captain.

Those England supporters that had been calling for the head of Strauss should have been careful for what they wished for.

Where next?

Bob Willis attacked; Jonathan Trott arrested

Andrew Stauss to resign as England captain?

Read our County Championship Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire

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An Arctic Tale starring Alastair Campbell, Andy Flower and the England cricket team

We were at an event the other night where Tony Blair's spin doctor Alastair Campbell (a master of the Teesra long before Saeed Ajmal) gave the keynote address and shared with us a list of acronyms that he kept close to hand during his time in government.

Number six or seven (we cannot remember exactly) was HAP, as in get your head above the parapet in times of crisis.

That's exactly what England coach Andy Flower did the day after England's humiliating ten wicket defeat to Pakistan in the 1st Test in Dubai (a location that still doesn't sound quite right for Test cricket).

Flower's honest appraisal was that the nature and extent of the loss would act as a wake-up call to the squad with him reasoning that the long break between England's last Test against India at The Oval in August and this one had left the team fatally under prepared and undercooked.

With the bowlers, we are not sure this really applies. The four man attack stuck to their task well, hardly gave anything away and bowled Pakistan out for a sub-standard total on that pitch.

The problem of course lay with the batsmen who barely exceeded Pakistan's total in their two innings put together. Not content with playing Ajmal as if he was the devil himself - one would have thought that having endured 13 years of Campbell's New Labour England would be able to handle a bit of spin - they seemed to be attempting to outdo each other to see how many times they could be strangled down the legside. The cherry on the top though was Kevin Pietersen's (an absolute liability before he has got off nought) grotesque, hare-brained dismissal in the 2nd innings.

Indeed, Pietersen, Ian Bell and Alastair Cook only totalled 15 runs between them during the match - less than James Anderson on his own and nearly five times less than the number of Graeme Swann managed. That's not undercooked, that's frozen - arctic like frozen.

Where next?

1st Test: Pakistan vs England - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Pakistan vs England - Pakistan marks out of 10

How good are this England cricket team?

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How good are this England cricket team?

On the evidence of today's showing not very good, not very good at all. Indeed the words that come most readily to mind are hubris, intransigence and fallibility.

Hubris

We're not hanging this one on Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss, but since their unofficial coronation as the best Test side on the planet, it's fair to say that they've had a lot of plaudits coming their way: "best England side ever...", "...set to dominate Test cricket for years to come". Some even tried to compare them to the great West Indians of the seventies and eighties and the Australians of the last decade.

Let's call it a case of collective premature ejaculation from the media, but at least it has not spread to Flower and Strauss who have been far more guarded and realistic in their aims.

Intransigence

Whilst there is reasonable basis to stick with a winning team, when it flies in the face of all available evidence it becomes more of a case of stubborn intransigence.

England play nine Tests away to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India this year and if they are going to prevail in any of these encounters they will need to change their rigid Plan A and play two spinners.

Pakistan's spinners took nine for 112 today in Dubai and whilst that had a lot to do with the brain fade of several of their batsmen it also exposed England's six batsmen-three seamer-one spinner strategy as horribly flawed.

Fallibility

If in years to come cricket historians are to view this England side as a great one then they will need to conquer their two obvious shortcomings.

One of these is on rapid and bouncy tracks such as those they encountered in Johannesburg and Perth in 2010 where they were horribly exposed and suffered heavy losses and were bowled out in each of their four innings for under 200.

The other debilitating weakness is against subcontinental teams in their own slow and low backyards -and as it transpires the United Arab Emirates, which contrary to what you might have read is situated on the Arabian Peninsula and NOT on the subcontinent (it would seem that geography is not a strong point for the vast majority of cricket correspondents).

England have only won one of their last 17 Tests away to subcontinental sides (excepting Bangladesh, who even England can beat on their own patch) since the twin triumphs in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, when Nasser Hussain's side executed to perfection the tactics required to succeed.

If the present-day side continue to bat like they did today: tentative, clueless and impatient - Matt Prior apart - then that sorry tale will not improve soon.

...but there is hope

England are nothing if not resilient as they demonstrated in recovering from 43 for five and 94 for seven to get to 192 today. The first day at Brisbane last year saw England have a similarly disappointing first day and look how they responded then.

How good is this England side? It's too early to say, but by the end of this year we should have a much better idea.

Where next?

England will need to be bold to see off Pakistan

Responsibility and Misbah-ul-Haq

England's Dirty Dozen

Annus mirabilis: The best Test XI of 2011

Annus horribilis: The Worst Test XI of 2011

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Dear Santa... - What have these cricketers requested for Christmas?

It's that time of year again and like the rest of us, the cricket fraternity have been compiling their list of requests for Santa.

