England Will Be Held To Account If Preparation Backfires - Agnew

When we heard England were considering sending immoderate players to Canberra for nan Lions game, we assumed it would beryllium those successful request of practice.

The 3 they are sending – Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts – did not characteristic successful nan first Test successful Perth and look highly improbable to play successful nan 2nd successful Brisbane. It is simply a bizarre situation.

England's original scheme was not to nonstop anyone for nan crippled against nan Prime Minister's XI, truthful small has changed. The likes of Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Harry Brook, who look to request immoderate clip astatine nan crease, will beryllium disconnected to Brisbane to bat successful nan nets.

England are responsible for their mentation and their performances connected nan field. They are responsible for giving it their champion changeable of winning nan Ashes. The impervious of nan pudding will beryllium successful nan eating.

Australia are a superb squad successful day-night Tests – they person won 13 of their 14 pink-ball matches. Mitchell Starc is outstanding successful those conditions.

Just because Australia are accustomed to these matches and England are not, it does not mean England cannot win.

But location is simply a immense mobility astir whether England would beryllium amended prepared playing a crippled nether lights than spending clip successful nan nets successful Brisbane.

England – nan management, players and administrators – will beryllium held to relationship astatine nan extremity of nan Ashes if their plans do not work.

In nan aftermath of nan dense conclusion successful nan first Test I person been struck by nan genuine anger among supporters.

People person spent a batch of money and location is existent frustration, a extent of emotion I don't deliberation I person seen before. The England squad disregard that astatine their peril.

It was nan worst conclusion of an England squad I person seen successful a Test successful this country. They should person won. Instead, nan crippled was tossed distant calamitously and feebly.

I cognize location has been rather a batch of guidance to nan question and reply Ben Stokes gave to maine consecutive aft nan lucifer ended. I americium not upset if he was a small tetchy. His squad had conscionable been humiliated successful beforehand of 50,000 people, truthful to past person to speak to TV and power is incredibly difficult.

Stokes told maine his squad useful hard. I cannot disagree pinch him. We spot them train and cognize they springiness it perfectly everything. They are supremely fit. Potts looks for illustration he should beryllium successful nan SAS.

Does that mean they tin spell retired and play cricket well? Are England moving difficult connected nan correct things?

Under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England person decided they are going to play successful a definite way. They opportunity it is simply a method that gives them nan champion chance of winning.

Is that correct? It did not activity successful nan 5th Test against India astatine The Oval, a crippled they should person won. It has not worked here.

When Stokes and McCullum took over, their cognition was a activity of caller air. It was what England needed aft a depressing tally of 1 triumph successful 17 Tests. Across 18 months they played immoderate exhilarating cricket, shredding bowling attacks.

Supporters fell backmost successful emotion pinch nan England team, which was captious for nan wellness of nan crippled successful our country.

However, location were immoderate of america who knew nan method was unsustainable. The temper astir England was positive, truthful nan dissenters stayed quiet.

But nan teams England hit successful those early months of nan Stokes-McCullum authorities were not of nan highest quality. They person played 3 five-Test bid and not won immoderate of them. In their past 14 Tests, England person much defeats than wins – 7 to six.

Over nan people of 150 years of Test cricket history location is simply a logic why successful batting has been built of coagulated defence, not sailing down nan transportation and taking a swipe astatine nan bowling.

I person spoken to a number of erstwhile Australia players since nan first Test ended. One problem they identified is simply a deficiency of accountability successful nan England set-up.

"That's nan measurement we play," is simply a mantra of this England squad and it is 1 of their failings.

There should beryllium immoderate reflection connected what happened successful Perth, looking astatine what happened successful a mature fashion.

The shots Brook was playing were from nan 3rd XI of a colony team. He needs to turn up. Compare Brook pinch nan awesome innings of Travis Head. There is simply a immense quality betwixt recklessness and controlled aggression.

We person laboured nan constituent astir England's constricted preparation, but a batch of what we feared came existent successful nan first Test.

When it was announced that England had only 1 warm-up crippled against nan Lions, we could person predicted really wickets would autumn successful nan first Test: edging rising deliveries extracurricular disconnected stump by attempting to play booming drives. Look what happened.

A batch of nan anger aimed astatine England comes from a emotion they do not care. Supporters spot nan measurement these England players get retired and deliberation it does not matter to them.

I tin categorically opportunity it is not true. The players attraction deeply. In nan aftermath of nan Test I saw Crawley successful a café. He had conscionable bagged a pair, facing only 11 balls successful nan match.

He looked utterly miserable, sitting location for illustration a man pinch a contagious disease. He was surely not retired having a bully time, aliases playing 18 holes connected nan play course.

The play communicative is different I tin take sides England from. When they train, they train hard. What are they expected to do for nan remainder of nan day? Sit successful their edifice rooms watching Netflix? There is thing incorrect pinch being successful nan caller air, doing thing to return nan mind distant from cricket.

England are only 1-0 down. It would beryllium madness to constitute them disconnected successful this series. One point they tin return from Perth is they exposed immoderate vulnerabilities successful nan Australia team.

But Stokes, McCullum and nan remainder must prime themselves up and understand nan correct measurement to spell astir things successful Brisbane.

I erstwhile played successful a one-day world astatine nan Melbourne Cricket Ground wherever we sewage trounced by 7 wickets. We walked disconnected successful beforehand of 85,000 group knowing we had been thoroughly outplayed. I ne'er wanted to acquisition that emotion again.

This England squad will person gone done nan aforesaid successful Perth and should now beryllium wished not to person a repetition successful Brisbane.

A consequence astatine nan Gabba is vital. If England spell 2-0 down, jobs and careers will beryllium connected nan line.