Silencing Critics
It is sometimes hard to reconcile Englands actual results with what is written about them in the British press, which is notoriously vindictive in its hounding of England teams which do not win. Bobby Robson was Englands most successful football manager since Sir Alf Ramsey, taking the team to a World Cup semifinal which was only lost because of a freak German goal. Yet for years leading up to that day, Robson was routinely pilloried in the press. It is all very well to say that newspapers are just trying to sell more copies, but still it is hard not to be hurt by what is written by people who travel with you and regularly sit opposite you at press conferences. Of course, good players must be expected to endure this and get on with it but the pressure whipped up by the tabloids can be intense.
It is true that English cricketers do not normally help themselves in this regard. They often appear to have an aversion to travelling abroad rather a handicap when at least half of an international career will be spent on tour. Instead of entering into the spirit and trying to enjoy the countries they visit, it is often reported that they tend to skulk around their hotel swimming pools, moaning and sulking. An outgoing, studiously polite approach such as that of Mark Taylor and Hansie Cronje, respectively Australian and South African cricket captains, can win a lot of friends on tour which must surely make tours more enjoyable for the tourists and probably will help them on the field.
In the end, results are the best answer to criticism. England certainly does not have a stellar side, but its recent record in Test cricket (lets forget the last World Cup) has been respectable: a drawn series with the West Indies, followed by four drawn games and one loss against South Africa, a series won against India and a series lost to Pakistan.
In Zimbabwe this winter, one match was extremely closely fought and ended up as the first Test drawn with scores level (as opposed to tied). England chased 205 to win in 37 overs and fell one run short with six wickets down terrific stuff which was unfortunately spoiled by the England coachs claim that We flipping murderedem and they know it. The second Test was ruined by rain when England had the upper hand. And now some sterling performances in New Zealand have produced a comfortable series win. This represents plenty upon which to build it is to be hoped that England will, for a change, go on and do that in the Ashes series this summer.