| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... 10:41 - Dec 28 with 2208 views | Chrisd |
The Ashes series has been shambolic, changes are very much required. What would be the first few things that you would look to address to improve English cricket?
For me, we need to rip up what we are currently doing and start again after this series. Firstly, Chris Silverwood needs replacing and I'd look for someone that has a good track record on the international stage and bring them in as Silverwood's replacement for test match games e.g. Gary Kirsten. Next, I'd make the county game more high profile with our white ball cricket. Then, I'd prioritise 20/20 or The Hundred you simply can't have both going forwards. Personally, I find The Hundred an utterly pointless competition that has been forced down our throats by the ECB at the expense of the longer version of the game due to it potentially being a cash cow. Finally, the selection process for England needs to be reviewed, the England coach now has too much sway. We've got a couple of players I'd keep in the current side, but in going forwards I want to see an England side that is young, hungry and wants to fight for the shirt. Too many of our players are too comfortable knowing they are sitting on their central contracts.
Just a few thoughts, but these are probably a little misguided, as I'm typing these in anger rather than thinking logically.
[Post edited 28 Dec 2021 10:59]
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:44 - Dec 28 with 1889 views | Ftnfwest |
Withdraw from the WTC at the end of this cycle and go back to prioritising county cricket until we improve. |  | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:47 - Dec 28 with 1876 views | Guthrum |
Get some decent batting coaches in. Ones who can train solid technique (e.g. keeping still as the ball is delivered, rather than dancing around the crease). |  |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:48 - Dec 28 with 1864 views | ElephantintheRoom |
Pick the same team in the next home series and watch then be acclaimed the best team in the world after beating a touring side with no hope of preparation - and not much interest in Test cricket?
Not sure there is anything that can be done now. Australia are perhaps the only side in the world to take test cricket seriously - wnen you have a generation of players being praised for bish bash bosh in pantomime cricket it is little wonder that the shine goes off the 5 day game. How many years ago was it when the captain of the touring West Indies team couldnt be bothered to turn up until the first Test? It's not just England (and South African and NZ mercenaries)'s problem. Far from it. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:51 - Dec 28 with 1851 views | gordon |
Most important thing has to be to work out a way to play a good chunk of the county championship season on good pitches in July and August, and not have success hinging on matches where 21 wickets fall in a day in mid-April or late September or whatever.
The Hundred was a massive, stupid mistake, but now it might be a bigger mistake to get rid of it after one year - I'd try and move it to either May or September though. |  | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:00 - Dec 28 with 1823 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
The first thing I would do is ensure that when the Aussies come here next they have no warm-up games whatsoever, but only cancel them at the last minute so they can't make other arrangements.
Only fair.
And then I'd be reasonably confident we might sneak the series win!
The criticism of the batting unit in recent days that doesn't emphasise the complete disruption of England's preparations is a bit like criticising Lewis Hamilton for not winning the first Grand Prix of the season on a new track, in a new car that he has never done a single testing lap in. | | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:01 - Dec 28 with 1816 views | Chrisd |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:48 - Dec 28 by ElephantintheRoom |
Pick the same team in the next home series and watch then be acclaimed the best team in the world after beating a touring side with no hope of preparation - and not much interest in Test cricket?
Not sure there is anything that can be done now. Australia are perhaps the only side in the world to take test cricket seriously - wnen you have a generation of players being praised for bish bash bosh in pantomime cricket it is little wonder that the shine goes off the 5 day game. How many years ago was it when the captain of the touring West Indies team couldnt be bothered to turn up until the first Test? It's not just England (and South African and NZ mercenaries)'s problem. Far from it. |
Think you can put India and Pakistan into that bracket. Both countries love test cricket and seem capable of adapting to all forms of the game. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:02 - Dec 28 with 1808 views | Radlett_blue |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:51 - Dec 28 by gordon |
Most important thing has to be to work out a way to play a good chunk of the county championship season on good pitches in July and August, and not have success hinging on matches where 21 wickets fall in a day in mid-April or late September or whatever.