Here's what some of them may have asked for this Christmas: 

Daniel Vettori - Protection. With 2011 having seen a number of dictators leaving this mortal coil, along with President Assad of Syria, Dictator Dan is one of only a handful left

Phillip Hughes - It's not exactly been a good year for poor old Phil, so his list to Santa is bulging with wishes such as a request to rescind his decision to opt out of BBL now that he has lost his Test place, a book of the best Worcester hosteleries ahead of his stint with the county and for Chris Martin and Martin Guptill to be sent on a one-way mission to Mars

Ricky Ponting - A time machine so he can relive past glories

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - A DVD of The Great Escape and a tunnel making kit

Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard - Lucrative contracts in the new Twenty 20 leagues in Outer Mongolia, Belarus and the Falkland Islands

Stuart Law - A one way ticket from Dhaka to Brisbane

Ijaz Butt - World War III 

Kevin Pietersen and Andy Flower - A bottle of paraffin, some matches and a lorry full of Graeme Swann's autobiography

Jonathan Trott - A Bob Willis voodoo doll

Jesse Ryder, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith - A KFC bargain bucket per day for life

Shane Warne - Some humility

Kamran Akmal - A new pair of gloves made of industrial strength velcro coupled with a small accident for brother Adnan

Darren Sammy - Catching lessons from Kamran Akmal

Sachin Tendulkar - Something about a 100th hundred. Not quite sure what that is all about

Shane Watson and Zaheer Khan - New bodies in time for the Boxing Day Test.

Where next?

Chasing Sachin by Adam Carroll-Smith | Book Review

Jack Hobbs by Leo McKinstry | Book review

Check out some of our Cricket XIs: They also played cricket, Rugger Buggers, Cricketing Criminals , A team of cricketers that died young, The Worst Australia Ashes XI of the last 30 years, The Worst England Ashes XI of the last 30 years

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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Who should England pick to face Pakistan?

It's been a long time since England played a Test match - 22nd August to be precise when they completed a resounding 4-0 victory over India at The Oval. 

Since then every other Test playing country - even regrettably Zimbabwe - have been in action whilst the likes of Andrew Strauss have taken to their sofas, inserted their pipes and caught up with the first series of Danish sensation Forbrydelsen (that's The Killing to you and us) on BBC 4. 

England's next assignment as they look to cement their position as the number one ranked side is in the unlikely surroundings of the United Arab Emirates where a three Test series with a rapidly improving Pakistan starts on January 17th in Dubai. 

Whilst there is a whole host of mince pies, mulled wine and other festive delights to negotiate before then, the encounter with Team Misbah will come closer into view with the announcement of the touring party this Friday. 

The selectors don't have any injuries of any significance to worry about but they will need to factor into their deliberations what make-up will be required for the slow turners that will likely be prepared for the 'home' side and their wily spinner Saeed Ajmal. 

England will have to make serious consideration to foregoing their usual six batsmen policy to play two spinners in each of the three Tests. Either that or they retain a four man attack of either three seamers and one spinner or two seamers and two spinners. The squad they name will need to cover each of these eventualities.

With the six frontline batsmen picking themselves, the discussions will centre on identifying the spare batsman, back-up keeper to Matt Prior, two spinners to accompany Graeme Swann and whether to pick four or five seamers.

The spare batsman will probably be Ravi Bopara, although we'd opt for James Taylor. The keeper will be one of Steven Davies (back-up Test keeper in the last touring party, but who hasn't been seen since), Craig Kieswetter or Jonathan Bairstow (who could double up as the spare batsman) with Davies getting our vote as he is the best keeper of the three. 

The choice of seamers will likely be in order of preference James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and if a fifth quick is required Steve Finn with Graham Onions next to step in. 

The most interesting decision will be in the spin department. Monty Panesar is by some distance the second best spinner in the country and also has experience on his side, but the selectors seem to like Scott Borthwick and it cannot be a coincidence that Samit Patel announced only a few days ago that he was withdrawing from the IPL auction to concentrate on securing a Test spot.

Borthwick is a big spinner of the ball, can bat and has the added bonus of being a leg-spinner. If England play a second spinner instead of a sixth batsman than Patel could slot in at seven behind Prior. But both are probably not quite Test class yet, so Panesar plus Patel seems the best option to us. 

Of course this could have been the tour to blood Adil Rashid, but he has fallen out of favour with the selectors and had an erractic season with Yorkshire last summer, so once again he will have to sit on the sidelines.

Make no doubt, Pakistan will be a tough proposition for England - as they were in 2005 just a few weeks after that famous Ashes triumph - and the selectors will need to ensure that Strauss and Andy Flower have the requisite resources and flexibility in the squad to combat the steely Misbah and his rapidly improving Pakistan side. 

Our 17 man squad: Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Taylor, Prior, Davies, Swann, Panesar, Patel, Bresnan, Broad, Anderson, Tremlett and Finn.

Where next?

Andy Flower and the curse of autobiographies

Spot-fixing: What should the ICC do next?

Is this the greatest England XI of the last 30 years?

England v India: England series marks out of 10

The England cricket team's newest recruit from South Africa

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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Andy Flower and the curse of autobiographies

Living as we do in the age of celebrity, it is perhaps no surprise that many top-level sportsmen and women cash in by publishing an autobiography long before they retire thus providing at least one opportunity for an updated edition when they finally do.

