Too Many Short Games, Too Much Money

I'm not going to bang on for long about yesterday's humiliation of the English national team at Sabina Park, Jamaica. But...

What is happening to English cricket? Just three and a bit years ago the team was a world beater; reclaiming the Ashes and giving out stick to just about every other test playing nation.

Yesterday the England scorecard after the second innings read: 51 all out; match lost by an innings and 23 runs.We must recognise that the Windies bowled well; Taylor in particular was terrific - but that doesn't account for such dismal failure by highly paid and supposedly professional sportsmen. It's not as if they've got a proper job, all they need to do is play a game to the best of their abilities. If 51 all out is the best of their abilities, I'd be pleased to take a central contract myself and at least stonewall à la Boycott for a few overs, white cane notwithstanding.

No, what we seem to have here is bunch of one day sloggers with neither the patience nor the application to play the game at its highest level. They seem to be too concerned about the potentially massive pay outs in the IPL to even worry about representing their country in the test match arena. There is simply too much one day and 20twenty cricket being played by international teams; players are too rarely required to show the pluck and grit that is needed in the war of attrition that is test cricket - it's just a case of whack a quick fifty, or get out trying; poor tactics and poor shots.

Cricket lovers everywhere should hang their heads in sorrow; I think our game is changing into something much less appealing than the sporting epic it should be and has been; a comic-book travesty played by wide boys and sloggers.

here's the shameful figures:

England 2nd Innings

Strauss c Ramdin b Taylor.... 9
Cook c DS Smith b Taylor ......0
Bell c Ramdin b Benn..............4
Pietersen b Taylor....................1
Collingwood b Taylor...............1
Flintoff b Edwards.................24
Prior b Taylor...........................0
Broad c Marshall b Benn........0
Sidebottom lbw b Benn..........6
S Harmison b Benn.................0
Panesar not out......................0

Extras 4nb 2b...........................6

Total all out.............................51
(33.2 overs)