Oh George, where did it all go wrong?

After early retirement Sixties superstar footballer and style icon George Best was in bed with the latest Miss World, having had a good night at the casino, bank notes were spread all around the penthouse suite at a luxury hotel when George decided to ask for a bottle of Dom Perignon from room service. The drink duly arrived with the cart being pushed into the room by an elderly waiter; looking around and then at George the waiter sighed and asked the same question ‘Talking Bails’ was asking after England’s latest defeat in the ICC Cricket World Cup;

‘Where did it all go wrong?’

Some thoughts from ‘Talking Bails’;

-          Not enough flexibility in selection, once you’re in the team, barring injury, you’re in the team

-          Ten team, nine match tournaments are totally different from a standard 5 or 6 match series against the same team and need a totally different approach

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-          Shot selection, big guns blazing is a fine approach against lesser teams

-          Don’t tell us the teams bats all the way down, there’s a reason why players bat at 9, 10 and 11 and not higher. Moeen Ali is a walking wicket at this level, followed closely by Archer and Rashid. That’s fine when top 6 are firing but when not don’t expect them to carry the game to the opposition in the company of the remaining batsman.

-          Archer is the find of the year, but he’s looking weary and needs a rest which is unlikely to happen with England needing to win one or likely two out of two matches left.

-          There is an ability to read the game, the team and management seem totally detached from the on-the-day conditions, the opposition and what is required. This is how we play seems to be the mantra, no matter what.

This could still end in glory. The tournament is still there to be won. Even if England have looked anything but favourites while failing twice to reach 230. The pressure has begun to go up more than a few notches but that will be nothing compared to losing the next match and needing to win the last to progress to the semi-finals.