With hindsight, I am not sure we got the resting policy exactly right. By the end of the World Cup in India, we were all completely dead on our feet, rest or no rest. What I do know is that no international captain or coach can afford to stick their head in the sand and pretend that the schedule is not something that needs to be managed.
Of course, in an ideal world, the schedule would be less hectic and longer breaks would be found for players to rest, recuperate and prepare for upcoming series. In that regard, England, being the only nation that plays cricket throughout the English summer, is at a disadvantage, as there is no longer an off season for our international cricketers. However, I think players are all realistic enough to appreciate that you cannot have your cake and eat it. If we want to be paid more, then we have to play more. With the advent of the IPL and other domestic Twenty20 leagues, the schedule is being further squeezed. This is not a problem that is going away. Sensible management is required and players have to think about what their priorities are.
Recently, the decision by the ECB to split the coach’s role, with Andy Flower doing the Test job and Ashley Giles coming into the limited-overs role, shows both the effects of the unremitting schedule, which forced a change to be made, and also some sensible foresight by the board. Increasingly cricketers and coaches will start specialising in one form of the game or another, especially where Twenty20 is concerned.
One of the real benefits of my missing the Bangladesh tour was that it provided the opportunity for Alastair Cook to take over the reins and get some important captaincy experience. From the moment I met him, Cook has always impressed me. I vividly remember him arriving at the very last minute on the India tour in 2006 after Marcus Trescothick’s withdrawal. Here was a twenty-one-year-old, flying straight from the pacy wickets of the West Indies, where he had been playing for the A team, about to make his debut on the dust bowls of India, complete with the inevitable jet lag, and he looked supremely unaffected and confident.
He even had the cheek to inform Duncan Fletcher that he was comfortable taking over Trescothick’s place at first slip, while I was forced to continue at second slip, having believed that I had earned the right to make my way up the pecking order.
From the moment he dismissively pulled the ball for four in his first over in Test cricket, he has always seemed likely to be one of English cricket’s highest run-scorers. To go alongside his talents with the bat, he is one of those annoying people with no obvious flaws. His work ethic is extraordinary, he is the fittest in the squad, he goes out of his way to help others, and challenges bring out the best in him. He has always been immensely popular in the side, as well as respected for his fastidious manner. For those great qualities, in particular, he has always had the look of a future England captain.
His stint in charge in Bangladesh in 2010, when England won both the Test and ODI series convincingly, confirmed to everyone that he could cope with the dual demands of opening the batting and captaincy, as well as helping him get a far greater understanding of what the role entails. I am sure that it has stood him in good stead now that he has the job full-time.
The highlight of the 2010 summer was always going to be the matches against Pakistan. England has had a long and chequered cricketing history with Pakistan, with on- and off-field crises such as ball-tampering often overshadowing some excellent competitive cricket between the two sides. In many ways the two teams are the antithesis of each other. Traditionally England cricketers have tended to be measured, technically correct and organised. Pakistan, in contrast, have been inspired, unpredictable and capable of extraordinary flair. The battles between the sides have seemed to represent the clash of two different cricketing cultures, and that is what has made the cricket so captivating.
The 2010 Pakistan cricket team was something of an unknown quantity. Unable to play cricket at home because of security issues, their recent performances had ranged from the sublime, bowling Australia out for 88 en route to a victory in Headingley of all places, to the ridiculous, somehow managing to lose a Test match in Sydney after leading by over 200 runs in the first innings. We did know that their bowling attack, with Mohammad Asif being complemented by Umar Gul and the enormously talented left-armer Mohammad Amir, was going to cause real trouble in English conditions. Their challenge was likely to be how their batsmen would cope with the English conditions and our very skilful and confident bowlers.
The series played out more or less as expected. We blew their inexperienced batting line-up apart in Nottingham and Birmingham, before their bowling attack got the better of us at The Oval, to leave the result of the series still up in the air by the time the two sides met in the fourth and final Test at Lord’s at the end of August. There had been some spellbinding periods of play in one of the few series where the ball completely dominated the bat. A fascinating conclusion looked to be in store at Lord’s. Little did anyone know that three days later, the result of the series would be the last thing on anyone’s mind.
The aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal was long, drawn out and particularly painful. A five-match ODI series was scheduled and I don’t think that either side was at all comfortable about going ahead with the fixtures. The Pakistanis were understandably distracted by the ordeal and by all the speculation in the press about which other games might have been influenced. For us, everything just seemed too raw. Although the players involved in the no-ball saga at Lord’s – Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt – were not going to take part, trust between the two sides had completely broken down.
As the one-day series began, there was a frosty atmosphere between the two sets of players, with tensions simmering away. Not surprisingly, it all came to the surface before the series finished. After a very professional start, when we won the first two games, including chasing down almost 300 at Headingley, we lost the third game at The Oval, where the Pakistanis outfoxed us with some excellent reverse-swing bowling. The problem came after that game, when the chairman of the Pakistani Cricket Board suggested in the media that the England team may have been match-fixing, so sudden and severe was our collapse.
To me, this was a step too far. Here we were, professionally continuing a series when many sides would have been unwilling to keep up the facade, only for the chairman of the PCB to question our integrity, rather than addressing the very serious problem that had been uncovered in his team. Maybe we were all just too emotional, but as far as I and the rest of the players were concerned, he had crossed the line. Imagine what sort of pandemonium would have broken loose if Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, had accused Pakistan of match-fixing on a whim, without any evidence.
A meeting to discuss the matter was hastily arranged between the players and Angus Porter, the chief executive of the PCA, our union. Feelings were high and, as captain, I was particularly galled at our integrity being called into question in the circumstances. As we discussed the possible responses, it was clear that none of us had any stomach left to play the fourth ODI, which was scheduled for the next day at Lord’s. Obviously, the ECB, with all the financial ramifications of cancellation at the forefront of their minds, were keen to finish the series.
When I look back at it, I think this was one of the defining moments of my captaincy. A situation had developed very quickly in which the ECB and the players were sitting on different sides of the fence and the captain had to navigate a way through the mess. Nasser Hussain had his moment with the Zimbabwe situation during the 2003 World Cup. Kevin Pietersen had his with the Mumbai bombings. I believe that it is only in conflict that you are truly tested as a leader. Those under your charge are looking for you to take control and fight their corner; those that employ you are looking for you to restore order. All you have to guide you are your own values.
One thing I was absolutely certain about was that whatever we did, I wanted us to do it together, as a team. Nothing would destroy everything we had worked for over the previous eighteen months quicker than the team breaking up into rebel factio
ns. I was determined not to let that happen. Although the overwhelming majority of the players felt that boycotting the game was the correct course of action, we invited Giles Clarke to come into the room and put forward the ECB’s case for the game to continue.
There have been many things said about Giles Clarke over the years, and he certainly is a character who polarises opinion. He does, however, possess excellent powers of persuasion. He sat in the room talking about the dangerous precedent that we might set, the potential damage to the political relations between Pakistan and England, as well as the duty we had to the thousands of supporters who would be turning up at the ground the next day. When he left the room, the clock was ticking towards midnight and we, as a group of players, had a decision to make.
Having listened to his arguments, as well as having had a little time for my indignation to subside, I told the guys that my own views had changed somewhat. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that boycotting the game would make us the news story, with people questioning and discussing our motives, rather than concentrating on the serious issues within the Pakistani cricket team. Far better, to my mind, to put together a joint statement, written by us, the players, showing our displeasure at the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board in the strongest possible terms, and then get on with playing the cricket. In a lot of ways, it was the moral high ground.
After some time spent drafting a potential statement, we put it to a vote, with everyone committing beforehand that, whatever the majority decision was, we would all do it together. The majority voted for playing the game. The crisis was over.
Somehow, we got through the last two ODIs. Even though we had to consciously keep a lid on our emotions, it was clear that even the tiniest episode might start something off. Jonathan Trott, for instance, was disciplined before the Lord’s game for hitting the Pakistani opening bowler Wahab Riaz with his pad after an altercation in the nets.
