England and their habit of playing in their comfort zone
With England finally reaching the heights they had never enjoyed in the game that they actually invented. In 2012 they seem to in a downward spiral where it is becoming extremely difficult for them to not only compete with the big boys of cricket, but to
even hold their dignity in front of small teams.
Being the number-one team in Test cricket until recently, their performance has nosedived. After defending the Ashes title against the Aussies by hammering a nerve-racking 3-1 defeat to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ricardo-Gouveia-c84824 Ponting’s men, one wonders what happened to them now.
England lost their glorified status to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SCJ-Broad-c2465 looked tired and
unwilling to play in Asia.
England have a habit of giving their best while playing at home, but when it comes to challenges overseas, the English are lazy and least concerned.
However, this has never been the way of the champions and just like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and South Africa, in order for the world to take them seriously, England need to prove their metal while playing all over the world.
Nonetheless, even after becoming the most inspirational English team over the past decades, England have yet fallen prey to their habit of playing in their comfort zone.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 need to improve their record while playing in Asia and Africa if they want to rewrite history.
While http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Flower-c44362 and his English squad was enjoying victories, one thing that most England fans forgot to see was the fact that all these wins were coming in countries where England players enjoy playing.
For starters, English have never had a great record in South Asia, this is something they need to work on.
The ability to test their limits both physically and mentally is something that needs to be induced in the national players. Teams that have enjoyed success at home and abroad, have always had one thing in common and that is the availability of players who
are willing to touch their limits in hostile conditions.
England on the other hand, have never injected such a culture. Most of the English players are either laid back or not willing enough to go up against other teams when the going gets tough.
Then there is the serious question of England batsmen unable to play anything that spins (especially on pitches outside England).
Highlighting this predicament, former England captain Michael Atherton said, “If England kid themselves that all is well against spin then that's not a wise thing. This is not a one-off, it's a pattern stretching back quite some time now."
This is so perfectly said by the former batsman, who put England back on the map as he lead his side to an emphatic Ashes win after decades.
With Atherton sitting in the commentary box after retirement, it is time for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026 and Stuart Broad to seriously revamp the existing culture.
While Cook is respected by many and has proved to be a hardworking batsman, Broad is another story, and although he is England’s T20 skipper and leads the strike attack, he is injury prone, something that he has proved over and over again.
Perhaps it is time for England to look for someone else to lead their team in the fastest version of the game. Broad is an asset as a player, but captaining is something that requires the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/XJ-Doherty-c2804 factor, something that is presently not seen in Broad.
His captaincy was tested in the recently concluded ICC T20 Champion, where the English failed to defend their title and barely posed any threat to their opponents.
England have the best cricketing facilities back home and have the best trainers, but what they now need is the players who are willing to go out of their comfort zone for the sake of winning.
Having had an exuberant record under http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AJ-Strauss-c964, it was expected that after having tasted success at the highest level, England would now continue their winning ways, but their recent decline is dangerous and if not corrected, we might has well see England
sink deep in the abyss of unsuccessful campaigns.
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