Over the past few years, England’s brand of cricket across formats has been the reference point for world cricket but as the results started to slide, questions have been asked of their aggressive approach. Ahead of a defining series against India starting this week, Rob Key, the managing director of the England cricket team, spoke to TOI about the magnitude of the series. Excerpts from an exclusive interview…The perception around the England team is that it’s a happy-go-lucky bunch of players…They’re certainly having a good time. We want to remind them why they play the game in the first place. This is the thing you dreamt of doing since you were a kid. And there’s so much pressure you put yourself under in international cricket, especially Test cricket, that we want to try and find ways to take that pressure off. When these guys lose, they hurt. The will to win and the will to do well, sometimes, can be suffocating.There’s a lot being said about the style (of play). We’re pretty simple. I’m part of the selection panel and what we want is batters that can put bowlers under pressure and also the ability to soak it up when required. And you try to let them make the decision of when that is.So much of English cricket in the past has been about looking at all the trouble, just making sure you get through and make sure you survive. And that only adds to the pressure.
Even as there are claims that ‘Bazball’ has made Test cricket entertaining, England haven’t been come close to qualifying for the World Test Championship finals…We didn’t qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final because the way the format works sometimes hinders us a little bit. And when it mattered, we didn’t win the games that we could have. India played brilliantly against us in India last year. The big series are the priority for us. This year we are playing against India and Australia, who are arguably the two best teams in the world. And that’s where a lot of judgment is going to come.You want an environment where players are able to play to their absolute potential. That’s the real judgment that I do really in the role that I’m in. Since 1981, we’ve only been ranked No. 1 for about 12 months. And I think that was the Straus era. In recent times, we’ve not been even No. 3. We’ve pretty much been between fourth and fifth. And at the moment, we’re second. So, we’re progressing, which is important.India did not make pace ace Jasprit Bumrah the captain because of fitness concerns. England Test captain Ben Stokes an allrounder, too has had his share of injury problems. How are you tackling this situation?What you want is the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Ben Stokes playing at their best. You don’t want them sort of looking to go through the next three, four, five years and not being able to put their best foot forward. That’s why people turn on the TV. You have to be a little bit more reactive. With Stokes, we know he’s probably not going to be able to bowl 10-15 over spells time and time again. Ben is one of the brightest cricketers. You can see that by the way he captains. He’s got to look after himself, which he will do. You want to make sure that you’ve got these players there for every pivotal moment.
Poll
Is the rivalry between Joe Root and Jasprit Bumrah comparable to the past Anderson-Kohli rivalry?
With both now retired, can anything match the stature of the Anderson-Kohli rivalry?I watch the young Indian players coming through. I believe that with the talent I see in white-ball cricket, even in the IPL, talented players can adapt much easier than people think. You don’t need to have played 50-100 redball games to be able to put your best foot forward in Test cricket. And those rivalries will emerge. You’ve got probably one of our best players, if not the best — Joe Root — against one of the best bowlers I’ve seen in Bumrah. So that’s going to be a fascinating contest. Rishabh Pant and Jamie Smith, those two wicketkeepers that play in such a captivating style, have the ability to throw counter punches.How does the English team view playing against India as compared to the Ashes?Playing against India is one of the biggest challenges that this team’s had and we’re going to have for a while. People talk often about the demise of Test cricket. But you look at what India is doing for Test cricket now. Look at Australia. They’ve always been strong. Look at South Africa, that bowling attack they just had in the WTC final. We won a great series before Christmas in New Zealand. They’re all stiff tests, but no more so than India and Australia.(Watch India tour of England from 3:30 PM, June 20th onwards LIVE On Sony Sports Ten 1 & Sony Sports Ten 5 channels)
