Tag Archives: John Emburey
Focus moves from Cook to Ajmal's action
Alastair Cook was under a huge amount of pressure during his second innings of the third Test at the Oval, and his 110 was a massive individual achievement. For the England team, though, it would have been good if he … Continue reading
Pakistan could spring surprise on England
It would not surprise me if Pakistan were to win the upcoming four-Test series against England. And that’s not just trying to be sensationalist; I think there are very sound cricketing reasons for saying it. England, for a start, have … Continue reading
Morgan has ability to go all the way
There is no doubt in my mind that Eoin Morgan has what it takes to go all the way in the game. By that, of course, I mean that he can become a top-class Test match batsman as well as … Continue reading
Finn chief beneficiary of selection policy
It looks to me as if England want Steven Finn in their Ashes squad in Australia at the end of this year. With his height and bounce, and ability as a 21-year-old to improve still further in the six months … Continue reading
Championship cuts would harm player development
The new county season has arrived with yet another debate about the future structure of our domestic game. And I’d like to add my voice to this debate by saying: ‘Hang on, let’s be very careful about what we are … Continue reading
Strauss ought to be playing in Bangladesh Tests
There has been a lot of discussion since the end of England’s tour to South Africa about Andrew Strauss’s decision to stand down from the captaincy for the trip to Bangladesh in March. My own view is that he should … Continue reading
England make one-day strides at last
England’s unexpected but impressive progress into the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy has, at last, given Andy Flower and his management something tangible to work with in terms of our limited-overs cricket. The World Cup of 2011 is the next … Continue reading
England need to get balance right
The balance of England’s 50-overs one-day team is going to be a recurring theme of this month’s NatWest Series matches against Australia. Basically, do England play the extra batsman, or the extra bowler? One of the strengths of the squad … Continue reading
Broad is worthy successor to Flintoff
Stuart Broad’s magnificent five-wicket spell before tea on the second day of the Ashes decider at the Oval not only shattered Australia’s first innings, it also announced the 23-year-old’s arrival as Andrew Flintoff’s natural successor. It was the best Broad … Continue reading
Sheer presence of Flintoff sorely missed
The news that Andrew Flintoff was unable to play at Headingley was a grievous one for England, however much they will try to talk up their chances without him. Just his presence on the field is massive for England, and … Continue reading