The Hundred was a massive, stupid mistake, but now it might be a bigger mistake to get rid of it after one year - I'd try and move it to either May or September though. |
20/20 aka the Hundred only works well on a warm English summer evening & you won't get many of those in May or September. Running the 100 & keeping the Blast & the other county one day competitions was a classic ECB non-decision where there are no real losers but, equally, no winners. They are financially committed to the hundred so I would be amazed if it were ditched. |  |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:04 - Dec 28 with 1798 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:01 - Dec 28 by Chrisd |
Think you can put India and Pakistan into that bracket. Both countries love test cricket and seem capable of adapting to all forms of the game. |
want to bet on it?
That aside - Pakistan rarely get the opportunity to play test cricket nowadays. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:05 - Dec 28 with 1795 views | BLUEGOLD |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:02 - Dec 28 by Radlett_blue |
20/20 aka the Hundred only works well on a warm English summer evening & you won't get many of those in May or September. Running the 100 & keeping the Blast & the other county one day competitions was a classic ECB non-decision where there are no real losers but, equally, no winners. They are financially committed to the hundred so I would be amazed if it were ditched. |
Try to find some Kiwi and South African batsmen who are just not making their test teams and offering them UK citizenship. | | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:24 - Dec 28 with 1748 views | norfsufblue |
Still hark for the old days... County cricket Thurs to Monday with a limited overs game on the Sunday between the Same two teams, play a T20 on a Wednesday night with finals at end of August . Simple and all forms get played throughout the season.... except then you have to shoehorn in the stupid 100 to whom few cricket lovers have an affiliation to?.... as a Kent supporter my favourites are playing all over the shop so not bothered by it at all |  | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:27 - Dec 28 with 1737 views | Ryorry |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 10:48 - Dec 28 by ElephantintheRoom |
Pick the same team in the next home series and watch then be acclaimed the best team in the world after beating a touring side with no hope of preparation - and not much interest in Test cricket?
Not sure there is anything that can be done now. Australia are perhaps the only side in the world to take test cricket seriously - wnen you have a generation of players being praised for bish bash bosh in pantomime cricket it is little wonder that the shine goes off the 5 day game. How many years ago was it when the captain of the touring West Indies team couldnt be bothered to turn up until the first Test? It's not just England (and South African and NZ mercenaries)'s problem. Far from it. |
Interesting point, as going on that (though I think India at least, plus perhaps Pakistan & NZ also care about Tests) Aus surely have a vested interest in England continuing to produce decent Test sides just to ensure the healthy future of 5-day Test matches into the future?
I'd be looking at how they manage the balance between Tests and short-form versions of the game (allowing for different conditions of course).
The money & TV aspect is also critical, a bit of a dog chasing its tail situation has developed in which the ECB are desperate for cash & to engage young people in cricket, so set up the abomination that is the 100, whilst ignoring the lack of terrestrial TV coverage for Tests. Therefore Tests aren't seen by youngsters, so they aren't enthused & cricket continues only in public schools rather than all, inevitably the pool of players to choose from then remains relatively tiny.
Needs Govt. to be involved re the schools & free-to-air terrestrial TV aspects. [Post edited 28 Dec 2021 11:28]
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:30 - Dec 28 with 1723 views | gordon |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:02 - Dec 28 by Radlett_blue |
20/20 aka the Hundred only works well on a warm English summer evening & you won't get many of those in May or September. Running the 100 & keeping the Blast & the other county one day competitions was a classic ECB non-decision where there are no real losers but, equally, no winners. They are financially committed to the hundred so I would be amazed if it were ditched. |
A lot of the T20 blast was played in June and the final was in Spetember last year though - I guess just making the domestic season more coherent is most important and there's lots of ways of doing that - the T20 Blast definitely has to be slimmed down a lot - 133 matches played in last season's competition! Should start about two weeks before the Hundred and then finish alongside the Hundred so act as a sort of feeder competition (instead of playing T20 knockout stages after the Hundred finishes). | | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:32 - Dec 28 with 1718 views | norfsufblue |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:27 - Dec 28 by Ryorry |
Interesting point, as going on that (though I think India at least, plus perhaps Pakistan & NZ also care about Tests) Aus surely have a vested interest in England continuing to produce decent Test sides just to ensure the healthy future of 5-day Test matches into the future?