So, Graeme Swann is by no means the first and will certainly not be the last cricketer to do this and being the straightforward and honest man that he is, his forthcoming autobiography ‘The Breaks are Off’ have certainly ruffled a few feathers.

In the extracts of the book to be published to date, Swann gives a pretty damning indictment of Kevin Pietersen’s leadership qualities and brief spell as England captain.

We’re not sure that this is a sensible route for Swann to take as such a move could threaten the team spirit and togetherness of the squad, which has been a major factor in achieving home and away Ashes wins, this summer’s thrashing of India and the subsequent rise to the top of the Test rankings.

And it seems that Andy Flower agrees with us, saying just a few days ago that:

"I personally don't think that it's a good idea for current players to be talking about their fellow players. The written word does come across very, very differently - when you can't judge a person's tone.”

Once again Flower is spot on with his assessment and it is perhaps fortunate that Pietersen’s reaction has been dignified and the morale and unity of the dressing room doesn’t seem to have been affected.

But there will come a time when such an episode leads to a falling out between two or more players and that could have a devastating effect on the future performance of the side, so it is to be hoped that other England players planning books heed the words of their coach and put the pen to one side until their time representing their country has ended.

But we won’t be holding our breath...

Where next?

Jack Hobbs by Leo McKinstry | Book review

Ten reasons to love Graeme Swann

Eight reasons to love Kevin Pietersen

Cricket Heroes: Andy Flower

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Ashes to Ashes: England's Rugby World Cup team fail to take inspiration from their cricket brethren

 
The last England side to travel to the Antipodes for a major sporting event were thoroughly prepared, impeccably behaved and executed well-laid plans to perfection to bring home the Ashes.

The difference between the cricket side expertly cajoled by Andy Flower and the car-crash that was Martin Johnson's bumbling Rugby World Cup squad could not be more stark.

There can be no excuses on the quantity of preparation time allowed to Johnson and his coaches. But it would seem that they didn't use it well: with inconsistency in selection, regular indiscretions off the field and a seeming lack of belief amongst the squad leading to the inevitable early exit - against a disunited France of all teams.

On a weekend when England's football side stumbled over the qualification line for next year's European Championships and its star player showed a level of indiscipline that beggared belief, it made Englishmen all over the world say thank God for Andrew Strauss and his merry men. 

Where next?

An XI of cricketers who were also Rugger Buggers

Why it is much easier to support England's cricket rather than football side

If cricketers were footballers...

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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The rehabilitation of Stuart Broad

No current England cricketer - even Kevin Pietersen - has been vilified as much as Stuart Broad this summer.

Up until the start of this Test, he has had a wretched summer - bowling poorly and attracting attention for all the wrong reasons - namely regular shows of dissent and his irritating habit of celebrating before turning to appeal to the umpire.

We have received many comments and Tweets pleading for Broad to be dropped, but up until the start of this series, we had resisted the temptation to join in. 

We remembered The Oval and Durban in 2009, where two devastating spells by Broad had helped England regain the Ashes and win a famous victory against South Africa. 

But the return of Tim Bresnan to the squad after injury was (or so we thought) the perfect opportunity to give Broad a chance to regain some form in County Cricket.

Thankfully we were wrong and the selectors chose to stick with Broad with Andy Flower given him a clear instruction to forget all the rubbish about being England's enforcer.

Broad has bowled a fuller length at Lord's - just as he did in those aformentioned Test at The Oval and Durban - and has been rewarded handsomely. Indeed, he has been England's best bowler thus far - although Chris Tremlett's remarkable battle with Sachin Tendulkar showed the extent of Tremlett's rapid elevation to the top echelon of current Test fast bowlers.

Broad certainly doesn't lack talent - his innings of 74 not out showed once again his all-round credentials - but he does seem to lack a bit between the ears if the amount of short-pitched bowling in the Sri Lanka series is anything to go by.  So Flower's timely reminder and Broad's admirable response has probably saved his immediate place in the XI.

More of the same from Broad today and England should be celebrating a 1-0 lead come the end of what has been a truly engrossing Test match.

Where next?

Kevin Pietersen, Wally Hammond, Len Hutton and Test double hundreds

Zaheer Khan: He came, he saw, he conquered....he got injured

Cricket heroes: Henry Blofeld

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Read all our County Cricket coverage

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England are the new Australia

 

As England fans we remember too well at the Reverse Sweep how often the dominant Australian side would snatch Test match victory from the jaws of defeat.

We lost count of the number of times that when they had slipped to three or four down for not very many, Steve Waugh or Adam Gilchrist would put their side back into the ascendency by grinding or blasting a hundred respectively. McGrath, Warne and co would then do the rest.

Happily, England have now developed similar good habits.

At first under the Flower-Strauss axis, England learned how to save Test matches from seemingly impossible situations. The trio of glorious nine-wicket down draws at Cardiff 2009, Centurion 2009 and Newlands 2010 provide ample enough evidence of that.

