What is wrong with the English ?

[Adarsh]

That England has promoted the right man, though, ought to provoke introspection among the thousands of locally born and bred patriots working within the game. Actually they should have been scratching their heads for several decades. Considering the amount of money hurled at the game, and the number of coaches and advisors and psychologists and dieticians and schemes unveiled, and the attention England devotes to the game, this inability to produce a candidate from the homegrown ranks is embarrassing. For that matter the team's failure to subdue a compromised New Zealand team suggests that most of the money has been wasted. But then it has been a long time since England was able to look down on its rivals. At no point in the last 50 years has the country that invented the game and claimed ownership of it for so long stood at the top of the rankings. Instead England has celebrated occasional victories, mistaking them for transforming events. It is a state of mind.

Doubtless bad weather has played a part in this underperformance, but these inescapable truths require an explanation. Or at any rate something more impressive than a lot of lame talk about structures and so forth. It's not always the system's fault. Sometimes the people themselves must take the blame. If the thinking is awry, more money and more schemes are a waste of time. They only lead to more false dawns and excuses and then the cycle resumes. England needs to focus not so much on plans and more upon character - most especially upon its development.

http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/358408.html

Following on from the other thread, I think this deserves a discussion of its own. Case study: Me. Born to Indian parents, I'm an immigrant in the UK where I play cricket. I don't know why England are unable to produce world class teams, to be honest. A huge amount of money is spent. The current England team or potential players has Pietersen, Owais Shah, Bopara, Ambrose, Rashid, Panesar and a load of others who've influenced by external factors (ie. playing due to factors that aren't inherently English) into playing cricket. I'm not saying that they aren't English, or that they don't deserve a spot in the team.

Why do you think this is the case? For me, it's due to not enough cricket being played. Most youngsters play it only once or twice a week for about 4 months a year. That's is ridiculously little compared to those in India, for eg, who play on the streets or for a club 5 times a week for most of the year. Is climate the only factor ? I don't think so. What else could there be ?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I've made my case on this.

Now, the reason? I guess it just isn't in English culture. It is a lot more practical to get a few guys around, a football, and start playing than it is to get a pair of bats, a ball, some stumps, a good area and enough people to play a good game of cricket. And soccer can be played in the rain, cricket can't that much.

 

[Adarsh]

Yeah, unless the culture of gully cricket is introduced, I don't think it'll improve. That said, Australia are awesome....perhaps the climate does have a big effect.

 

[Collingwood50]

It's because Sky Steals the cricket from live TV, and the money the ECB earns from it goes into peoples back pockets

 

[Themer]

You have noted a few examples of people who could play for England who aren't as you put it Inherently English but if you look at things on a wider scale there are masses of English players who are , not sure how to put it, properly English look at Englands current Test under 19 team. All of them bar Stuart Meaker were born and raised in England and are English through and through. Who is to say that none of these will be world class. By saying that we have no world class players you are not considering Flintoff world class cause he most definely is.
Yes they have spent alot of money on schemes but these schemes won't suddenley create world class players and I can see England over the next 10 years becoming very good on the back of these schemes.

 

[Ollie_H]

I was actually looking forward to nobody commenting on this.

Bluntly we allow so many immigrants be it legal or illegal example adrash into our country when actually this is our country. But obviously you come here and we let you stay here so you set up some communities and actually cricket was already here and unlike you kindly state for me a lot of people play cricket in this country and a lot of these people are not immgrants.

EDIT; I am actually friends with Stuart Meaker and he is actually a very good lad! If you want I can ask him later wethere England or South Africa is his home country?

 

[manee]

I was actually looking forward to nobody commenting on this.

Bluntly we allow so many immigrants be it legal or illegal example adrash into our country when actually this is our country. But obviously you come here and we let you stay here so you set up some communities and actually cricket was already here and unlike you kindly state for me a lot of people play cricket in this country and a lot of these people are not immgrants.

EDIT; I am actually friends with Stuart Meaker and he is actually a very good lad! If you want I can ask him later wethere England or South Africa is his home country?

I must have asked you this before, but has he really been timed at 96mph?

 

[Ollie_H]

No you haven't Manee, and yes he has actually seriously in all honesty been timed at 96 mph. He was in my house at school and we were good friends and I still talk to him now.

 

[Themer]

Woah 96mph that is seriously quick for his age and any age at that.

 

[Adarsh]

But obviously you come here and we let you stay here so you set up some communities and actually cricket was already here and unlike you kindly state for me a lot of people play cricket in this country and a lot of these people are not immgrants.

That is one incomprehensible sentence, but I'll try and reply.

You let immigrants, yes, nobody argues about that. And yes, a lot of people already play here. My point is that a lot of cricketers are, in fact, influenced by external factors; a relatively huge proportion of the cricket playing population in England. Interest in cricket isn't very high on the wider scale, and the fact remains that England haven't been world leaders for a long while and haven't been anywhere near the top for the majority of the last 50 years. Surely something needs to be done to address that ?

In all honesty, given India's population and interest in cricket it should be doing a lot better too, but the finance and infrastructure at the grassroot level sucks compared to England.

 

[Ollie_H]

Yeah but we aren't the only team not to have topped the world rankings in the past 50 years? Or are we?

Let's be honest everything we do, think and believe is influenced by an external factor.

Question; Do you think, that the main thing that contributes to greenhouse gases are humans? Yes or no?

 

[Themer]

I don't think you can put everything down to money and population sizes. Sri Lanka have limted resources and a low population compared to England but still are better. The only factor that affects it is natural talent some countries have alot of naturally talented cricketers and therefore do well.


And to that question no. Its been proven that "greenhouse gases" rise and drop in phases from results in Ice they have examined. We ofcourse have given it a helping hand so to say.

 

[Ollie_H]

So themer how did you get come to know that?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Does England even have naturally-talented sportsmen? This is actually a good issue!

Look at people from the Africas. Lots of them are from tribes, with hunters and such, meaning it is in their genes to be fast and strong and good stamina.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, being surrounded by water, are quick and flexible people who are good swimmers and climbers and such, cause that's in their genes as it was how their ancestors used to survive. With those skills. Hence you see a lot of good fielders.

India and Pakistan have a mix of the agile type, and the powerful type through the Sikhs and Pathans as they used to work in the field a lot and do a lot of heavy-duty work, meaning they have it in their genes to be strong and powerful.

West Indies have the same as Africa. The Aussies and the Kiwis have very strong, fast and fit people. Why, I'm not too sure TBH. Guess it is a sporting culture in the people there.

But what to England have? Strength, speed, stamina, agility, all aren't really in their genes for survival? Is it? Can someone correct me on this? Maybe this could be the reason why England doesn't produce a lot of great athletes...

 

[Adarsh]

Question; Do you think, that the main thing that contributes to greenhouse gases are humans? Yes or no?

Highly irrelevant, but...I'm not sure if humans are the main contributor. However, we are a big contributor. I'd also like to trust the scientists on this issue and don't like to make comments on issues where I don't have the evidence, and the knowledge to analyse the evidence in front of me.