In the darkest moments of a grim Ashes campaign England coach
Duncan Fletcher sought consolation in the words of Mother Teresa,
the nun who devoted more than 60 years to the sick and dying in
Calcutta.
"Mother Teresa said that when you are successful you win some
unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies," he told reporters
last week. "I am quite philosophical about it. I will leave it at
that."
Such eloquence was unprecedented for the former Zimbabwe captain,
who prefers to play the deadest of dead bats to the media. It also
reflected his relief at England's unexpected resurgence when they
appeared dead and buried in the one-day tri-series after losing the
Ashes 5-0.
England, on the brink of elimination from the tournament with
Australia and New Zealand and with their World Cup hopes apparently
in tatters, won four matches in a row, including the first two in
the best-of-three final against the hosts.
"You can't deny that four wins in a row, three against Australia,
have lifted the side," Fletcher told reporters. "They were solid
performances. I believe there is still a huge improvement to be
made. Hopefully they can produce that at the World
Cup."
Fletcher made his reputation in the one-day game, inspiring
Zimbabwe with bat and ball to a famous World Cup victory over
Australia in 1983.
Yet although he helped lift England from the bottom of the barrel
in 1999 through to their 2005 Ashes triumph, the one-day team has
steadily regressed in his time at the top.
Renowned for his meticulous planning in test cricket, Fletcher
unwittingly revealed the corresponding lack of coherence in the
one-day preparation when he added: "I thought we were a year too
early. Now I don't know where we are. Maybe we are six months too
early."
English optimism in the two-month Caribbean carnival is sparked
almost exclusively by the events of the past few weeks and the
projected return of Kevin Pietersen after injury.
Pietersen, with his flair for the unorthodox, is the one England
player who would be an automatic selection for a world one-day
XI.
With Andrew Flintoff, who was liberated by the return of Michael
Vaughan as captain in the tri-series, and Paul Collingwood,
player-of-the-series with two centuries and a 70, England have a
strong middle-order.
Ian Bell has become more assertive at number three and Ed Joyce
took advantage of two dropped chances to score a fine century
against Australia in the tri-series at opener.
The problems come at the top and the bottom. Vaughan, who will
open, is clearly superior to Flintoff as a captain but does not
reproduce his test form in one-day cricket. He is also increasingly
injury prone after a second operation on his right knee.
Jamie Dalrymple looks short of class both as a batsman and off spin
bowler and although Paul Nixon was competent with the gloves, and
apparently more than competent with the verbal abuse, he offers no
more with the bat than Chris Read, a more skilled keeper.
Flintoff and Monty Panesar aside, the bowling is
inconsistent.
England have also gambled by naming injured players, including
Vaughan (hamstring), James Anderson (back) and Jon Lewis (left
ankle).
England's first big match will be against New Zealand, one spot
higher in the International Cricket Council rankings and full of
confidence after whitewashing Australia this week.
A win over the Kiwis in the first round in St Lucia would give
England two valuable points for the super eight
stage.
Squad: Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Ian
Bell, Ravi Bopara, Paul Collingwood, Jamie Dalrymple, Andrew
Flintoff, Ed Joyce, Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Paul Nixon, Monty
Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Andrew Strauss.
World Cup record:
1975 - semi-finalists
1979 - runners-up
1983 - semi-finalists
1987 - runners-up
1992 - runners-up
1996 - quarter-finalists
1999 - first round
2003 - first round.
Overall playing record: Played: 458, Won: 221,
Lost: 218, Tied: 4, No result: 15.
Highest innings total: 391-4 v Bangladesh, Nottingham, 2005.
Lowest innings total: 86 v Australia, Manchester, 2001.
Most appearances: 170 - Alec Stewart.
Highest individual score: 167ý - Robin Smith.
Leading run-scorer: 4,677 - Alec Stewart.
Best bowling: 6-31 - Paul Collingwood v Bangladesh, 2005.
Leading wicket-taker: 234 - Darren Gough.
Highest partnership: 226 (4th) - Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss
v West Indies, Lord's, 2004.
Most catches by a fieldsman: 64 - Graeme Hick.
Most dismissals: 174 - Alec Stewart.