Now when England have to save a Test they do it with a bit more panache. And you don’t do that more emphatically than England did at Brisbane last November. 517/1 indeed.

England have now moved to the next level. At Trent Bridge and Lord’s last summer, England were in real trouble against Pakistan’s excellent bowling attack.

But they recovered in style. At Trent Bridge, it was Morgan and Collingwood in the 1st innings, and Prior in the 2nd. Whilst at Lord’s, it was that massive stand between Trott and Broad that took the Test and a drawn series away from Pakistan.

Yesterday’s first day at Lord’s provided another example of England’s resolve. First Cook and Bell played the Waugh part  to repair from a precarious 22/3, before Morgan and Prior assumed the Gilchrist role and blasted England into the ascendency by the close of play. England’s bowlers will probably do the rest over the coming days.

A sign of an excellent cricket side is the ability to turn games around in a blink of an eye. England can do that now. As can India – the final Test of the tour to Sri Lanka last summer being just one example – so the forthcoming Test series promises to be a real clash of the titans.

Where next?

Jack Hobbs by Leo McKinstry | Book review

1st Test, Cardiff: England marks out of 10

County Championship XI of the week #9

2nd Test Preview: Lord's - Imperious England target series win

Cricket Heroes: Jack Hobbs

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1st Test: Cardiff - Preview: England reach for the feel good hit of summer

 
The first Test of the English summer has always been an historic event and this year is no different as England embark on their first Test action since that wonderful Ashes triumph down under.

We’ve already written why Sri Lanka should not be underestimated, but talk of England's quest to become the number one Test side in the world shows no sign of abating.

Even Sri Lankan coach Stuart Law has been at it saying that over the last eighteen months “I believe England are the best team in Test cricket”. Whether he truly means that or if it is simply a case of Law getting his excuses in early awaits to be seen.

Certainly, we will know a lot more about how close England are to achieving their goal by the end of the summer given that current top ranked side India visit English shores for a four test series after Sri Lanka have departed.

India are yet to lose a series in eleven under the leadership of MS Dhoni, but England also have a long unbeaten run stretching back to the Caribbean in 2009 where the first series of the Strauss-Flower axis was lost. Since then the pair have overseen home and away wins over Australia and Bangladesh, as well as home victories over Pakistan and West Indies and a creditable drawn series in South Africa.

But India can wait for now as the series with Sri Lanka promises to be a tasty and intriguing hors d’oeuvre.

Likely line-ups

Now that the Morgan vs Bopara contest has been settled in favour of England’s adopted Irishman, the only question mark over England’s final XI is between Chris Tremlett and Steve Finn. In our view, it is the Surrey giant who should get the nod to build on his pivotal role in the last three Ashes Tests.

Things are not so clear with the Sri Lankan line-up. Nuwan Pradeep has gone home with injury and there is a doubt over Dilhara Fernando. Farveez Maharoof, who has been called into the squad from Lancashire will probably play.

Look out for…

As usual a lot of the focus in the build-up to the Test has been on Kevin Pietersen, with some in the media suggesting that he could be dropped for India if he fails to shine. Pietersen has said that he has got the bug back, so the RS expects him to build on a successful Ashes series where he averaged over 60 and hit that magnificent double hundred at Adelaide.

It will be interesting to see how Tillakaratne Dilshan fares as Sri Lanka’s new captain. He has made a good start with two wins and a hundred in each of the warm-up games. He has the experience of former captains Sangakkara and Jayawardene to call upon should he need it, but even so it will be a real test to see how he works with what is an inexperienced and largely unproven bowling attack.

Previously at Cardiff

This is only the second Test to be held at Sophia Gardens, and this Test will have to go a long way to match the finish of the inaugural Test in 2009 where Paul Collingwood, Monty Panesar and James Anderson memorably led England’s Great Escape against Australia.

Sri Lanka’s record in England is two wins, three draws and four defeats from nine matches, with both wins (The Oval 1998 and Trent Bridge 2006) being engineered by Muralitharan. How they fare without their spin genius, is just one of the many posers of what promises to be a fascinating series.

Stat attack

Kumar Sangakkara is criminally underrated despite a Test average of over 57. His stats are even more impressive when he doesn’t have the added burden of keeping wicket - a Bradmanesque 76.52 from 46 Tests sans gloves.

Since being rested from the tour of Bangladesh in early 2010, James Anderson has taken 56 wickets at 20.78 in 11 Tests. With a strong battery of quicks to call upon, expect rest and rotation to become a feature of England’s selection over the summer.

Prediction

Earlier this week, we had a hunch that this could be Sri Lanka’s match, but with the pitch likely to favour the batsmen and rain forecast throughout the game, the draw seems the most likely result.

Where next?

Seven reasons why England should not underestimate Sri Lanka

Read all the excerpts of KP's Summer of Cricket Diary

10 reasons why Ian Botham may have worn sunglasses at the premiere of 'From the Ashes'

Eoin Morgan has got "it"

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Eoin Morgan has got "it"

 

We're pretty sure that Roy Orbison didn't have England's adopted Irishman in mind when he penned "You've Got It", but Eoin Morgan definitely has "it".

