Make-or-break time as England can finally focus on the cricket
Ah, the first day of a test series. The first day of test cricket in an English summer is always a special one, full of anticipation and uncertainty. It is not quite the same at the start of an overseas series but there is still something exciting about it. I am determined to enjoy this one as well given that the opening of the English test summer will be a 2 match series unsatisfactorily shoe-horned between the IPL and the Ashes, such is the chaos of the modern cricket calendar.
…M C A
There is also a degree of relief this time around. It is relief that the talking, the arguments, the controversies, the negative headlines, the wheelings, dealings and firings can all be forgotten and we are concentrating on the cricket. This has been a deeply traumatic winter for English cricket. Some of the trauma has been self-inflicted whether by the Board or individuals (Stanford and the Pietersen/Moores debacle), some has not (the Mumbai bombings). At times the cricket has been almost a sideshow to the soap opera of the England cricket team.
Unsurprisingly given the goings-on off the pitch, it has not exactly been a winter of success on it. England actually gave a pretty good account of themselves in the tests in India even though they lost, but were predictably thrashed in the one-day series with only an act of terrorism preventing a possible whitewash.
The India series seems years ago now. In the meantime England have lost a coach, a captain, significant portions of credibility and large slices of dignity. It has been an unfortunate revisiting of the late 1980 and 1990s when England were a laughing stock, although this time it has been due to their antics off the field rather than on it.
There have been plenty of positive noises from the camp since, insistences that there are no divisions, that the unfortunate opening days of 2009 are behind them and that they are moving forward as one. But the only thing that the English press and public care about this year is results. Any number of vacuous buzz phrases at press conferences, team huddles and assurances that the group has never been stronger will not be able to provide the same reassurance as mature, confident and effective performance on the field.
For many individuals in this England team it is make-or-break time. Ian Bell, Steve Harmison, Matt Prior, Monty Panesar, and James Anderson are all playing for their involvement in the rest of England’s test match year. They have all been given ample opportunity, have been extended great patience (extraordinary patience in the cases of Bell and Harmison), yet still have huge question marks against them, whether it be regarding temperament or their ability to make that final step up to being a true force in test cricket. They have to prove that they deserve to be there for the Ashes.
There is a certain meekness about some of the aforementioned individuals, a lack of courage to step forward, grab a game by the proverbials and really leave their mark. It comes across as a lack of confidence in their own right to be there. This must be overcome if England are to develop as a team and cast aside the inconsistency which has blighted them in recent times.
In the meantime, Australia’s star has waned and South Africa and India have moved to the fore of the world game. A thrilling rivalry is in store over the coming years between these 3 nations and England must make sure that they are up there with them. Their target must be to beat everyone at home and compete with everyone away. After months of troubles, this test series in the Caribbean must mark the start of England’s ascent back to the heights they touched all too briefly in 2004-05.
So there is relief that the cricket has finally started, excitement at what may lie ahead, yet uncertainty and apprehensiveness at what the coming months may bring for the England team. They have been through plenty together but all that has bred so far is mediocrity and underachievement. I am excited on the first day of England’s 2009 because I believe that they are so much better than that. I just hope that they believe it too.
by Stuart Peel