From our point of view, the excellent way that we finished the series, with a resounding win at the Rose Bowl to take the honours 3–2, boded extremely well for the future. We had been through some tough moments over the summer, but we had stuck together, shown plenty of resilience and managed to ignore the many distractions to win every series we played.
All those qualities would be needed in spades for our next assignment, an Ashes tour to Australia.
England in South Africa 2009–10 – The Basil D’Oliveira Trophy
1st Test. Centurion Park, Centurion. 16–20 December 2009
South Africa 418 (J.H. Kallis 120, J.P. Duminy 56; G.P. Swann 5–110) and 301–7 dec (H.M. Amla 100, A.B. de Villiers 64; J.M. Anderson 4–73)
England 356 (G.P. Swann 85, A.J. Strauss 46; P.L. Harris 5–123) and 228–9 (K.P. Pietersen 81, I.J.L. Trott 69, A.J. Strauss 1; F. de Wet 4–55)
Match drawn.
2nd Test. Kingsmead, Durban. 26–30 December 2009
South Africa 343 (G.C. Smith 75, J.H. Kallis 75, A.B. de Villiers 50; G.P. Swann 4–110) and 133 (G.P. Swann 5–54, S.C.J. Broad 4–43)
England 574–9 dec (I.R. Bell 140, A.N. Cook 118, P.D. Collingwood 91, M.J. Prior 60, A.J. Strauss 54)
England won by an innings and 98 runs.
3rd Test. Newlands, Cape Town. 3–7 January 2010
South Africa 291 (J.H. Kallis 108, M.V. Boucher 51; J.M. Anderson 5–63) and 447–7 dec (G.C. Smith 183, H.M. Amla 95)
England 273 (M.J. Prior 76, A.N. Cook 65, A.J. Strauss 2; M. Morkel 5–75) and 296–9 (I.R. Bell 78, A.N. Cook 55, A.J. Strauss 45)
Match drawn.
4th Test. New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. 14–17 January 2010
England 180 (P.D. Collingwood 47, A.J. Strauss 0; D.W. Steyn 5–51) and 169 (P.D. Collingwood 71, A.J. Strauss 22; M. Morkel 4–59)
South Africa 423–7 dec (G.C. Smith 105, M.V. Boucher 95, H.M. Amla 75)
South Africa won by an innings and 74 runs.
Series drawn 1–1.
Pakistan in England 2010
1st Test. Trent Bridge, Nottingham. 29 July – 1 August 2010
England 354 (E.J.G. Morgan 130, P.D. Collingwood 82, A.J. Strauss 45; M. Asif 5–77) and 262–9 dec (M.J. Prior 102*, A.J. Strauss 0; U. Gul 3–41)
Pakistan 182 (U. Gul 65*; J.M. Anderson 5–54) and 80 (J.M. Anderson 6–17)
England won by 354 runs.
2nd Test. Edgbaston, Birmingham. 6–9 August 2010
Pakistan 72 (J.M. Anderson 4–20, S.C.J. Broad 4–38) and 296 (Z. Haider 88; G.P. Swann 6–65)
England 251 (K.P. Pietersen 80, I.J.L. Trott 55, A.J. Strauss 25; S. Ajmal 5–82) and 118–1 (I.J.L. Trott 53*, A.J. Strauss 53*)
England won by 9 wickets.
3rd Test. The Oval, London. 18–21 August 2010
England 233 (M.J. Prior 84*, A.J. Strauss 15; W. Riaz 5–63) and 222 (A.N. Cook 110, A.J. Strauss 4; M. Amir 5–52, S. Ajmal 4–71)
Pakistan 308 (A. Ali 92*, M. Yousuf 56; G.P. Swann 4–68) and 148–6 (S. Butt 48; G.P Swann 3–50)
Pakistan won by 4 wickets.
