Is the bell indeed tolling for Alastair Cook as England's long term one day captain what with English legends of the likes of Sir Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott questioning both his captaincy skills as well as place in the side in the wake of the team's recent disastrous performances.........
Sir Ian Terence Botham certainly did not mince his words or pull his punches while pithily remarking that what he saw at Edgbaston was nothing but a cruel joke, a total and shameful embarrassment and even went to the extent of saying that this team would do well to win an egg let apart win the World Cup in six months time or so..........
What got Sir Ian's goat was the fact that team England never seemed to learn from their mistakes and was stuck in a time warp trying to push and prod their way to totals in the 250-270 region while the other teams in the business were getting off to flying starts and posting 300 plus totals with nauseating regularity............
"The fact of the matter is that the one day game has undergone a drastic transformation and teams are chasing down 300 plus totals with consummate ease while we (team England) seem to be stuck in a time warp and push and prod our way to 250 plus totals that leave us red faced and grasping at straws more often than not, the English legend succinctly remarked"...............
Cook's misery did not end at this as yet another English cricketing legend Geoffrey Boycott questioned the sagacity and acumen of both the English selectors as well as team management while saying that Messrs Bell, Cook and Root were certainly technically accomplished batsmen who more than deserved their places in the English test team but the same could certainly not be said about their places in the English one day team.............
"Aggressiveness is the hallmark of the manner in which the one day game is played nowadays and an English batting line up comprising of Cook, Bell and Root amongst the top four can certainly be termed as anything but aggressive"...............
"All three of them are accumulators rather than go getters who can up the ante as when the situation demands or then the opportunity presents itself and the sameness in the English batting line up is costing it the best part of 60 to 70 runs every time the English team steps onto the park" , Boycott said.............
"Only one or at best two of the three should be an integral part of the English batting line up in the one day format and both the selectors as well as the team management would do well to look for other batsmen who can take the opposition bowling by the scruff of the neck with a relatively short time upon arrival at the crease", Mr. Geoffrey Boycott signed off...........
On his part, Alastair Cook remained resolute and said that he was committed to leading the English one day team to greater glory during the world cup 2015 which is slated to be held In Australia- New Zealand in February- March 2015, but one really wonders whether these are the last signs of defiance on the part of a beleaguered captain who finds himself hopelessly overwhelmed by the needs of the present one day game.........
Sir Ian Terence Botham certainly did not mince his words or pull his punches while pithily remarking that what he saw at Edgbaston was nothing but a cruel joke, a total and shameful embarrassment and even went to the extent of saying that this team would do well to win an egg let apart win the World Cup in six months time or so..........
What got Sir Ian's goat was the fact that team England never seemed to learn from their mistakes and was stuck in a time warp trying to push and prod their way to totals in the 250-270 region while the other teams in the business were getting off to flying starts and posting 300 plus totals with nauseating regularity............
"The fact of the matter is that the one day game has undergone a drastic transformation and teams are chasing down 300 plus totals with consummate ease while we (team England) seem to be stuck in a time warp and push and prod our way to 250 plus totals that leave us red faced and grasping at straws more often than not, the English legend succinctly remarked"...............
Cook's misery did not end at this as yet another English cricketing legend Geoffrey Boycott questioned the sagacity and acumen of both the English selectors as well as team management while saying that Messrs Bell, Cook and Root were certainly technically accomplished batsmen who more than deserved their places in the English test team but the same could certainly not be said about their places in the English one day team.............
"Aggressiveness is the hallmark of the manner in which the one day game is played nowadays and an English batting line up comprising of Cook, Bell and Root amongst the top four can certainly be termed as anything but aggressive"...............
"All three of them are accumulators rather than go getters who can up the ante as when the situation demands or then the opportunity presents itself and the sameness in the English batting line up is costing it the best part of 60 to 70 runs every time the English team steps onto the park" , Boycott said.............
"Only one or at best two of the three should be an integral part of the English batting line up in the one day format and both the selectors as well as the team management would do well to look for other batsmen who can take the opposition bowling by the scruff of the neck with a relatively short time upon arrival at the crease", Mr. Geoffrey Boycott signed off...........
On his part, Alastair Cook remained resolute and said that he was committed to leading the English one day team to greater glory during the world cup 2015 which is slated to be held In Australia- New Zealand in February- March 2015, but one really wonders whether these are the last signs of defiance on the part of a beleaguered captain who finds himself hopelessly overwhelmed by the needs of the present one day game.........
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