I'd be looking at how they manage the balance between Tests and short-form versions of the game (allowing for different conditions of course).
The money & TV aspect is also critical, a bit of a dog chasing its tail situation has developed in which the ECB are desperate for cash & to engage young people in cricket, so set up the abomination that is the 100, whilst ignoring the lack of terrestrial TV coverage for Tests. Therefore Tests aren't seen by youngsters, so they aren't enthused & cricket continues only in public schools rather than all, inevitably the pool of players to choose from then remains relatively tiny.
Needs Govt. to be involved re the schools & free-to-air terrestrial TV aspects. [Post edited 28 Dec 2021 11:28]
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Good point about TV... as a youngster I was enthralled by test match cricket on BBC tv.... I always tended to not feel very well for school when there was a test match on😉 | | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:39 - Dec 28 with 1698 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:27 - Dec 28 by Ryorry |
Interesting point, as going on that (though I think India at least, plus perhaps Pakistan & NZ also care about Tests) Aus surely have a vested interest in England continuing to produce decent Test sides just to ensure the healthy future of 5-day Test matches into the future?
I'd be looking at how they manage the balance between Tests and short-form versions of the game (allowing for different conditions of course).
The money & TV aspect is also critical, a bit of a dog chasing its tail situation has developed in which the ECB are desperate for cash & to engage young people in cricket, so set up the abomination that is the 100, whilst ignoring the lack of terrestrial TV coverage for Tests. Therefore Tests aren't seen by youngsters, so they aren't enthused & cricket continues only in public schools rather than all, inevitably the pool of players to choose from then remains relatively tiny.
Needs Govt. to be involved re the schools & free-to-air terrestrial TV aspects. [Post edited 28 Dec 2021 11:28]
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I think the problem is a bit more deep rooted..... Cricket is becoming very difficult to play at school level... and the transition to the county game is also a tad tricky. Gone too are the days when a Test team would warm up at Fenners.... or a future England captain would be taking on touring Test teams while playing for Oxford Uni or Cambridge.
In the far off days when I went to watch Test cricket they were always sell outs - and only 5 grounds to watch them at .... now the test experience has been diluted in terms of grounds played at and number of matches played and simply isnt special any more. Even in Botham's day tours to India and Pakistan were treated with something bordering contempt.... it isnt a new problem.
I regularly used to go with a neighbour to watch Essex play a county game - I wouldn't cross the road to watch one now - cricket has lost its way and the worst mistake was to call 20{20 and other bish, bash, bosh versions 'cricket'. Its a very different game. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:41 - Dec 28 with 1696 views | Radlett_blue |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:27 - Dec 28 by Ryorry |
Interesting point, as going on that (though I think India at least, plus perhaps Pakistan & NZ also care about Tests) Aus surely have a vested interest in England continuing to produce decent Test sides just to ensure the healthy future of 5-day Test matches into the future?
I'd be looking at how they manage the balance between Tests and short-form versions of the game (allowing for different conditions of course).
The money & TV aspect is also critical, a bit of a dog chasing its tail situation has developed in which the ECB are desperate for cash & to engage young people in cricket, so set up the abomination that is the 100, whilst ignoring the lack of terrestrial TV coverage for Tests. Therefore Tests aren't seen by youngsters, so they aren't enthused & cricket continues only in public schools rather than all, inevitably the pool of players to choose from then remains relatively tiny.
Needs Govt. to be involved re the schools & free-to-air terrestrial TV aspects. [Post edited 28 Dec 2021 11:28]
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The idea that lack of live cricket (or other sports) is a major driver in reducing later participation is very dated. Yes, it mattered in the old days of only 2 or 3 TV channels, but the young now pick & choose what they want to watch vis umpteen platforms. The days of a family gathering around one TV are as dated as John Major[s vision of vicars bicycling past the village green. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:53 - Dec 28 with 1665 views | Chrisd |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:04 - Dec 28 by ElephantintheRoom |
want to bet on it?
