dedee
Established Member
I think the reasons are many and varied. Joking aside for awhile I do not think our cricketers are particularly bad. The Aussies were just so much better. England are 2nd in the ICC test rankings. A lot of the problems must be in the mind which to me is one of the responsibilities of the coach to sort out.
Generally I do get the impression that our team sportsmen are under prepared. For example take the often heard statement from England football managers that practising penalties is a waste of time because the atmosphere and pressure cannot be replicated and compare that with the idea of Humphrey Walters (the motivation guy behind the 2003 RFU World cup team) "When you take a penalty in training do it 20 times and if you miss one, start at the beginning until you've scored 20 consecutively".
If you can get the brain and the muscles to do things automatically it matters not a jot what the external pressures are - ask the Army.
I also believe that tabloid journalism in all mediums fuels an unrealistic expectatiion and when the team fails the fall so much further and are then ridiculed.
One could argue that the Aussies lost the Ashes in 2005 'cos their best bowler, McGrath, was injured for the two tests they lost. England's best bowler, Simon Jones, was injured for the whole of this current series.
For sure the sportsmen are also overpayed and pampered - a situation that is unlikely to be reversed.
Andyt
Generally I do get the impression that our team sportsmen are under prepared. For example take the often heard statement from England football managers that practising penalties is a waste of time because the atmosphere and pressure cannot be replicated and compare that with the idea of Humphrey Walters (the motivation guy behind the 2003 RFU World cup team) "When you take a penalty in training do it 20 times and if you miss one, start at the beginning until you've scored 20 consecutively".
If you can get the brain and the muscles to do things automatically it matters not a jot what the external pressures are - ask the Army.
I also believe that tabloid journalism in all mediums fuels an unrealistic expectatiion and when the team fails the fall so much further and are then ridiculed.
One could argue that the Aussies lost the Ashes in 2005 'cos their best bowler, McGrath, was injured for the two tests they lost. England's best bowler, Simon Jones, was injured for the whole of this current series.
For sure the sportsmen are also overpayed and pampered - a situation that is unlikely to be reversed.
Andyt
The last time was back in 1920/21 and I certainly wasn't around then. For all we know it might be another 86 years before we see another one and I certainly don't expect to be around then either.