4th Test. Lord’s, London. 26–29 August 2010
England 446 (I.J.L Trott 184, S.C.J. Broad 169, A.J. Strauss 13; M. Amir 6–84)
Pakistan 74 (G.P. Swann 4–12) and 147 (f/o) (Umar Akmal 79*; G.P. Swann 5–62)
England won by an innings and 225 runs.
England won the series 3–1.
15
THE HOLY GRAIL
Twenty-six people are gathered in a big circle on the outfield of the Sydney Cricket Ground. The sixteen players selected for the Ashes tour are there, alongside the large but invaluable backroom staff who have accompanied us. In the middle there are a couple of large coolboxes, filled mainly with ice, beer and white wine. Although the alcohol has been flowing freely for over four hours already, appetites are nowhere near sated. Even Jonathan Trott, who never drinks, has a beer in his hand as he surveys the scenery.
We are surrounded by the imposing stands of the SCG. Although it feels minuscule in comparison to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a seating capacity of over 40,000 people it dwarfs any cricket ground in England. The vast silence and emptiness of the place could not be in greater contrast to the scenes hours earlier, when English supporters were enjoying wild celebrations after witnessing an English Ashes victory in Australia for the first time in twenty-five years. Other than a couple of sprinklers that are quietly irrigating the square, there is no sign of life apart from the English cricketers sitting on the outfield.
The previous few hours had been mayhem. We all knew what to expect on that morning of 7 January 2011 as we came to the ground. Three Australian wickets were needed to wrap up an innings victory and complete a resounding Ashes series win. Although we had to put up with the inevitable lower-order resistance, Chris Tremlett, an unlikely Ashes hero, finally bowled Michael Beer, an unlikely Ashes participant, to finish the series and spark the massive celebrations from players and supporters alike.
The presentation started in comical fashion, when a producer from Channel 9, the host broadcaster, informed me that, as the victorious captain, I was going to receive a crystal-glass replica of the Ashes urn. While it was about ten times the size of the original urn, and far more impressive visually, it just did not feel right to go onto the stage and pick up anything other than the little urn that embodies all the cricketing history and tradition between England and Australia. After I informed the producer that a ‘real’ Ashes urn was required, she went scurrying off to find a suitable replica from one of the vendors selling memorabilia around the ground. She came back with a life-sized urn, probably mass-produced in China and costing about ten dollars, but it proved a worthy substitute for the original urn, which is safely tucked away in the museum at Lord’s.
After we had done the obligatory jumping up and down on the stage, as well as all the usual media duties, we embarked on a lap of honour to thank the many English cricket fans who had supported us all around the country over the previous seven weeks. Getting close to them, posing for photos, gave us all
a very real and humbling impression of the passion on the supporters’ faces. For many of them, this was the highlight of their sporting lives, and they were determined to enjoy every moment of it. No group of people deserved this day more than the large and disparate group of supporters who follow us around the world all year long – the Barmy Army. Their loyal support, humour and good spirits had kept us going many times over the previous years when the odds were against us, and finally they had their moment in the sun.
The contrast between that day and the ghastly journey in the lift with the disgruntled English cricket supporters in Perth four years earlier could not have been greater. Today was redemption for them and for us.
I was also immensely pleased that our families were there with us to savour our victory. They deserved it as much as any of us did. The support we received from them during a very trying and arduous seven weeks was extraordinary. I know that sports people tend to thank their families and support networks in a slightly clichéd way when they are successful, but the role they play can never be overestimated. Besides, it was fantastic to be able to take my boys, Sam and Luca, onto the outfield of the SCG at the end of the game.
From there, it was back to the dressing room for a wholehearted and impassioned rendition of the England team song, led as always by Graeme Swann, before the festivities began in earnest. This was one of those rare moments in international cricket when players could let their hair down completely, in the knowledge that they had achieved something that would live with them for ever. It also marked the end of Paul Collingwood’s England career. After 68 Tests and over 4,000 runs, he had decided that it was time to call it a day. Any thoughts that it might be a solemn occasion, however, were immediately dispelled by the huge grin on his face and an undisguised appetite to enjoy his final moments.
Driving Ambition - My Autobiography Page 20
