Arthur Crabtree wrote:The journalists I read and England players are always saying that that England are an inexperienced team. Over and over. Until very recently they used to say Cook was an inexperienced captain, and young, even when it blatantly wasn't true. Anderson has said again England are inexperienced, but they have five players to India's seven with fewer than 30 caps. He does add 'and in the conditions' though it is inevitable that the touring side will have less experience in the conditions than the home side.
England are playing their sixth consecutive Test in Asia, and played three last winter in UAE. Broad, Anderson and Cook have an unusual amount of experience in Asia. Cook has played more games there than any other England player, Anderson and Broad more than any other England pace bowlers. Bairstow, Moeen, Root and Stokes have placed 9+ games there, which is more than Botham, Atherton and Boycott played in their whole careers.
And it gives England an excuse. It is a little defeatist. I hear it all the time, but English players play a lot of cricket, more than most. They play more Test cricket than most. They lost in BD largely because of a debutant,18 year old spinner. I think they should have alook at themselves and embrace reality a little.
good post.
by the way this doesn't just apply to asian conditions but in all cricket conditions.
do think england at the moment would struggle in docile conditions in England, Australia, SA anywhere basically.
they need movement with the ball to keep the bowlers interested.
The new seam bowlers can't really bowl on flat decks at the moment and need to learn how to bowl on them still, Anderson in a decline so won't be strong on flat decks either and broad can't do everything.
plus better not to mention the spinners.
Do think the england test team/management need to have a honest look at their cricket team, until they admit the issues not sure it can be fixed considering they will continue to kid themselves like years of cricket world cup poor odi teams.
with the players england got they should be doing so much better in Test especially when most other test teams are quite awful as well.
