Ashes 2013
Can Cook continue?
January 19th 2014
As the 3rd ODI raced
towards its premature end, apoplectic England fans were condemning the
perceived “250 is a par score” attitude. It reveals a rather depressing facet
of England fans: the ones whose opinions get published often do not know a lot
about the game; England were not aiming for 250 as a match-winning score – they
were incapable of getting to the 300+ that might have won the match and knew it.
After the game, Eoin Morgan recognised that even 280-290 probably would not
have been enough to make it an even contest.
What makes it worse is that,
this time, the openers gave England a solid, rapid start, with runs coming at
better than 6-an-over for the first eight, as Faulkner and Pattinson were punished.
However, from 49-0 after 8 overs, it took more than 17 overs for the cost of
three wickets to double the score. Stokes came in and played an innings that
would have been slow in Test cricket, let alone an ODI – what is he doing
batting at 3? Although Eoin Morgan played another decent innings, even he could
not get up to scoring at a run-a-ball. It was left to Tim Bresnan to push
England past 240, as overs 42-46 produced just 23 runs.
The top six all got a start, but
only Cook and Morgan reached 30. Even when a partnership got going – Bopara and
Morgan put on 56 together and were just beginning to increase the scoring rate
which, after 40 overs, had not reached four and a half, when both went in quick
succession, ending any remote chance England might have had of a score of 270+.
As it turned out, Australia scored so comfortably, that even 350 might not have
been enough. Stokes again took a pounding and, this time, was removed from the
attack after just 3 expensive overs – how much damage has his confidence taken
from Cook’s handing in the last two matches? Broad, Bresnan and, albeit
slightly less, Jordan were also expensive. Jordan got consecutive balls of his
third over into the 90s mph (the fastest deliveries of the match) and was
comfortably England’s fastest bowler, adding another wicket with the new ball,
but even he did not look as good this time.
The calls for Cook’s
resignation, which were just a whisper at the end of the Test series are now
getting louder and louder. The position of Duncan Fletcher was totally
undermined by the 2006/07 Ashes and the World Cup that followed and Andrew
Flintoff lost the captaincy – this time though the calls for management’s blood
have been quiet. However, the desperate attempts to blame Kevin Pietersen for
the disaster (he is not even in Australia for the ODIs, so it is hard to see
how they are his fault) seem to be working against Cook and Flower and the
demands for change are getting louder by the game. It seems almost
inconceivable that Cook can continue as ODI captain and it is no longer
unthinkable to suggest that Andy Flower should be replaced. Cook’s position as
Test captain is also coming under increasing threat and it is only the lack of
an obvious replacement that has stopped the calls from becoming unstoppable.
After the match Cook the quotes
have been taken as suggesting that his resignation as ODI captain is imminent
but, he has quite clearly not limited himself to taking about the One-Day
captaincy
“I think there will
be some changes. We have kept losing games of cricket and I haven't been able
to turn it around."
Those are not the words of a man
who expects to lead out England next summer. Although his form has improved a
little in this match, with a quick 35, he is not making consistent runs, as he
has in the past: 13, 65, 3, 1, 72, 0, 27, 51, 7, 7, 4, 1, 22, 35 from the start
of the Test series is not the sequence of a man leading from the front. Twice
in that sequence, at Melbourne and in 2nd ODI, England have got into
winning positions and let them slip timidly away. The captaincy has been
reactive and team selection too conservative; the will to make things happen,
rather than sit back and see what happens, has been lost. Losing becomes a
habit and, with each defeat, the tendency to avoid risks gets stronger; Cook is
trapped in that cycle and cannot get out.
England are not a poor side,
they are a decent one that has been, save for a couple of series, played well
below their potential for two years now. Maybe it is all the fault of Kevin
Pietersen, or maybe, just maybe, a change of management and tactics is
required. The talent is there, but it is not being harnessed properly.
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