England need to rip up teamsheet and start again

ENGLAND will fly back home from the Caribbean next week and face an inevitable clamour for change following one of their most testing winter campaigns in recent years.

A dismal ICC Champions Trophy campaign was followed by an Ashes whitewash and a lacklustre World Cup campaign — only the shock Commonwealth Bank series success prevented this winter becoming a total write-off.

But as the players settle in for another hard summer with Test and one-day series against West Indies and India, England’s hierarchy dare not ignore the growing call for change in their one-day fortunes and strategy.

It is 15 years since England were last competitive in a World Cup and for the last two tournaments coach Duncan Fletcher has been in charge of their tactics and selection.

On both occasions Fletcher has failed to mould a team capable of challenging despite having four years to prepare for each tournament and for that alone England should terminate his rolling year-long contract.

His record away from World Cups in one-day cricket is equally lamentable and while other sides have improved their grasp of tactics, become more energetic in the field and developed new batting strategies, England reverted to a safety-first approach which was last used in the 1980s.

England are currently conducting the Schofield review into the reasons for their Ashes whitewash, for which Fletcher was equally accountable after his stubborn refusal to move on from the Ashes-winning line-up of 2005 despite evidence to the contrary.

It has been a similar story here in the Caribbean, where he has refused to accept the limitations of players like captain Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss at the top of the order and failed to arrest the decline of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff’s contribution with the bat.

Vaughan’s failure to score runs consistently provided England with an immediate hurdle to clear in every match, which was underlined by his inability to get off the mark until the 20th ball in the nine-wicket hammering against South Africa.

The Yorkshire batsman may have his qualities as a leader — as he proved during the outstanding Ashes triumph two years ago — but as a one-day batsman he has been found wanting, as 85 one-day internationals without a century would suggest.

Talented a player as Vaughan is, England cannot afford to plan for the future with someone with such a questionable playing and fitness record and their rebuilding programme could begin with replacing him as captain.

With a new captain and coach at the helm and four years to plan and groom a new team, perhaps building it around emerging talents like Ravi Bopara, Liam Plunkett and the world’s number one batsman Kevin Pietersen, then perhaps they could finally challenge for a World Cup again.

Flintoff is worth his place as a bowler alone and, with encouragement and hard work, will hopefully rediscover the flamboyant strokeplay which turned him into one of the world’s best all-rounders.

There is also raw bowling talent in left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and fast bowler Stuart Broad.

Fletcher would no doubt argue that change would only set back his team’s development but, in truth, would anyone notice?