An impressive England squad shooting from the hip

[King]

More... An impressive England squad shooting from the hip Vaughan’s qualities are widely recognised

Peter Roebuck England’s new management team has found an intelligent, practical and impressive leadership squad. Between them, Peter Moores, Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood will make life hard for the Indian touring team. Certainly they will present a united front and avoid the excesses and errors committed by the otherwise estimable Andrew Flintoff. Nor are any of them likely to suffer the sort of bad patch endured by Andrew Strauss, a turn of events that can dent the confidence of any leader. Vaughan’s qualities are widely recognised. Polished, determined and calm, his main problem in recent seasons has been not his mind or his game but his body. Alas he had become an armchair general obliged to smoke a pipe as his army disintegrated. Frustrating period It must have been a frustrating period and probably Vaughan should have headed for Peru or some other non-cricketing outpost. Instead he lingered and was partly blamed for the Ashes debacle. Happily he is back and full of runs, a proven tactician able to command the respect of his players. He might also be able to lure Marcus Trescothick back into the furnace. They played together as boys and over the years have reached a mutual understanding. Vaughan’s position has been strengthened by his removal as one-day captain. Simply, he did not score enough runs to justify his place in the side. Inevitably his retention compromised his authority. Like Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh before him, he has been allowed to concentrate on Test cricket, a move likely to lengthen his leadership. The right man Collingwood has taken over as captain of the one-day outfit. He was the right man in the right place at the right time and will lead with distinction. More than most, Collingwood had to fight his way to the top, overcoming doubt every step of the way, not least his own. And with every rise came the prediction that it must be his last. Nothing he does at the crease is beyond the reach of the common man. He is as pretentious as the potato. Accordingly it takes time to warm to him, to see how skilfully his game is put together, how little it depends on fortune. Apart from anything else, he plays with a wide bat and moves his feet purposefully. And he does another thing that is not entirely irrelevant. He scores runs consistently and against all countries on all sorts of pitches. Collingwood is also a strong enough character to stand his ground against anyone. His elevation is well deserved. He had to wait for his chance, and the waiting did not harm him. He worked on his game and by the time opportunity arrived he was a mature man and a seasoned cricketer. The race is not always to the swift. Doughty campaigner Moores is another pragmatic, committed character. He, too, was an excellent appointment. A doughty county campaigner, he had subsequently proved himself as a coach and was chosen on merit and not playing record. Like Collingwood, he does not allow any theory or any challenge to overwhelm him. He is sensible enough to let the captain run the team but will add his own strengths, not least an honest, direct, encouraging attitude, an approach that will inspire renewed effort on the bleakest of days. India can glean much from Moores’ nomination. Different arenas demand different skills. Collingwood’s rise is also instructive. It is not where the journey begins that matters, but where it ends. England has played the bowling on its merits. It is the truest lesson the game teaches, and the one most often ignored.

[The Outsider]

England's batting lineup is really strong and I don't see our popgun attack dismissing them twice in any test.