Posts under topic: ‘Test Cricket’

South Africa are just about the best team in the world right now. England are hopeful, but in reality they have got their work cut out. Here’s what they have to do to overcome the odds.

Nowadays the umpire is viewed not as the gate-keeper of the integrity of the sport but, it seems, as an anachronistic, error-prone technophobe. David Shepherd is undoubtedly held as the former, well respected both by those within the game and those watching from their armchairs. So his death at the age of 68 will be mourned by all those who remember him so fondly.

Shane Warne has a habit of saying things in the press that English cricket does not want to hear and that come back to bite us. Remember what he said about Ravi Bopara before the Ashes? Five months after becoming England’s latest pre-ordained Ashes hero, RavBop didn’t even make it into the Performance Programme.

So when Warne writes in his Times column that England will ruin Stuart Broad, now a bona-fide Ashes hero, we should start to worry. A lot.

I have been trying to figure out what I make of the “revelation” that Andrew Strauss might not be going to Bangladesh. On the one hand you think “ok, he deserves a break, the Ashes aren’t so far away, give him a rest and keep him fresh”. On the other you think “England should send their best side, and show Bangladesh some respect, come what may”. I’m still not sure.

The selection of Luke Wright and Liam Plunkett for England’s tour of South Africa this winter will surprise many. The lack of reserve batsmen suggests that England will continue with Prior at six and five bowlers. Steven Davies is the reserve wicketkeeper, and Adil Rashid will understudy Graeme Swann.

Whilst all England basks in the glow of an Ashes win, we may have overlooked the fact that there is some cricket going on between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The England management, beginning with Andrew Strauss have been very careful to highlight that the Ashes win is only one milestone along the road to Test domination. And rightly so. So how do England continue to build from this point onwards? Where can they improve? And how do they cope with the loss of Flintoff?

The Ashes was a fascinating series, but it will not be remembered for the quality of the umpiring. With the referral system to be phased in by the ICC, should they be looking to technology or just improving the quality of the umpires? I feel that there is an argument for both.

Whilst everyone ponders who the key man was for England in the Ashes, and most would probably go for Andrew Strauss, let’s take a moment to think about the contribution of their recently appointed team director.

England have won the Ashes, and the nation rejoices and 2005 can now finally be looked upon as a fond memory. But, as we celebrate, England must learn the lesson from their previous triumph over Australia – don’t get carried away.