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THE heat will be on England when they take on West Indies tomorrow at the start of a long summer of Test and one-day cricket.
England are scheduled to play seven Tests – four against the West Indies and three against India. A total of 10 one-day internationals will also be played, three against the West Indies and seven against India.
With a new coach in Peter Moores and the possible return of Michael Vaughan in time for the second Test, England need to build up their confidence and wipe out the nightmare of the Ashes whitewash earlier this year.
With the Duncan Fletcher regime now gone, England will have a fresh perspective this season.
Moores first task will be to instill changes without being rushed. Too many changes too quickly may unbalance a side low on confidence.
The task ahead for Moores will not be easy. He has to build a side which must challenge Australia in the future in Tests and also get a one-day team which will work.
Despite their Ashes setback, England are still the second best team in the world. However, to bounce back from the Ashes disappointment and the World Cup debacle will be a tough task.
Though most of the team members pick themselves, there are questions to be answered about the captaincy in one-day cricket.
Though Vaughan has expressed his willingness to do both the Test and one-day captaincy, Moores will have to decide whether this will be the right path to take.
Vaughan’s record in Test cricket is excellent but his one-day form has always been scratchy. He has never done justice to his abilities in this form of the game.
Andrew Strauss, whenever he captained England, looked to be an ideal successor. But Strauss found himself warming the bench for most of the World Cup and will need to re-establish himself quickly in the one-day side.
There is talk that Alistair Cook will be groomed for captaincy in the long-term. If that is the case, Cook will have to start improving his one day game to force himself into the team.
In the Tests, England should start as favourites for both series.
Both the West Indians and India are going through a troubled phase and this may make things easier for England.
The West Indians will enter the post-Lara period with not much of a record to boast of. With a new captain and a young team, the West Indies will use the tour as an indicator to the future.
India have been caught in chaos after their early exit in the World Cup. There has been talk of infusing youth which have not been matched by action. The same names keep cropping up in the team and whatever changes are being made are only cosmetic.
But England must never underestimate both sides because they are capable if things click for them.
England’s planning will have to be perfect and they must do their homework thoroughly.
England’s Ashes triumph in 2005 was based on positive batting and disciplined bowling. Both these aspects have to be seriously dealt with.
The batting should not pose too many problems as the line-up is more or less settled. Once again, Kevin Pieterson should lead the way. With both Paul Collingwood and Cook offering steady options, England’s strokemakers can make merry against the two sides who have been known to forget the basics of bowling.
England will be happy to learn that Simon Jones is fit to resume England duties again. Jones, with his incisive reverse swing, will prove a major proposition for both West Indies and India.
England will be spoilt for choice in the fast bowling department this summer. With Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard already in the frame for the Tests, there is a chance that a youngster could also get the nod.
Stuart Broad has been improving by leaps and bounds and he may well be in line for a Test place. James Anderson and Liam Plunkett also showed glimpses of what they are capable of during the winter and the World Cup.
Anderson is the most improved bowler in England and he may well finally cement his place in the England side.
Moores had great success as coach for Sussex. Now he needs to transform that success for England. The one great advantage that Moores has is that as a former director of the National Academy, he has come across a lot of young players and he is aware of their potential.
This will stand him in good stead while grooming players for an England cap in the future.
Moores will have to think long term. Getting England back on the rails in Test cricket will not be too difficult. But transforming England into a good one-day unit may cause him a few headaches.
By Babu Kalyanpur
babu.kallianpur@tradearabia.net
