Botham: England are the best team in the world

[Karan114]

Botham: England are the best team in the world by Ian Botham, Daily Mirror 26/05/2011 THE England Test team is the best in world cricket and they will prove it beyond doubt this summer. Forget the rankings designed by men with computers who believe that logarithms can tell us who is playing the best cricket more accurately than we can see with our eyes. Look at what you’re watching and make your own minds up. England are unbeaten in seven series with six of them ending in victory for Andrew Strauss’s side, and the pinnacle of these was the magnificent Ashes campaign last winter. That sealed it for me. Not just because it was the Ashes and winning them in Australia is notoriously difficult, but because they did it so comprehensively and in such style. It takes something special to win Down Under, but it takes a rare gem of a side to do it with three innings defeats and leave the Australians floundering around looking for someone to blame before turning on each other. When all was said and done at the Sydney cricket ground in January, we were looking at the world’s best team and I expect to see them build on that and dominate the global game for the next few years and more. The real beauty of this England team is their age and their experience. They have nearly all played enough Test cricket to be considered old pros, yet most of them are still so young. Unlike the 2005 team that reached a peak and was then ravaged by retirements and injuries, this England side has plenty of cricket left in it. Only Strauss and Graeme Swann are over 30 and I can see the England skipper continuing to lead the side into the next Ashes series that arrives in 2013 and beyond. Between now and then, the target is sustained world supremacy. Outside the great Australian and West Indies teams, no other side has dominated the game and England have the chance to put themselves in that position. India are currently “ranked” No.1 in the world and they got there by playing some decent cricket, mainly at home. But when you consider that they have only beaten Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last six away trips, then you realise that they have got a bit to prove to people this summer. But before that heavyweight contest comes a tricky tester against the Sri Lankans, who are never easy to beat regardless of who turns out for them. And anybody thinking that they will be a pushover now that their dependable wicket-taking machine has retired should think again. Wonder spinner Muttiah Muralitharan turned Sri Lanka from a good team into a very good and sometimes brilliant team, but without him they are not lost. They will still have bowlers who will take wickets on their day and when it comes to their batting line-up they have two class acts in Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who are good enough to take any bowling attack apart. But having seen what our bowlers are capable of this winter, I expect them to come out on top again in Cardiff, London and Southampton. The competition for places throughout the England squad and beyond is keeping everyone honest and I like the fact that the selectors are not afraid to mix it up when they see a player going off the boil. Past glories don’t guarantee you selection any more because there are good enough players to replace you. When you think that Tim Bresnan, Graham Onions, Ajmal Shahzad and probably Steven Finn won’t feature in Cardiff, then you realise just how healthy a state our quick bowling stocks are. And the same can almost be said about the batting when Ravi Bopara, James Taylor, and James Hildreth are all left banging on the door while the guys in the side continue to fill their boots. The challenge for this England team is not to prove to people how good they are any more – we know they can play. The job is to dominate. That is what I want to see this summer and I’ve got every confidence they will. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/botham/2011/05/26/england-are-the-best-team-in-the-world-115875-23157141/

[Cricket Tragic]

Expected stuff from Beefy. :cantstop:

[suraj]

I agree England is the best team in the world and Pakistan the best place in the world to play cricket; ICC should ensure that atleast 3 England-Pak series are played in Pakistan in 2011 England is the only team that can dodge bulllets from bowlers and terrorists alike

[Sir_Afridi]

Outside the great Australian and West Indies teams, no other side has dominated the game and England have the chance to put themselves in that position.

Pak team of 90s says hi

[mishra]

Typical dailymirror article. Editor may have edited and re-edited ;). I dont think beefy is that insane

[Cricket Tragic]

Typical dailymirror article. Editor may have edited and re-edited ;). I dont think beefy is that insane

Daily Mirror>Daily Fail Besides, haven't you heard Beefy on Sky? He said pretty much what is said in the article during and after the Ashes.

[Zap_Brannigan]

Pak team of 90s says hi

Why? Pak might want to take a look at the stats before saying hi.

[Cricket Tragic]

Why? Pak might want to take a look at the stats before saying hi.

Because their bowlers bowled phhassst.

[Midfielder]

Let me repeat, if India does not have a slow start they will beat England like a drum.

[Utalk]

Oh com,n where does Pakistan come into this.This poster is a brainless idiot who loves ppl making fun of pakistan. As for beefy no need to take him seriously.

[Midfielder]

Oh com,n where does Pakistan come into this.This poster is a brainless idiot who loves ppl making fun of pakistan. As for beefy no need to take him seriously.

What's wrong with you. You are making the most sense here. I will have to take you very seriously now.

[CoverDrive]

It is ok Beefy is a patriotic guy and would say what he feels. Guys like Atherton get my goat more who will talk very balanced and slip in sly comments here and there.

[vamos_rafa]

Can Someone please remind beefy that its been 15 years since they won a series against us.

[jonas10]

I love how these English brag about winning a two team tournament about 20% of the time. "We won the ashes we won the ashes we won the ashes" Um what about the 5 zillion times u guys got pwned by Australia in the same Ashes?

[ganeshran]

Its his opinion and he is entitled to it.

[jairamesh]

Again, for the English media and old establishment, cricket doesn't exist outside England, hence results don't matter outside England, maybe sometimes in Australia if things go there way. Any any case, even if England beat India, India will still be "ranked" no. 1. To me that makes them the best until otherwise. It's been 27 years since England beat India in India. It's been 15 years since England beat India in England! Long way to go before they can compare themselves to Windies or Australia.

[saneindian]

I hope Lankans burst this English bubble soon.

[jairamesh]

When you think that Tim Bresnan, Graham Onions, Ajmal Shahzad and probably Steven Finn won’t feature in Cardiff, then you realise just how healthy a state our quick bowling stocks are. And the same can almost be said about the batting when Ravi Bopara, James Taylor, and James Hildreth are all left banging on the door while the guys in the side continue to fill their boots.

Seriously, barring Bresnan, none of the above have proven themselves in any formats, and don't exactly induce a picture raw talent or fear. Everytime I have watched Finn, he keeps getting hammered, and Bopara...enuf said.

[saneindian]

England are getting too far ahead of themselves. They have had a good 18 months but if the pst is any indicator, they have slipped up nig time after reaching the highs. After the 2005 Ashes win , they went to Pakistan got hammered, drew a series in India (against a team in turmoil) and then got hammered in SL too. That's how the euphoria evaporated. Even this time, after the 2011 Ashes win, they got hammered in ODIs in Australia and were humilitaed in the WC. Even though it was a different format, it did say a lot about their state of mind. I won't be surprise to see the Lankan do well against the English during the current tour.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

What's wrong with you. You are making the most sense here. I will have to take you very seriously now.

He's a fine, fine poster.