Andy Pakes looks at the emergence of Australia's James Pattinson and compares him to his England-capped brother Darren.
Sam Holloway looks at why test match cricket is not going to become extinct just yet
Manraj Bahra looks at the subtle differences between the forms of cricket and how teams shouldn't look to pick the same players in all forms.
Sports Editor James Tompkinson looks at the continuing problem of corruption within cricket as the cases of three Pakistani cricketers accused of spot fixing comes to an end
As England slump to their fourth successive ODI defeat in India, bewildered England fans must be wondering what happened to the side that looked unbeatable all summer. After all, it was only five weeks ago that England wrapped up the final ODI of the summer to wrap up a 3-0 series win and complete a summer in which they lost only two games of 17 international matches.
Well first of all, let’s remember Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan are at home due to injury while Jimmy Anderson is rested. Put those three into the side and its quality improves considerably. Yet even with a full-strength side England have been inconsistent in the shorter form of the game for a long time.
One of reasons for the success of the test team has been the consistency of selection. Barring injuries, the first XI picks itself quite easily, perhaps with toss-up between Tim Bresnan and Chris Tremlett for the final bowling spot.
The same cannot be said for the one-day side. Despite the success of the test team, selection for the one-day team has been something of a revolving door. Even in this series, there have been those calling for Ian Bell to come into the side, rumours of Kieswetter’s place being under threat and a debut for Stuart Meaker.
Looking back to the summer, even with England winning the corresponding series 3-0, there were questions asked of Ravi Bopara’s place in the side and if Jonathan Trott was suited to the one-day game.
The uncertainty over selection cannot be helpful for those players like Bopara, Kieswetter or Samit Patel who are attempting to produce the form that will keep them in the England side.
On top of this, the influx of highly-rated youngsters is flooding the selection field, and while it is good they are being given a chance at the highest level, it does nothing to stop the ever-changing make-up of the England side.
It doesn’t help when the likes of Ben Stokes are brought into the side, touted as ‘the next big thing’ and then discarded within 5 games. Either these emerging talents are good enough for England or they are not. Short-term experimentation only makes it harder to build a long-term successful side. If they are not yet ready for the pressures of international cricket, then they should be left to develop in county cricket and brought back when the time is right.
Graeme Swann is a case in point. The off-spinner was included in the 1999/00 tour to South Africa as a player with a great deal of potential, but he wasn’t ready. He himself has admitted that being exposed too early could have ended his England career there and then. Instead he went back to county cricket and has since developed into the best spin bowler in the game today.
The example of Stuart Broad is also a relevant one. He was brought into the England side at a young age and struggled for a long time, keeping his place purely on his ‘potential’ with the ball and his lower-order batting. It is only since he has matured and developed that he has emerged into a genuine talent.
The likes of Buttler, Stokes, Meaker, Borthwick and Hales should not be included purely on potential but on long-term consistency in the domestic game. If the England selectors expose them too early, they risk ruining the promise of the next generation of England players.
These players will undoubtedly become top quality international cricketers, capable of achieving the so far illusive English World Cup win. But they are not ready yet. Rather than chopping, changing and blooding youngsters too early we must be patient and keep faith with the current team until they are ready.
Perhaps then we will be able to call ourselves not just the best test side but the world’s best in all formats of the game.
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