Despite reportedly falling behind Ravi Bopara in the running to be the replacement for Paul Collingwood in England's Test XI, and having not played a first-class match in 2011 thanks to him prioritising the IPL, Morgan would have given the selectors a timely reminder of his qualities at Derby yesterday.

Whilst Bopara fell for just 17, Morgan racked up a big ton and will be intent on reaching 200 as the Lions resume their innings this morning.

Will Morgan's big hundred have done anything to have changed Andy Flower's mind? Probably not, but Morgan has once again showed that he has the appetite for the big stage and the perfect temperament required to be successful in international cricket - two of the biggest concerns with regards to Bopara.

A borderline decision made even tougher for the selectors and don't count out James Taylor either. He drew the short straw in being asked to open and then compiled a useful 76. As we've said before, the diminuitive Taylor will play 100 Tests - remember where you read it first!

Where next?

Who should get the vote to be England's new number six batsman?

Who should make the England Lions XI to play the Sri Lankans?

So, Eoin Morgan is a test batsman after all

Lionel Messi & Eoin Morgan - Masters at Work

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Three captains, Ken, Barbie and a whole lot of confusion

 
England now has more cricket captains than Osama bin Laden had wives, so just why have they gone down this route? The Reverse Sweep has been on the case.

The anointed successor

England clearly see Alastair Cook as Andrew Strauss’ eventual successor as Test captain. With Strauss wanting to give up ODIs, that created vacancies for a captain and an opening batsman. Who do the selectors go to? The man who they see as Strauss' anointed heir - even if he wasn’t actually in the ODI squad for the recent World Cup? Or do they pick their best ODI XI first and then choose a captain afterwards?

Having already nailed their colours to Cook, the selectors probably felt they had no choice but to give him the ODI job. Even if they felt it would be stretching credibility too far to give him the T20 gig as well - hence the entirely compromise solution of three captains.

Sending a subliminal message to prospective AV voters

It cannot be coincidence that the ECB made the announcement on the same day the nation was voting in a referendum to change the electoral voting system. The Reverse Sweep can only deduce that the ECB prefers first past the post as (if supporters of the current FPTP system are to be believed), this is exactly the sort of unworkable compromise that AV is likely to produce.

Ken and Barbie mania

Has anyone else noticed that Ken and Barbie are now the captains of the England ODI and T20 sides? If you don’t believe us look at the picture above. Has anyone actually seen Cook and Broad in the same room as Ken and Barbie? Thought not.

Is Andy Flower the new Henry VIII?

Andy Flower is now halfway to emulating one of England’s most notorious rulers, but whilst Henry VIII famously had six wives, at least he had the decency to only have one at a time. How is Flower going to manage with three captains at the same time? Will one of Strauss, Cook and Broad meet the same grisly fate as Anne Boleyn or Katherine Howard? Watch this space.

Spare a thought for…

Ian Bell - arguably a better choice to lead the ODI and T20 teams especially given his impressive and innovative leadership of Warwickshire to the CB40 crown last summer.

You may also like to spare a thought (but we doubt it) for Kevin Pietersen, who has about as much chance of leading England in any form of the game again as Nick Clegg has of regaining his credibility. It doesn't matter whether it is AV or FPTP - there were still no votes from the England selectors for KP.

Where next?

Should Alastair Cook be England's new ODI captain?

Is it time for the County Championship equivalent of Match Of The Day?

Lay off England after World Cup proves a bridge too far

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Lay off England after World Cup proves a bridge too far

Two days later and England’s thumping defeat against Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter final doesn’t feel any better.

Defeat by ten wickets with 63 balls still remaining is about as comprehensive as it gets.

Whilst England’s batsmen looked like they were batting on treacle, Dilshan and Tharanga never looked in any trouble as they cruised to victory.

The recriminations are in full swing. Whispers about Strauss’ future as ODI captain and the wholesale replacement of others abound.

The painful truth is that England simply weren’t good enough. They blundered through the group stages and failed to put in even one commanding performance.

But whilst the likes of Willis, Botham and Boycott will no doubt baulk at the idea, England never had a chance of success at this World Cup because of the ridiculous poisoned chalice of a schedule they were handed this winter.

Sure, England lacked match-winners and key players like Anderson underperformed, but these guys were dead on their feet.

Whoever agreed to a schedule that saw some players spend just three days at home between arriving back from Australia and embarking to the holding camp in Dubai for the World Cup needs to be summarily sacked.

Lest it not be forgotten, England won an Ashes series down under for the first time in 24 years this winter. The successful campaign was meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed.

But not unsurprisingly, these efforts had a physical, mental and emotional strain on the players.

Fatigue leads to injuries and England’s one day squad doesn’t have the strength in depth to cope with the absence of the likes of Broad, Pietersen and Shahzad.

