Chris Silverwood knows England’s cricketers and selectors well but the erstwhile bowling coach has taken on a great deal of extra responsibilityIn becoming only the second Englishman in two decades to be appointed as the national head coach, Chris Silverwood represents less of a risk than the man to precede him, Peter Moores.Moores, who was – bizarrely – given the post twice in 2007 and 2014, was first handed the job with undue haste after the departure of Duncan Fletcher at the end of the World Cup in the Caribbean; seven years later he was chosen to replace Andy Flower. Related: Chris Silverwood confirmed as England’s new head coach Related: Was this cricket's best summer ever? – The Spin Podcast Continue...
The England Test captain’s tiredness exposes modern cricket’s faultline – a packed schedule is brilliant for fans but brutal for playersThe weather seemed to turn last week, and the conversation with it. All of a sudden it was autumn and, since what it’s like out is one of the few reliable topics of conversation in this country, friends sent despairing messages from Old Trafford complaining about how bitterly cold it was in the stands. The cricket season’s still got another fortnight‑and‑some to run, there’s this last Test at the Oval, and two more rounds of County Championship matches after the current one. They’ll be sweeping great piles of dead leaves from the outfield by the time it finishes on 26...
England have the spoils, to New Zealand goes the glory, and the nation has a chance to fall back in love with cricket againIt is a phrase that is usually painfully glib or laden with irony but for once it may be appropriate: perhaps cricket really was the winner. The audience beyond, thankfully enlarged, as well as those crammed into every nook and cranny of Lord’s, watched a melodrama that left everyone gasping. Spectators eventually filed out of the old ground stunned by what they had just witnessed, enthralled and exhausted.The last hour at Lord’s was complicated, yet there seemed to be women and children present who found it utterly captivating. The result may not have been just but that...
The bemusement of Liam Plunkett and co is understandable – their glory bid should be available to all on free-to-air TVThere has been a buzz around the England camp as well as a sense of puzzlement. They are in the semi-finals; they are playing well, though not flawlessly. Two victories over India and New Zealand, both easier than expected, have boosted confidence and clarified what they believe to be their best team in most conditions. Now they are kicking their heels until their semi-final at Edgbaston comes around on Thursday. It will be a long wait, though Jason Roy and Jofra Archer may welcome an opportunity to rest aching bodies.And the puzzlement? Well, like everyone else, the players have been...
TikTok, Helo, YouTube and the rest – like highlights after midnight – cannot make up for a widespread inability to watch the games unfoldRepeat a word often enough and it seems to lose all meaning. It’s called semantic satiation, and it’s a phenomenon you will already be aware of if you have spent much time talking to toddlers or sports marketing executives. “Legacy” went some time in the last decade, buzzworded to death after London 2012, and I suspect we’re about to lose “engage” and its variations, too. The England and Wales Cricket Board says it has “engaged” 1 million children in this World Cup, the International Cricket Council has set up fan zones to “engage” with families, partnered with...