Quite
How much is the credit, and criticism, should be directed at Stokes. it's Stokes who appears to make the rallying speeches.Quite like the suggestion of McCullum as white ball coach where we lack a strong captain.
Tbf don’t think either of us can really know under this regime who influences it the most Stokes or McCullum.
Stokes is brilliant a real team player and one of the most selfless players around.
Quite like the idea of McCullum been involved in any of the England teams.
I think him and Stokes have created a environment where players have been able to flourish and be themselves.
Top international sport is a very pressure environment and they seem to have the knack of getting players thriving in that environment and not buckling and tightening up which happens.
It’s a philosophy I love in other walks of life and other sports, allowing people to flourish and not making them feel too much pressure,
it works sometimes it doesn’t sometimes as has happened.
But it’s worked more often than not, and a massive improvement from before they took over.
Brook is not world class. He maybe in the future but needs runs all over the world first. Far too early in his career
Every test side has promising players
Woakes is world class at home
Scoring at 5 an over, which in effect is Bazball, has repeatedly been found wanting. Along with the fact the coach does not acknowledge draws. He is a 1 day coach who has come long at a good time with English cricket on its arse post Silverwood
A few mesmerising wins (new coach bounce) then the gaping cracks started to appear. What are the cracks?
Have our two opening bats kicked on to be regularly scoring 100s? No, still swashbuckling run a ball 50 merchants ie, 1 day batters
Have we unearthed a test number 3 in the mould of Trott? No, we have a guy who wouldn't get in Australua 2nd XI
Root went backwards and lost sight of being Joe Root. Now he plays his game again
Stokes still has no consistency as a batsman at 6. He should be at 7 but the coach can't see it. Worrying
Bar Wood the bowling is ordinary at best.
One of the poorest English test sides in living memory, shorn of quality bowlers, littered with 1 day batters and generally rudderless in testing conditions
Scoring at 5 an over has not been repeatedly found out at all, in fact it has won several games that historically would have been draws.
There have been some occasions where it has been wanting granted, but the games we have won using this approach has offset them occasions.
However people can focus on the negatives rather than positives if they want.
But imo this approach the positives have far outweighed the negatives while still taking the point that on occasions they have been far to gung ho.
The previous openers of Burns, Sibley and Hameed for example were no where near scoring regularly 100s and this opening pair record miles better than any pair since Cook.
As for your last sentence sure it must be a wind up, but just to indulge in for a second.
If like you say this is ‘ one of the poorest Englands side in living memory’
Why has this side won something like 15 tests out of the last 24 under this regime?
When the previous regime had won 1 out of 17 tests.
Now that is a massive improvement by anyones standards.
Either you wrong about this been a poor side or if you right and it is a poor side.
And if you right and this is the one the poorest sides in living memory what a job this coach and captain have done to win 15 out of 24 tests, with one of the poorest sides in living memory.
Either we a good side with that record or if we poor the coach has done a astounding job?
Which one is it? Can’t have it both ways?
