I wonder if, in England, having a distinctive coaching philosophy at the top level is contributing to that trend? It doesn't seem like the Championship is very Bazball-y so, as McCullum, you may well want to get younger players less tainted by other coaching philosophies into your set-up. Whereas few people would be able to say without Google who the Aussie coach was in the glory days of McGrath, Warne, et al - that wasn't driven by coaching philosophy, it was driven by talented cricketers making their way through the first-class matches :)
I'm pretty sure you're right, Boris. My biggest 'problem' with the Bazball philosophy is that once a player has been discarded there appears to be no way back. Why not be open to established players being allowed to reinvent themselves? Like Keaton Jennings, for example. He's done a great job of raising his scoring rate in order to 'fit in.'
David, many thanks for a wonderful question which made me smile. Do you have an interest in philosophy? Ha! Yes indeed, the selectors' job is most definitely to focus on what might be achieved in the future. Traditionally they have done that on the basis of what has already been achieved in the past. The point I was trying to make (probably clumsily) is that 'tradition' is changing because of the cramped schedules and players being unable to build up a meaningful resume in domestic cricket... :)
I was being slightly facetious, but I suppose we’ve been seeing the nature of these sorts of difficult decisions selectors have changing for a while in all sorts of directions: white ball form used to justify selection for red ball, playing international white ball stopping people from playing domestic red ball and thus pushing their case for red ball selection, and no doubt many more besides. It feels a little like pressing your case in domestic cricket is going the way of pressing your case in a tour game (remember those?!?). It’s certainly much easier to be an armchair than a real selector! In the English context, the varied backgrounds, experiences, et cetera of Vaughan, Pietersen, Hick, Atherton I suppose show that there’s no one way of selectors getting it right or wrong. And look how tortured Australia has been for the last year trying to find an opener. Continuing my facetious theme, maybe the schedule is letting everyone show their form in domestic cricket… the IPL and all the other t20 tournaments!! :)
I wonder if, in England, having a distinctive coaching philosophy at the top level is contributing to that trend? It doesn't seem like the Championship is very Bazball-y so, as McCullum, you may well want to get younger players less tainted by other coaching philosophies into your set-up. Whereas few people would be able to say without Google who the Aussie coach was in the glory days of McGrath, Warne, et al - that wasn't driven by coaching philosophy, it was driven by talented cricketers making their way through the first-class matches :)
I'm pretty sure you're right, Boris. My biggest 'problem' with the Bazball philosophy is that once a player has been discarded there appears to be no way back. Why not be open to established players being allowed to reinvent themselves? Like Keaton Jennings, for example. He's done a great job of raising his scoring rate in order to 'fit in.'
100 percent agree!
It's almost like since it's cricket at breakneck pace, there's not time for going back, only forward, hehe :P
Is it not a selectors’ job to select on the basis of what might be achieved, not what has been?
David, many thanks for a wonderful question which made me smile. Do you have an interest in philosophy? Ha! Yes indeed, the selectors' job is most definitely to focus on what might be achieved in the future. Traditionally they have done that on the basis of what has already been achieved in the past. The point I was trying to make (probably clumsily) is that 'tradition' is changing because of the cramped schedules and players being unable to build up a meaningful resume in domestic cricket... :)
I was being slightly facetious, but I suppose we’ve been seeing the nature of these sorts of difficult decisions selectors have changing for a while in all sorts of directions: white ball form used to justify selection for red ball, playing international white ball stopping people from playing domestic red ball and thus pushing their case for red ball selection, and no doubt many more besides. It feels a little like pressing your case in domestic cricket is going the way of pressing your case in a tour game (remember those?!?). It’s certainly much easier to be an armchair than a real selector! In the English context, the varied backgrounds, experiences, et cetera of Vaughan, Pietersen, Hick, Atherton I suppose show that there’s no one way of selectors getting it right or wrong. And look how tortured Australia has been for the last year trying to find an opener. Continuing my facetious theme, maybe the schedule is letting everyone show their form in domestic cricket… the IPL and all the other t20 tournaments!! :)
The Wood....
Please can l have your autographs & newsleters