“AT TIMES WHAT YOU NEED IS JUST A SETBACK, TO MAKE YOU COME BACK, STRONGER THAN EVER!!!”. Nothing else, but the above statement is just what defines the story of the England cricket team. Let’s go 6 years down memory lane.
2015 World Cup Heart Break for England: –
Australia 2015 ODI World Cup was where this setback came. It was a shocker!! A second-string Bangladesh team had kicked them out of the tournament. The tournament also saw Tim Southee running through the Englishmen and taking 7 wickets in the same game. The spirits were low. Questions were raised. And most importantly the citizens of England started losing interest in the game.
“Sir Alaistar Cook” took down his responsibility as the captain of the team. The team required a rejig. Eoin Morgan stepped in as captain. The experienced pace battery of Broad, Anderson, and Finn was sacked and the team started looking for fresher options in David Willey, Jordan, Wood. Cook, Bell, James Taylor were replaced by the likes of Roy, Bairstow, and Hales. Joe Root was a name that was common in both teams.
Change in Mentality for Winning the 2019 World Cup: –
This was however just a change in the squad, that is a physical change of players. However, there was also a change in mindset. A change that was going to be revolutionary. Morgan, the skipper knew that it is necessary that his countrymen once again feel attached to the gentlemen’s game. Roy and Bairstow started rekindling the spirit. They took the onus on themselves. The approach is simple. Work hard, become technically sound, and keeping that in mind you either punish or perish. Thie idea was to attack the opposition under any circumstances. Attack and attack and attack. Put the pressure on the opposition. Whether you lose 2 wickets in a row or concede 3 sixes. Always attack.
England started to make their batting look very deep. Moeen Ali, the guy who is opening in county cricket is batting as low as number 7. It is working for the British. In recent times it has been seen that the only player who cant bat in the England team is their number 11 bowler. All the rest of the players have the ability and skill to stick around.
Always Attacking Strategy and Presence of Liam Plunkett: –
Roy and Bairstow start piling on the pain from the beginning of the innings itself. You would get rid of one of them, then Hales would get you, if not he, then Root or else Stokes. If not for anyone it is Morgan and Ali who chip in. England looks formidable. They believe that the run rate must never come under 6–6.5 in any case. But their bowling however had a few lapses before the World Cup in 2019. So, what was done? They bought in an experienced player. Just as aging wine gets better it was Liam Plunkett for the English. The unsung hero of this fairytale. Arm ball after, arm ball…cutters after cutters, and constant pace variation Plunkett was the missing piece found in this puzzle. And the result, England winning the World Cup and in what fashion, by the barest of margins by the barest of all margins…….
Failure of the Attacking Strategy for England: –
However, this approach does not always pay great dividends. We have seen England bundle out for 180 odds runs after being 116 for no loss. We have also seen them score 481 mammoth runs in an ODI but have also witnessed them falling apart for 58 in a test match. England has been at the top in white-ball cricket for around 2 and a half years now. Their dominance in this field is more than visible. Not to forget a second-string England team beating Pakistan in 2021.
Strong Performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup: –
The campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup also looks very formidable. The British have all their cards in place. More than anything else, Jos Butler’s form is the biggest positive. With the likes of Malan and Roy around him, Butler can be expressive. They are firm title contenders alongside Pakistan. And it is worth mentioning that two of their best white ball players in Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are not even in the tournament. That shows us how well-structured this team is.
How I see this new avatar of the Englishmen is something different. They believe in sheer pace for their pace bowlers and expect complete dominance from their batsmen. But when the situation arises, you need players like Joe Root or more to give as an example, Michael Clark. Players who can hold the game. Players who won’t win the game drastically but won’t let you lose too. In conclusion, I will say that this approach has as of now worked for them as their win percentage is way above 65……but we can’t forget that “A car that runs the fastest for a long time burns down the most too”.