That aside - Pakistan rarely get the opportunity to play test cricket nowadays. |
Pakistan have just completed a series against the West Indies which they drew and beaten Bangladesh 2-0. Interestingly, they play Australia in March in a 3 match test series. They'll certainly put up a better fight than what we did. [Post edited 28 Dec 2021 11:54]
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 12:14 - Dec 28 with 1625 views | BlueForYou |
First, sack Harrison & his cronies from the ECB. Pay off & get rid of the Hundred. Appoint proper Cricket person & team to replace Harrison. Alter schedule to enable mens first class cricket to be played during summer. Work to find a way to get Test Cricket on terrestrial TV. Keep the County Championship as a two division competition but allow two overseas players per county. Go back to having a test selection committee of some sort. Reform Central Contracts! Get cricket back in state schools.
Not much to do there! |  | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 12:28 - Dec 28 with 1600 views | chicoazul |
As long as players get paid fortunes to play non-Test forms of the game there is nothing one could do. |  |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 13:19 - Dec 28 with 1540 views | factual_blue |
The first thing I'd do in that situation?
Resign. |  |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 13:23 - Dec 28 with 1531 views | Ryorry |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 11:41 - Dec 28 by Radlett_blue |
The idea that lack of live cricket (or other sports) is a major driver in reducing later participation is very dated. Yes, it mattered in the old days of only 2 or 3 TV channels, but the young now pick & choose what they want to watch vis umpteen platforms. The days of a family gathering around one TV are as dated as John Major[s vision of vicars bicycling past the village green. |
Of course I'm aware of that re current viewing trends, don't be so patronising please. The point is that kids obviously aren't going to pay to watch Test matches live, which is what you have to do now to see any of it (unless their parents are specifically subscribers to the broadcaster that has the rights). It isn't even available on any dodgy streams as far as I can see. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 13:30 - Dec 28 with 1520 views | pointofblue |
Get rid of the Hundred and One Day Cup. Have the T20 and One Day League run one after the other across Friday nights, Saturday’s and/or Sunday’s over the entire season. The County Championship is then played during the week from April to September. | |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 13:41 - Dec 28 with 1496 views | JakeITFC |
Simply comes down to too much cricket - the ECB seem to want their cake and eat it; if the test matches are the gold standard product that they want to maintain then they need to treat it as such and provide a platform that makes good test cricketers.
As it stands, you’ll still have full houses across the country for test series played here, but I think people will quickly get sick of short test matches with batters who can get paid much more money to play the short form of the game elsewhere. |  | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 14:16 - Dec 28 with 1444 views | MaySixth |
1. Create two seperate administrations to deal with red-ball and white-ball cricket. They are seperate games, seperate products and should be treated as such.
2. Appoint Tom Abell as England Test captain. Joe Root as vice.
3. Appoint Paul Collingwood as England Test Head Coach |  |
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| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 14:19 - Dec 28 with 1435 views | Ace_High1 |
It all starts at the top and we need proper innovative leadership not yes men who will do as they are told.
So you start by sacking Harrison, Giles and Silverwood and removing Root as captain. Try and see if Strauss is willing to now work full time again and go get the best coach which will either be SA or Aus.
I have long argued Morgan would have been a better test captain over last 3 years. Not for his batting but his leadership and tactical nous.
We have decent players but awful tactics and a losers culture throughout the ECB. |  | | |
| You've just been appointed Head of English and Wales cricket...... on 14:46 - Dec 28 with 1389 views | Keno |
1 merge the Hundred, which as a format is a cue de sac, but reformat 20/20 into a more streamlined competition with the best bits of the hundred
2, make the domestic 4day competition meaningful by having a 6 team 'Southern' and 6 team 'Northern competition with games across the whole summer
3, have a 2nd 'minor counties' programme with the lesser 'main' counties and some of a better minor ones, like Suffolk with a promotion and relegation to the above to stop it going stake
4, a 40 over pure knock out competition with all counties and maybe lesser countries like Scotland, Holland etc etc
basically tea to make domestic matches pan something |  |
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