Boot-Camp

So our England Ashes team have returned from their trip away. Some have called it boot-camp, others team-building, and worryingly, the ECB Website calls it a bonding exercise.

The camp, which was held in Bavaria close to Nuremburg, involved players undertaking mental and physical challenges designed to better prepare them for the challenges of playing international cricket.

As well as overcoming a series of physical challenges, the team also learned more about leadership, how to make difficult decisions under pressure and the factors that make teams successful.

Their visit concluded earlier today with a trip to the memorial site at Dachau, the first of Hitler’s concentration camps where more than 40,000 people died during the 12 years of its existence from 1933-1945

By all accounts the players got to know each other better, had a bit of team-building, a bit of a laugh, and basically had a week away from cricket which will help the squad bond.

Some people (mainly "old school" ex-cricketers) have been bad-mouthing the boot-camp, but I honestly see no disadvantages to the trip. The players will have become closer both as people and as team-mates, and that can only be good. While abseiling or hiking may not help while facing Bollinger or Johnson, it will help team-spirit on a trip where famously English sides have fallen out. It's all about being totally prepared, an element which was clearly lacking in England's terrible 2006/7 defence of the urn. The fact that Tredwell, Kieswetter and Shahzad went out also shows that England see them as part of the "squad at large" even if they didn't make it into the Ashes 16. But that's by the by.

Here's the real reason for this post - some pictures of boot-camp.


















Steve Finn v Monty Panesar? Hardly seems a fair fight...

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Will

Podcast - Eoin Morgan's Chest Hair

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England announced their Ashes squad, so I recorded it live. The powerpoint presentation made for great listening. I also discuss the PCA Awards, and the Champions League.

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Ashes Squad Sweepstake

So everyone in the world has named an Ashes squad. Much of the expected 16 pick themselves, but because this is the Ashes, speculation, rumour and gossip still leaves a certain element of intrigue. The main questions lay in who will be reserve wicket-keeper (almost certain to be Steve Davies), who will be the second spinner (Tredwell, Panesar or Rashid) and who will be the two sub seamers (Bresnan, Shahzad or Chris Tremlett).

For what it's worth, the squad I'm about to name is not the squad I would actually pick. This is just the side I think will be picked. So here it is.

Strauss (c)
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Morgan
Prior (wk)
Davies (wk)
Swann
Tredwell
Broad
Anderson
Finn
Bresnan
Shahzad

So of my side, Tredwell pips Monty, Davies gets in ahead of Kieswetter, and there's no place for Tremlett, who is beaten to the plane by Shahzad and Bresnan.

I suppose we could have an Ashes sweepstake. I've had a go - how about you? Person who gets the most wins a prize!*

*The prize may be a Follow Thursday on Twitter

Furiously Backtracking About Luke Wright

Alright. I admit it. Luke Wright played well today. Happy? Now we can move on...

It's not that I hate Luke Wright. Sure, I don't really rate him as a batsman or bowler, but I'm sure he's a nice bloke and kind to children and animals. It's more that I dislike what he does (or doesn't do) in the side.

In a normal team, England would pick three seamers (Anderson, Broad, Bresnan) and two spinners (Swann, Yardy). If each bowler bowls their full allocation, (which theoretically they are in the side to do) then there is no need to pick another bowler.

Luke has played 68 times for England as the "sixth bowler". Effectively, coach, captain and selectors are implying that they don't rate Luke's bowling high enough to be a specialist bowler, or his batting high enough to be a specialist batsman. They're picking him to kind of sometimes do a bit of one or the other. Trouble is, when called upon to actually do something, he rarely delivers.

This 5th game was different. Put into the side for the bed-ridden Yardy, Wright was picked to fulfil the role of the fifth bowler. He had a purpose in the side! Yes, his batting wasn't any great shakes, but it didn't matter as other, better batsmen had been selected to do that part. Earlier in the summer Wright was batting six, and getting no runs. Today, Morgan batted six and made a century. A much better balance to the side, don't you think?

When bowling, Wright did well; keeping it tight and taking a big wicket in Kamran Akmal. But because he was the fifth bowler, he got to bowl more than his obligatory two overs, meaning he was justifying his place in the side.

I am not (and will never be) Luke Wright's biggest fan, yet if he plays as the fifth bowler, I have no major problem with him being in the side (other than him taking the place of many better players). If Wright bats seven and bowls ten overs, he is justifying his place in the side, and keeping the balance of the team just right.

So well done Luke; congratulations on the series win, but don't let me ever catch you playing for England again!

Podcast - Straussy Stuck On Replay

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A review of the England v Pakistan ODI series-so-far, as well as some campaigning for Andrew Strauss, and a walk down memory lane whilst thinking of the World Cup squad.

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Ryan Sidebottom - A Tribute

The other day I wrote an emotional tribute to Andrew Flintoff. Fred was a massive player for England, and it has to be said, one of my favourites. Normally I can knock out a half-arsed blog in 15/20 minutes, but the Freddie tribute took a long time. I had so much to say about him, and it all flowed out in one massive fandom eulogy.

It's been a very different story with Ryan Sidebottom. I'm not quite sure what it is about him, but he doesn't push my buttons. He's taken loads of wickets for England at a great average, but there's just something about him.

Maybe it's his supposed lack of effort in the field or his anger towards fielders who misfield off him. But these could be explained as a simple aging fast bowlers lack of athleticism, and passion for the side.

Sidey was a player who at times in 2008 was one of the best in the world. Catapulted from obscurity thanks to a Hoggard injury in 2007, he returned to the international arena after one solitary test, before cementing his place in Peter Moores' side. With his late left-arm swing, he tormented New Zealand home and away, with Jacob Oram calling him the hardest bowler he'd ever faced.

Ryan was never going to be any great shakes in the field, or with the bat, but nobody can deny that he always gave 100% in every game for England. As well as taking wickets at under 25 in tests, he was England's most underrated one day death bowler, and an integral part of the World T20 winning side.

While I was never his biggest fan, and never really campaigned for his place in the side, today England lost a true fighter, and a man who never let England down. While he was never my favourite player (or Grant Elliot's), Ryan Sidebottom was a great asset to English cricket. Probably knowing he wasn't to make the Ashes squad, Ryan bowed out today with the dignity he deserved, and will be remembered with fondness and respect.

And what about the hair!