The England cricket team have finally managed to get off the mark, after numerous attempts in ICC events they have brought home their first World Cup and well deserved it is too.
Let’s look at the the key determinants in English cricket’s first successful World Cup campaign.
The Impact of Leadership
Andy Flower has done a fantastic job getting England on track since coming in as Peter Moores replacement.
He has put in place a management team of specialist coaches, using a systems approach he has mandated his support staff with specific roles and responsibilities, he oversees and co-ordinates the support staff quietly and effectively.
He has led the team selectors with the type of player that he wants and the selectors have obliged. Having got the players he wanted, he has released them within the team game plan, but to express their natural game within their role.
Paul Collingwood is a quiet achiever, not for him brash statement or posturing body language. A Geordie lad who efficiently leads the side with good game strategy and personal performance.
He is a world class fielder and an astute and intelligent batter. We have seen this across all formats over the years, he works space well and doesn’t miss an opportunity to hit over the top or get out his favoured signature shot, the pick-up pull through mid wicket.
England Cricket: Key Performers
England’s foreign players, including South Africa’s threesome of Kieswetter, Lumb and Pietersen, as well as Ireland’s Morgan had exceptional tournaments, particularly Pietersen who has got his Mojo back after 18 months of disrupted focus and injury. He played match winning innings of such magnitude that he looked in a different class to the other batters in the tournament.
What Facilitiated The Turnaround ?
Clear, decisive, decision making has been central to England’s success.
If we were to follow a piece of string it would lead us back to the fall out between the then England Captain and Coach, Kevin Pieteresen and Peter Moores.
Hugh Morris, the MD of English Cricket stepped in, removed both of them and installed a new Coach in Andy Flower and then specialist Captains for the different formats of the game. Andrew Strauss for the England Test and ODI sides and Paul Collingwood for the short format, England’s 20 20 team.
This was critical in facilitating a clean break, no processing extra baggage for players or management, move on and empower the new incumbents.
Selection of the right players for the right formats. They moved beyond England players who were established in other formats and gave youth its head, picking specialists for the 20 20 format, specifically Lumb and Kieswetter.
Selecting an aggressive opening pair to attack the batting powerplay of the first 6 overs with Kieswetter and Lumb. Having taken the initiative, the goal was clearly to push on to take the game away from the fielding side.
Getting the selection combination’s right, having two spinners to take pace off the ball, one right arm and the other left.
They played offensive cricket, their batting strategy was based on taking the game to the opposition and they did this fearlessly: they disregarded the loss of wickets, they kept on pressing the opposition, understanding that with only 120 balls to play you need to press all the time.
The bowling combinations were well thought out, the introduction of Ryan Sidebottom as a left arm variation worked well in creating an angle across the right handers at the top of the order. Swann and his positive attitude of ‘everything is possible’ has been instrumental in closing down the game at key times, chock full of confidence he positively relished whatever challenge Collingwood threw at his way.
Collingwood looking for opportunities to take wickets meant that whenever the opportunity presented itself he held an extra catcher for the new batter and he held pressure fields for batters who were struggling to get their game going.
These little things add up, the positive intent creates opportunity and with player combinations selected to optimize them, the game and the tournament flowed Englands way.
England, World Twenty20 Champions 2010
Back From England Cricket: Twenty20 World Champions To 20 20 Cricket
About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.