World Twenty20: woeful England must start again after diabolical winter
Orthodox limited-overs plans are long-outdated and needs a complete re-think...
By Nasser Hussain
Last Updated: 04/04/14 9:37am
Limited-overs coach Ashley Giles still hopes to take over as Andy Flower's permanent replacement when the ECB interviews for the position in the next month.
But former England skipper Hussain said it's time for a "complete re-think" after a humiliating 45-run defeat to the Dutch in terms of the playing style and the personnel.
"This result leaves everyone vulnerable," said Hussain. "It sums up the winter - it has been diabolical. I don't think there is virtually anybody involved in English cricket who can be secure and think 'my job is safe'.
"They've all got to have a look at themselves, from Ashley Giles, who has been around for a while now, to young Stephen Parry, and say 'what did we do wrong this winter and what did we do right?'
"I don't think this winter could have gone any worse. There have been some highlights - the way they batted under lights - but they've now lost eight out of their last nine Twenty20 games."
Orthodox
"England are ranked exactly where they belong [eighth]; they don't play spin well, they don't have any mystery spin, the bowling attack is very woeful; when they are batting against anything that is a bit slow and bit dobby they don't know what to do.
"If Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan or Jos Buttler comes off we could have a good day but there are so many things that English cricket needs to put right.
"The next World Twenty20 is in India - it's going to be exactly the same. Look at what India are doing - they're playing four spinners and batsmen who can whack it out of the ground.
"We are still playing English type Twenty20 and one-day cricket - bat 20 and 50 overs and play an orthodox spinner bowling it one way, put pace on the ball.
"That is not how it's played anymore. England have got to learn quickly; we are playing old-fashioned cricket. They need to have a complete re-think."
Hole
England appeared in the box-seat after restricting the Netherlands to 133-5 off their 20 overs, skipper Stuart Broad the pick of the attack with figures of 3-24.
However, only three batsmen made double figures - Alex Hales (12), Ravi Bopara (18) and Chris Jordan (14) - as they stuttered to just 88 all out, as Mudassar Bukhari and Logan van Beek bagged three wickets apiece.
"I always get concerned about England's batting line-up when you get on a bit of a slow pitch that's a little bit two-paced," said Hussain.
"Under lights when the ball is skidding along beautifully, English players are used to hitting through the line.
"What surprised me was how bad they were. If you are chasing a reasonably small total, you've got to go hard in those first six overs and they just didn't.
"They got themselves in a hole which got deeper and deeper. It is up to the players but I was also surprised that someone on the bench didn't say 'this isn't good enough, someone has to go out there and belt the ball'. No-one did that - there were just four boundaries against the Netherlands. It's just not good enough."