Of those that remained, Anderson was a virtual imposter such was the emptiness of his tank and the likes of Bell, Prior and Swann all fell significantly from the peaks they reached during the Ashes series.

Perhaps with hindsight, England’s first choice players should have flown home for a much needed break immediately after the Ashes series finished in Sydney.

Then a second-string ODI squad could have battled for the final World Cup squad places in the utterly pointless seven match series with Australia.

But contracts between the cricket boards of Australia and England doubtless prevented that.

The schedule is not an excuse for England’s failure, but it is a reason. England aren’t good enough at ODI cricket either – especially in a World Cup in sub-continental conditions, which negated their main strengths further.

But before casting stones at Strauss, Flower and co, do remember that the main prize this winter – the urn – has been secured and whilst yet another World Cup campaign has ended in disappointment, it was always going to be a bridge too far.  

Where next?

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

Heroes: Bob Willis

An XI of unlikely World Cup heroes and a not so heroic 12th man

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

What have we learned so far from the Cricket World Cup?

 
Finally, it is over. The Hundred Years War lasted for less time than the group stages of the World Cup; or so it seemed anyway.

But what have we learned so far?

• No-one seems to want to win the tournament – there is no outstanding side and several mediocre ones
• South Africa look the best balanced team and appear to be marginal favourites – but can they win their first knockout match ever in a World Cup? Or will the ‘c’ word raise its ugly head again?
• England are the most exciting, entertaining and unpredictable side in the tournament – eat your heart out, Pakistan.
• Shahid Afridi has proved to be a much better captain and galvanising force than anyone could ever have predicted.
• Given the batting collapses against England, South Africa and West Indies, India seem to be feeling the pressure of winning on home turf.
• Love him or loathe him, but Ricky Ponting is probably only one defeat away from retirement.
• Two groups of seven was a very bad idea. Keep the minnows and have four groups of four instead.
• England are the only side left in the competition who are unbeaten against the other quarter-finalists – just don’t mention Ireland and Bangladesh.
• Being the coach driver of the victorious opposition is an extremely hazardous vocation in Bangladesh.
• Don’t bowl filth to Ross Taylor and expect to get away with it.
• Ryan ten Doeschate is the next South African on Andy Flower’s wish list.
• George Dockrell is the next Irishman on Andy Flower’s wish list.
• You wouldn’t want a wounded Kevin Pietersen next to you in the trenches.
• Matt Prior is not a good choice to open the batting.
• James Anderson is knackered.
• Bob Willis and Jonathan Trott are not on each others Christmas Card list
• Asking Graeme Swann to bowl with a wet ball is worse than telling him that his cat is stuck under the floorboards.
• Kamran Akmal really is the worst wicketkeeper in the history of cricket.
• This World Cup is very difficult to predict, but here goes. Pakistan, India, South Africa and England (it would be folly to bet against them at the moment and yes, we know we predicted Sri Lanka would win the World Cup at the outset) to make the semi-finals.

Where next?

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

Heroes: Bob Willis

Zeroes: Kamran Akmal

An XI of unlikely World Cup heroes and a not so heroic 12th man

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

England obviously don't want to win the World Cup; so what are they trying to do?

 
Due to our recent sojourn back to the UK, we haven’t seen much World Cup action in the last ten days, but it is inexplicably clear that England are the most entertaining (if some distance from the best) side in the tournament.

Indeed, it would seem that unlike the other 13 teams battling it out on the sub-continent, England are the only side not trying to win the bloody World Cup.

England’s aims are much more noble:

1. Save ODI cricket

With Twenty 20 threatening to surpass and eventually replace its more sedate 50 over cousin, England seem to be on a one-team mission to save it from extinction. Whether it is squeezing past The Netherlands, sensationally tying with India, coming back from the dead against South Africa or snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Ireland and Bangladesh, no cricket fan dare take their eyes off England in this World Cup. Who needs the IPL?

2. Save the Associate Nations from a World Cup cull

With Ricky Ponting stating his opposition to the presence of the Associates, Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower would appear to have not been able to resist yet another opportunity to wind up the hapless Australian skipper. In conceding 292 runs to The Netherlands and then allowing Ireland to reach a victory target of 329, England have shown up the ICC’s decision to cull the Associates from the next World Cup as an inept and foolhardy move. They even managed to make Canada look good in the warm-up before the tournament - and that takes some doing.

3. Make friends with David Attenborough  

It’s a little known fact that as well as being the world’s most foremost naturalist, David Attenborough is also a patron of the Optimum Population Trust (OPT) think-tank. The OPT believes that the population of the UK should be 20 million (rather than 60+ million) and argues that population growth represents a far bigger problem to the world than global warming (and they are not wrong there). Strauss and Flower obviously agree. The number of heart attack victims that must have resulted from the photo-finishes to each of England’s five matches thus far must now be touching 5 million. Another close finish against West Indies and Attenborough could be bringing out the bunting.

