English cricket – the winners & losers
After the report into the Ashes debacle the winners and losers have emerged.
The clearest winner is skipper Joe Root.
There seems no viable alternative. He is by some distance our most effective batter and is popular in the group.
So he stays with if anything his position strengthened.
His weakness is that tactically he cannot cut it.
Paul Collingwood is temporary head coach.
If there is a drinking culture he would contribute to it.
He is a decent guy, popular in the group and as a player could play white and red ball cricket at the highest level.
The biggest losers are Ashley Giles and Chris Silverwood.
Ashley Giles was a competent Test player who, like many an English spin bowler, could do not much more than hold an end, could be relied on to make 20 runs but as an executive/administrator was out of his depth.
In particular the decision to invest all power in Chris Silverwood and dispense with Chairman of Selectors Ed Smith proved ill- advised.
Silverwood did very well at Essex was unlucky not to have the services of Jofra Archer, Olly Stone and Ben Stokes but the Aussies lost key men too.
Selection and handling of players were baffling.
Olly Pope has not matured and Ollie Robinson is struggling.
Joss Buttler only looks effective in the white ball so surely Ben Foakes must be recalled.
Quite why Graham Thorpe had to take a video of England players drinking and – worse – distribute it is equally baffling.
He did not get the Middlesex Head Coach role and we may have heard the last of him.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison is the David Steel of English cricket.
His skill lies in being a crafty politician to whom nothing sticks but, like many such people, he is more adept in staying in office than creating any meaningful policy or achievement there.
After a pathetic performance before the Commons Select Committee I thought he might step down but no.
41 employees in the ECB have been made redundant but Harrison emerges with a fat bonus.
He likes his modern management speak and could be said to be ‘moving forward ‘
Waiting in the wings is Aussie coach Justin Langer who has recently resigned.
I remember him at Middlesex for having some forthright comments on the lack of competitiveness and fitness of his team mates.
He certainly would not brook any interference but I can foresee concern in potentially having two Aussie coaches in cricket and rugby
Talking to the rugby boys on the Rust, cricket is not alone in poor direction.
Eddie Jones is in his job till 2023 despite having no recent success.
I suspect the Lawn Tennis Federation, British Cycling and the FA are not much better.
English cricket needs to address whether it’s taking the red ball or white ball route or – if players can be found who can cross over – as India, New Zealand and Australian have done.
The problem is that I see little vision in the set up.
