Don’t criticise them for doing what we ask them to do

Second LV= Insurance Test, Edgbaston (day one of five) – England 258-7: Burns 81, Lawrence 67*

For several years England looked for an opener that did not exist. The selectors finally gave up on trying to turn Alex Hales or Jason Roy into David Warner, and started picking genuine openers. Guess what? The ‘fans’ still moan.

I understand that the pundits have a job, and that is to evaluate what they see. To highlight poor decision making or poor technique is part of that job. But the pundits also bemoaned the lack of ‘gritty’ openers since Sir Andrew Strauss stepped down. So I find it quite galling when they criticise the England openers for doing what we have have asked them to do – which is to ‘dig in’, Mike Atherton style. I have been really disappointed at the criticism by David Lloyd (on Sky) of Dom Sibley at Lords and Edgebaston. We cannot criticise Roy for playing loose drives then criticise Sibley for doing the opposite. What is it that we actually want?

As for the fans, well they can say what they like, it is a free county after all. Players claim to not be influenced by the media, but that was rubbish years ago and is rubbish now. Some players, such as Sir Alistair Cook, avoid social media entirely, but even Cook knew when social media was calling for him to be sacked as captain. The noise gets through eventually. And that is why I am sad to see criticism of England for doing the opposite of what we used to criticise them for doing. The problem is that the players get to the point where they do not know whether to ‘stick or twist’.

The other problem is that we were rather spoiled, pretty much from 2004 through to 2013, perhaps to 2015. Look at the quality of batting line up England could put out through that period. Consider Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell…

In 2021, England just do not have that level of technique and temperament available. Instead, England have to pick the best options available and give them time to grow. Having picked Sibley, we know we are going to get someone who will bat and bat, whatever his strike rate. Root correctly chose to back his players at Lords, rather than pretend they were another set of players that could have chased 270 on the last day. All of the pundits seem to have chosen the same pretence. In my view, that Lords chase was never even worthy of consideration. People compared it to England at The Oval in 2013, but the situation bares no comparrison. In that game, The Ashes were safe (though not for long once the next series began).

On Day 1 at Edgebaston, the problems faced by England batsmen was when they made poor decisions, with the exception of Sibley who got a good ball. Zak Crawley was really done by the ball before he was out, but he looks all out of sorts. Root was a bit loose and Rory Burns aimed a big drive when he had another hundred ready for the taking. Ollie Pope was out on the cut shot having edged a cut earlier in his innings and James Bracey played an awful shot. Bracey is not ready yet, but lots of players were not ready when they started at test match cricket, including Graham Gooch who did ok in the end. We are not going to criticise Olly Stone for his 20, but he only got out when he aimed for a big sweep. Even Dan Lawrence was played some risky shots, but perhaps he had no choice, and by the time Day 1 finished he was looking very good, though he does get in odd positions at times.

It seems to me England are confused in approach. Sibley and Burns have curious methods, but they have methods they have developed. Crawley has a method that worked against Pakistan but we have not seen since – I think he is too loose too early. He needs to go back to Kent and work with Rob Key to tighten up. Pope and Lawrence both look like ‘cats on hot tin roofs’ when they start. If they could start better, they would probably benefit a great deal. Lawrence would do well to develop a clear method tomorrow morning – if he gets 3 figures England will go past 300 almost certainly.

England need to pick the players and given them clear instructions of the role they fill. The strength of the 2010 team was clarity of role. Having given that clarity of role, we all need to respect that and allow the players time to make the role work. Yes, players need to adapt to situations – but let’s adapt to not loosing games first. These players are the best available, let’s back them for once.