4. Be awarded the tag of the great entertainers

Let's face it before the tournament started no-one would have had England down as the most flamboyant and exciting side. A Pakistan side always prone to self-destruction? Yes. India's stellar batting line-up? Maybe. Australia's all-out pace attack? Possibly. But surely not a normally steady and efficient England side containing the likes of Strauss, Trott and Collingwood in its batting line-up? It just goes to show how wrong you can be. England are now like the French rugby team - brilliant one minute, woeful the next. And who'd have thought that?

Where next?

Read about our cricket heroes and zeroes

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Cricket Heroes: Henry Olonga

Henry Olonga was a decent(ish) bowler for Zimbabwe around the time when they reached their peak as a test playing nation at the end of the 1990s, taking 68 wickets at 38.5. But it is not his feats as a slightly wayward fast bowler that make him a Reverse Sweep hero. Nor is it his music, which isn't quite to our taste.

No, Olonga is a real authentic hero for the stand that he took, along with Andy Flower during the 2003 World Cup, which took place in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Their decision to wear black armbands to mark the 'death of democracy' in Zimbabwe was the most memorable moment of what was an overlong and fairly tedious World Cup.

It certainly provoked fury amongst President Mugabe and his shadowy henchmen. Olonga bore the brunt of the repercussions including excommunication from the team, death threats and subsequent exile. But he bore his fate with customary decency and with a smile on his face. As we said, a true hero.

Where next?

Heroes: Andy Flower

Read about our other cricket heroes and zeroes

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Why Kevin Pietersen opening the batting in the World Cup is a very good idea

 
A few weeks ago whilst bemoaning England’s atrocious form in the never-ending ODI series with Australia, we suggested on Twitter that Kevin Pietersen should be promoted to open the batting for the World Cup.

We didn’t for a minute think that Messrs Flower and Strauss would be reading, but perhaps they were?

We at The Reverse Sweep believe that his bold move (albeit belated) makes a lot of sense. Here are a few reasons why…

He thrives a new challenge

KP seems the type of guy who thrives on a new challenge being someone who gets easily bored with the mundane. We can empathise with that, given that we yearn for a fresh adventure from our sleepy work-by-numbers IT Sales position. KP’s ODI form may have been stale over the last couple of years, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see him flourish in his new role. Just as he did when facing a vociferously hostile South African crowd in his first proper taste of international cricket in 2005 or when he made his test bow in the Ashes of the same year. Pietersen tends to swim rather than sink, when thrown in at the deep end.   

He likes to be the main man

Perhaps it is a coincidence, but KP’s form for England has been heading in the wrong direction just as some of his team mates have stepped up to show that England’s batting is not a one-man show. In ODI, Eoin Morgan has usurped KP as England’s most important batsman, but with the Irishman injured and KP’s ego no doubt boosted by his promotion up the order, Flower’s punt has a good chance of paying off.

He can take advantage of the Powerplay overs

The Powerplay overs will be crucial in this World Cup as once the ball gets softer, runs will be much harder to find. Is there anyone better than KP to get the England innings off to a flier? We can’t think of anyone better in the current line-up.

He isn’t a wicket-keeper – thank God

KP’s promotion to open with Strauss consigns (temporarily at least) one of the longest running and most unsuccessful experiments in the recent history of the England ODI team. That is the strange obsession of the keeper having to open the batting. Matt Prior in particular, has had enough chances first up for it to be blindingly obvious that he is not suited to the role – far better to have him down the order to add some momentum in the later overs.

KP scores hundreds

Ok not for a while, but he does have seven one day centuries to his name. As Virender Sehwag showed against Bangladesh, if your opener scores a hundred you are more likely than not to win a ODI match. KP seems best equipped in the England line-up to perform a similar role and with a career ODI strike rate of 87, if he does get a hundred; he is likely to do it quickly.  

He is still England’s best ODI batsman

His crown may have slipped in the last few years, but with Morgan absent, Pietersen is England’s best ODI batsman. He once averaged over 50 in the format – a phenomenal feat. Ok he is now down to a more modest 41, but now that he has up to 50 overs each innings expect that figure to rise sharply over the next few weeks.

He loves the big stage

KP was voted player of the tournament in last year’s World T20. He likes to strut like a peacock on the big stage. And his World Cup record is very good - he averages over 55 from his nine matches with two hundreds and three fifties. Flower’s decision is starting to look wiser by the minute.

Why not?

England’s recent World Cup record is shocking and they have been looking for a dominant opener in the 50 over game ever since the enforced retirement of Marcus Trescothick. Fortune favours the brave, so with any luck Flower and Strauss will be rewarded for their bold move.

Where next?

World Cup Team Previews: Part 5 - England: How far can resilience take them?

An XI of players likely to bid a fond farewell to ODI after the World Cup

Our XI to shine at the World Cup

The Quest for the Holy Gilchrist

ODI Series vs Australia - England marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including Marcus Trescothick, Paul Collingwood, Virender Sehwag and Andy Flower

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

ODI Series: England marks out of 10

 
Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss are probably as pleased as we are here at the Reverse Sweep that the ridiculously elongated one day series is over. Never again, must England agree to play a seven match ODI series especially straight after a long and tiring Ashes series.

Not only has morale been sapped by a 6-1 caning at the hands of Australia, but injuries to several key players means that their World Cup hopes potentially lie in tatters.

England used a mind-boggling 19 players over the course of the series. Here's how they rate out of ten:

Andrew Strauss (179 runs at 25.57, 2 fifties, SR 82.48) - 5: Reached 63 twice but other than that the captain had a poor series with his muddled thinking in the field indicative of England's malaise.

Stephen Davies (42 runs at 21, SR 102.43) - 4: Hit a streaky 42 in the first match and was promptly then dropped from the World Cup squad to make room for Prior. Must be wondering what he has done to offend the selectors.

Matt Prior (138 runs at 23.00, 1 fifty, SR 90.19) - 4: England's obsession that their wicketkeeper has to open is doing Prior a dis-service as he would be much better employed down the order. Fell cheaply to the pace of Lee three times. 

Jonathan Trott (375 runs at 62.50, 2 100s, 1 50, SR 81.69) - 9: The leading run-scorer in the series scored over twice as many runs as any other England batsman. His 137 at Sydney in the sixth match was a great one day innings and proved that he could change gears when required.

Kevin Pietersen (185 runs at 30.83, 1 50, SR 90.24) - 5: Started like a dream in the first match at Melbourne before being run out by Mitchell Johnson's passable imitation of Wayne Rooney. Thereafter, KP disappointed getting out to a hopeless shot on more than one occasion.

Ian Bell (154 runs at 22.00, SR 70.00) - 3: Looked a million dollars when scoring a hundred against the Prime Minister's XI in the warm-up as an opener, and was then promptly moved down the order for the entire series.  Should open in the World Cup.

Eoin Morgan (106 runs at 17.66, SR 80.30) - 2: Was understandably rusty at the start of the series after three months of twiddling his fingers and carrying drinks, but failed to get into nick before breaking a digit to put his World Cup spot in jeopardy. Another who found some truly horrible ways of getting out.

Paul Collingwood (53 runs at 17.66, SR 86.88; 4 wickets at 20.75, ER 3.32) - 6: Started the series on the sidelines, but the break didn't do his batting much good. His bowling though was a revelation, being the only man on either side to have an economy rate of less than four runs per over.

Luke Wright (56 runs at 28.00, SR 86.15; no wickets, ER 5.36) - 2: Not even a bits and pieces player and how he can be in the World Cup squad ahead of Bopara defies belief.

Tim Bresnan (4 wickets at 27.00, ER 5.68; 47 runs at 23.50, SR 87.03) - 5: Broke down after two matches to join England's walking wounded and may now have lost his spot to Collingwood for the World Cup.

Michael Yardy (5 wickets at 60.20, ER 5.57; 137 runs at 45.66, SR 84.04) - 3: A couple of useful knocks with the bat could not hide the Sussex captain's ineffectiveness with the ball. A weak link in England's World Cup armoury.

James Tredwell (1 match, 16 runs and 0/44) - 1: Has Samit Patel's love of chapatis to thank for even getting one match. England effectively have a 14 man squad for the World Cup given Tredwell's presence in the squad. Maybe it is better to have someone who eats pies rather than bowls them?

Graeme Swann (1 match, 1/42 and 4 runs): 4: Another to fall victim to the injury curse and how England missed Swann's potency and control with the ball. Hopefully, he will now be rested and raring to go for the World Cup where England's fortunes are likely to improve of Swann fires.

Chris Woakes (7 wickets at 21.28, ER 5.65; 20 runs at 10.00, SR 50.00) - 5: Experienced the highs and lows of international cricket with 6/45 at Brisbane before being walloped for 73 runs in 9.2 wicketless overs in the next match at Sydney. One for the future.

Liam Plunkett (1 match, 2/49 and 20 runs) - 5: Plunkett came from a galaxy far, far away (i.e. the Caribbean) for the final match in Perth and defied jet lag to put in a creditable performance.

Ajmal Shahzad (6 wickets at 40.50, ER 5.15) - 3: Bowled excellently in Hobart, before fading away and then becoming another to pick up an injury. Shows promise but is maybe not as good as many are saying.

Chris Tremlett (6 wickets at 33.50, ER 5.20) - 5: Left out of the World Cup squad and then promptly bowled brilliantly at Hobart to take 3/22. Yet another England bowler who picked up an injury.

James Anderson (7 wickets at 34.00, ER 5.95) - 4: Was given a break back home for the first three matches and must have wished he'd have stayed there after being smashed for 91 runs at Sydney, before bouncing back with 3/48 at Perth.

Steve Finn (3 wickets at 56.33, ER 5.63) - 4: Bowled better than his figures suggest and really enjoyed himself with the bat in Brisbane.

Where next?

Reaction to England's World Cup Squad

An XI of cricketers that died young

Zeroes: Salman Butt

The best Test XI of 2010

The worst Test XI of 2010

4-0 to Jonathan Trott 

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep