Phoenix to Ashes

So it has finally come to pass, after a handful of ritual hammerings and humiliations over the last two decades England have stood up to the Aussies and retained the Ashes in Melbourne.

This is a considerable achievement considering the recent past and especially the last tour which ended in a whitewash of such epic proportions that it was surprising that Russell Crowe wasn't considered for selection as trouncing followed annihilation. England weren't just beaten they were pulverised, with nothing more painful than the Adelaide test when Flintoff (remember him) declared and we still lost by 6 wickets. This current side are not necessarily world beaters but there is no way that they would have allowed such a dominant position to slip away.

The crucial issue is whether the balance has swung England's way because of their excellence or is it down to Australian weakness. It is surely more the latter as most Australian batsmen have failed, with captain and vice-captain most culpable. Only Hussey has really made a positive contribution and his failure at Melbourne paved the way for England's big victory. The bowlers have hardly covered themselves in glory with only Siddle showing anything approaching consistency and he is not exactly Glenn McGrath.

England are a solid unit and their strength in depth showed when Broad was injured but his replacement, Tremlett was amongst the wickets and continued to make inroads into the soft underbelly of Australian batting. Also Bresnan proved to be more than up to the job when replacing the dangerous yet profligate Finn and taking crucial wickets in the fourth test.

So is this the dawning of a new era or just a temporary switch in fortune? Somehow I cannot see there being another quarter century before Australia start to dominate again, so we might as well revel in the glory before the phoenix rises from the Ashes.

Media hypocrites round on John Terry

The level of hypocrisy that surrounds the moral storm swirling over John Terry’s head has reached an all time high. When the minister for sport Gerry Sutcliffe called for Terry’s removal as England captain one had to blink twice at the sheer audacity of an MP lecturing a footballer about morality.

It has got nothing to do with his ability to lead England at the World Cup in South Africa but according to Sutcliffe he needs to lead by example. MPs show everyone how to behave by acting with such impropriety, it makes your eyes water. The expenses scandal of last year which exposed a huge swathe of ridiculous and unjustifiable claims is not exactly a model of how to run a clean and fair democratic system.

Then of course we have those fine upholders of truth and decency the newspapers who have hounded Terry over his obligation to resign after this dastardly and despicable act. It is a truth universally acknowledged that not one brave reporter or fine, upstanding newspaper executive has ever cheated on his wife. And then there was Gary Lineker making snide comments on Match of The Day about Terry “playing away” when his own fidelity record is not exactly pure as the driven snow.

These boys know how to conduct themselves alright and that Terry is a cad. Indeed they are so convinced of the moral high ground that they have been waving hundreds of thousands of pounds to get his mistress to tell the unvarnished truth. Thank God for the fearless journalists who are so nobly bringing the truth to a front page near you.

Nobody can defend the central defender’s actions and it must be heart-rending for the victims in this imbroglio, Wayne Bridge and Mrs T. It must be especially hard to accept as this is being splashed across the pages of newspapers up and down the country but the truth must out.

It would seem hard to outdo the cant that so many have been involved with but someone got pretty close on the 5 Live 606 phone-in on Saturday night. A Liverpool fan phoned to register her moral outrage at the actions of the English captain. The very minimum that was required, she argued, was that Terry should not be able to wear the captain’s armband for his country ever again.

So this harpie must have thought that when her beloved club captain Stephen Gerrard was seen on cctv punching a man repeatedly in the face, that this was conduct acceptable in a man of authority. True, Gerrard was acquitted but the evidence of the assault was still there for all to see and the legal niceties of provocation and circumstance do not disguise a cowardly and vicious assault.

Clearly, in this woman’s eyes, it is just fine and dandy compared to a spot of infidelity. The concern is that so many people side with her and the country’s moral compass is spinning wildly out of control. What is worst is the attitude of the media and the establishment.

Snickgate

In its relatively short life the review system has attracted a fair amount of controversy. With a few “no ball” dismissals missed here and there the pressure on the TV umpire has ratcheted up. And unfortunately, Darryl Harper has proved to be not up to the job. Having being moved out of the firing line after a poor on-field performance in the Third Test, he is now in the cross hairs of England’s ire.

In general I am a supporter of the system as if it works well it irons out any errors. However, it’s a bit more difficult to approve if it then commits further errors. Other major problems are that it firstly can undermine the on-field umpire’s authority and also teams can use it as a measure of desperation.

Hapless Harper has managed to make a right old horlicks of this in the Fourth test. How the ICC had the temerity to defend Harper’s Howler for not picking up the snick of Graeme Smith’s bat is one of those denials of spin that A. Campbell would have been proud. Forget who turned the volume up or down, it is an error and there should be a hand or two held up in acceptance of getting a decision wrong. But no, it was knocked back like a Boycott dead bat.

The irony is that they are rightly using technology to help make the right decisions but do not have the full kit e.g. hot spot, snickometer. The lack of important equipment is justified by the cost but that is pretty feeble. The mistakes made create ill feeling and take away from what has been a wonderfully topsy turvy series.

If as looks likely (at lunch on Day Three), England lose the game they will bemoan their luck and rail against the unfairness of the system rather than reflect on their inept batting performance in the first innings which will be the crucial factor.

The ICC have got themselves into a proper pickle as mistakes are being made with the review system. Someone needs to take responsibility but this is the ICC and that is never going to happen. After all the ICC stands for Incompetent, Clueless Clowns.

England's Great Escape - Part Two

It certainly makes for an exciting and dramatic diversion from the bleak midwinter we are currently enduring, but if I have to listen to any more last wicket heroics from G. Onions & Co. I’m not sure that my heart will be able to withstand the pressure. The euphoria of relief in England’s hairy escapology in the First and Third Tests against South Africa outweighs the pleasure in the convincing innings victory in Durban.

The crucial element in any sporting delight is the joy of the unexpected and when the result is not known until the last possible moment. However laudable and merited the Second Test win proved to be, the game had none of the excruciating tension of the drawn matches when serenity gave way to danger and potential failure with such alacrity that a loss seemed inevitable on both occasions. It is the strange and perverse nature of sport that the pleasure derived from two draws outweighs that of a convincing victory.

But none of the tense heroics of the late order batsmen or the stoic partnership of Bell and Collingwood would have been required if one of the top order batsman had not failed so dismally at Cape Town. Kevin Pietersen is quickly becoming a liability to this England team with his show pony (or should that be stallion) antics; his disregard of the team’s cause is at odds with his teammates. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the world and can dominate any bowling attack when well established.

At the moment he is being picked solely on reputation and certainly not on form nor spirit as his contribution to the team in this series has been negligible. Maybe he is in the side to attract the flak of the South African public for whom he acts as a pantomime villain, and this then allows the other players to hide in relative anonymity behind his huge frame. Looking at the stats for the Cape Town test Pietersen lasted a grand total of 24 balls and amassed 6 runs. When what was required was crease occupation and accumulation he achieved neither.

He was the worst performing of all the top order batsman on either side in terms of number of balls faced (24), runs scored (6) and average (3) over this test. In fact he was the worst performing batsman in all of these categories for the whole England side apart from one area – Onions faced only 20 balls but the big difference was the No.11 was not dismissed in either innings, showing admirable grit and application.

So if the final test match in Johannesburg goes to the wire I know who I would want to be at the crease if the game needs saving and we need the right mixture of character, spirit and determination and his name is not Kevin Pietersen. Would the selectors dare to drop him? It’s highly unlikely but would be justified but that doesn’t mean it will happen. Maybe he is being used as a screen for Broad’s fancy footwork or Anderson’s ham-fisted handiwork.

(World Cup) Draw your own conclusions

It’s always a bizarre spectacle, a World Cup draw. Firstly, there is a strange ineluctable compulsion on behalf of the hosts to make the most of this gathering of the great and good of the football world. FIFA apparatchiks and heads of state throng the hall, nodding and smiling knowingly whilst us outsiders scratch our heads and wonder what the dickens is going on.

Secondly, there is the seeming complexity of what is essentially a simple process, that of arranging 32 teams into 8 groups of 4. Simple maths and by seeding the teams beforehand it should be a fairly straightforward process but somehow there are layers upon layers of obfuscation which befuddle the commentators and general public.

Lastly, there is the crucial choice of hosts and guest ball-pickers, which is usually a mix of the obvious and then the frankly surreal. There are the people entrusted with showing us the light but more often than not, they succeed in making toes curl and teeth grind.

South Africa 2010 did not disappoint as the jamboree started with a singing troupe a collection of wholesome young adults who looked like cast-offs from a school production of Oliver! Nelson Mandela was brought in, by videolink, to convey his unique statesmanship over the affair, which he just about managed as only a nonagenerian can.

Then it was over to the hosts – French FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and Charlize Theron, the South African actress. Being French, he kissed her on both cheeks and that got the audience into a ferment of sexual anticipation. In her red dress, Charlize waltzed on to stage under the misapprehension that she was going to be playing the lead in the latest gritty but glossy ITV drama about high class escorts, “Unhappy Hookers”.

Apparently she is South African but her accent was less Cape Town more Tinsel Town and she also pitched her presence on the complete lack of knowledge angle at which she was consummate, her ignorance of anything to do with football was masterful. Dizzy blonde does not quite cover it.

Tension built, not at the prospect of the draw, but at how many times the ball-pickers would kiss the lady in red. Newly-appointed football ambassador, Rt. Hon. David Beckham managed just one perfunctory peck, mindful no doubt of the mess in which Tiger Woods is currently embroiled. Beckham was the only European ball-picker and cut a slightly curious figure with his latest haircut, a hybrid of a Mohican and a Number 2, which looks as though it is not quite finished yet.

The others represented African sport at its best – cricket, Women’s football, rugby union - even a footballer and the world class runner Heile Gabriel Selassie. At one stage Theron actually had the temerity to tell Heile to cheer up! He looked justifiably bemused by this exhortation and did quite well in resisting any physical retribution.

And so despite the shenanigans of the ridiculous sideshow, the draw was eventually made and England were handed a comfortable looking group which Beckham paid due respect. There was a nice irony behind the fact that he could be facing the country that at first adopted him and his entourage so enthusiastically and then felt rejected by his dalliance with Serie A.

Then there is that massive sense of anti-climax after the draw is completed. The mouth-watering prospect of all the fixtures are beginning to be etched into our mental calendars when we realise that there will be an interminable six-month wait until the show begins on 11th June.

Of course, England are hoping to have the problem of making the World Cup presentation come 2018 if they can sort out the internal squabbling. A vision came to me during the South Africa draw of the whole Beckham family being the central fulcrum of a presentation. At least it would add some spice.

Beckham makes his mark as Crouch notches double

Peter Crouch has an impressive scoring record, having scored 18 goals in the 35 games. Over 50% is an impressive strike rate in international football and very few England players could equal that. But then you look at the quality of the opposition and you have to wonder.

The collective might of Andorra, Belarus, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago implies he is a bit of a flat track bully. Of course some would argue you can only beat what is put in front of you but Capello is too astute a manager to believe that Crouch can really cut the mustard at the top end.

Tonight against Belarus, in what amounted to a glorified friendly, Crouch gave England a good start by scoring inside 3 minutes but then they struggled to impose themselves on a neat but hardly threatening team.

Disjointed and disappointing, there was very little to commend the first half performance. One hoped that Capello would manage to demand and inspire a better performance form his charges in the second half. However, the second half was in danger of petering out until David Beckham arrived.

The crowd were suddenly enlivened and lo and behold Beckham set up Wright-Phillips for the second goal within seconds of his arrival. But as with Crouch one can hardly envisage the great bearded one making much of an impact against the top sides.

When Crouch scored again it seemed almost an irrelevance. Everything was a sideshow to the Beckham renaissance, he even picked up the man of the match award. Maybe Beckham will have one last hurrah in South Africa and it is more likely that he does so this summer than Crouch who will be a bit player at best.

World Cup Dreams - Part 1

Fabio Capello has delivered. World Cup Qualification has been achieved with not a point dropped and two games to spare. England are the highest scorers in all European Qualifying Groups and they have clinically dispatched Croatia, their previous nemesis, with a steely ruthlessness that bodes well for the bigger tests ahead.

In just over a year, since he took over the role from the beleagured, belittled McClaren, Capello has instilled discipline and a positive, confident attitude that smacks of professionalism. What a contrast to the inept shambles of a team that he inherited which reeked of fear and was undermined by a shoddy amateurism.

The Italian could have hardly done any more in the relatively short time he has been in charge but he is extremely demanding. As a perfectionist, it galls him when his team allow their standards to drop. So even when England conceded Eduardo’s irrelevant consolation goal at Wembley he was genuinely angry, displaying his displeasure and frustration on the touchline at this lapse.

So far so good but Capello is not one to get carried away by this and it was significant to see how he reacted to the successful demolition of the nearest rivals. As soon as the game was finished he strode purposefully on to the pitch and shook hands with all the players in a business like fashion. Each player was acknowledged but there was no sense of triumphalism about it and the players were respectful. It was reminiscent of the sort of deference pupils show a schoolteacher. There is no doubt who is in control at all times.

As soon as the Croatia match has been properly digested and analysed, then the planning for South Africa will start in earnest. Capello knows there is still much to do as the evidence of the friendly games against France and especially Spain showed. England have showed that they have not shaken off some of the bad habits of the inglorious past and can still be made to look ponderous and incapable of holding the ball under pressure.

There are encouraging signs of shape and structure in the team and less reliance on individuals. Rooney, for example was not at his imperious best against the Croats, apart from a few subtle touches, but the team still looked good. England can truly be a team that plays with thought and balance, as was also witnessed in the friendly win away to Germany last year where we saw a second string side give an assured performance.

But as with all things England it is best to not get too carried away with the euphoria as, we know from bitter experience, what lies just around the corner. As masterful as Capello has been, he is not a magician and he will not necessarily be able to save us from our traditional susceptibility to the inevitability of the fall.

The last year has been about restoring the health of the patient. The signs are good but the omens are not.

Ashes ignited by Flintoff's massive presence

The term colossus is generally over used in sport when describing performances but it fits Andrew Flintoff to a tee after his extraordinary bowling that wrapped up the Second Test against Australia at Lord’s. Of course the stage was set for Flintoff when he announced on the eve of the match that he was due to retire from Test cricket at the end of this series.

He was a man inspired when the tense last day unravelled and having removed both openers the day before he tore into his task without a moment’s thought for his ravaged knee and generally weakened body. He never wavered from his intention of delivering the justified victory.

From the moment he made the crucial breakthrough with his fourth ball of the morning when Haddin edged to the secure hands of Collingwood he employed an impeccable line and length, making the batsmen jump and grope. He was the only fast bowler who really disturbed the batsmen on a still docile pitch and the only concern was that he would not last long enough to spearhead the English to victory.

Afterwards he revealed that he had told Strauss that he would not relinquish the ball until the job was done and as it was Flintoff you just had to believe him. This was not false bravado, but the reaction of a sporting hero who was not to be denied on his farewell appearance at Lord’s.

Appositely he collected his first ever five wicket haul at the home of cricket and etched his name on to the treasured honours board. Naturally he won the Man of the Match and with his aura restored the Ashes moved up a gear from the dramatic rescue secured in Cardiff.

When he does retire there will be a huge hole in the England team’s armoury as his very presence lifts the spirits and the crowd. Nobody in the current set-up has that galvanising effect on the game or the ability to strike fear into an opposition as cussed and determined as the Aussies.

Yet again this match emphasised the delicious and delicate nature of test cricket at its best, and the anticipation of the next three matches is growing apace, and one can hardly say that about any one day series or tournament. We need to savour the feats of the Colossus of Preston as he will be sorely missed.

First Test fluctuates around stubborn Pietersen

When will Kevin Pietersen learn? The answer is probably never and his advocates will insist that if he plays cavalier shots and dies by the sword then so be it. Pietersen himself justified the shot by saying he has been very successful with the sweep shot but that is poppycock. He will never become a truly classy test batsman if he continues to get out in the asinine way he did today.

In attempting to sweep the generally benign and toothless Hauritz from way outside the off stump he only succeeded in hitting the ball on to his helmet and deflecting a looping catch to Katich. He looked a fool and it is the fact that he is so talented yet so stubborn that makes him such an infuriating mixture.

It was an intriguing day’s cricket in Cardiff, which has happily confirmed that test cricket is still the only game in town. The subtle evolution of the first day’s affairs, where the game swung this way and that and then back again, was both entertaining and interesting.

The first session undoubtedly belonged to the Australians as the top three English batsmen got themselves out to injudicious shots. The pitch lacked any spite and the bowling was not exactly venomous, so England surrendered the advantage of batting first by some sloppy batting.

The flow then went England’s way in the middle session guided by the combination of Pietersen and Collingwood who provided grit and determination when it was most needed. Adding just over 100 and losing no wickets meant tea was taken with England in the ascendancy.

Collingwood’s lame dismissal alongside Pietersen’s shameful one handed the initiative back to the Australians in the last session, only for Prior and Flintoff to swing things back the other way with a rapid partnership which ended when the admirable Siddle got his just rewards for his indefatigable spirit when he cleaned up both of them just before the close of play.

The beauty of test cricket was encapsulated here as each team enjoyed periods of dominance, which were halted only for the initiative to be given back. Both teams will feel satisfaction mingled with disappointment, and the balance of play is such that it is not clear who eventually “won” the day.

If England fail to reach 400 then they will have missed out and given the Australians a chance which may be the crucial difference. Through all the ebb and flow of this match one thing of which we can be certain is that Pietersen will continue to be both impressive and irritating.

Umbro Mumbo Jumbo

Mumbo Jumbo

When I receive an email with grandiose claims the automatic response is a hasty prod on the delete button and a hope that nothing has lingered from the unsolicited trash invading my inbox.

However, this one was a little different. I was astonished by the sheer audacity of the opening gambit and was intrigued enough to be drawn into this world as it was imbued with fantasy and an utter lack of realism.

To give you a sense of this world here is the sentence that caught my eye and hazard a guess to what it might relate. “ The new ******* ***** is not an evolution of an old one. It is a complete new beginning.”

It sounds like a revolutionary new drug or maybe a radical approach to power generation. Actually it’s neither of these, it’s the fanfare for the arrival of the new England football shirt by Umbro. I kid you not. This exercise in squeezing more money out of cash-strapped fans is hailed in the style of some epoch-making instrument.

Beyond the attention grabbing, fallacious headline there is even more guff about “bringing together an innovative design philosophy with classic English tailoring.” Woe betide any player who allows any sweat to drip on this precious item, or heaven forfend if there is a trickle of saliva allowed to besmirch the classic English tailoring.

As a recipient of the email you are also invited into the lair of watching the shirt being designed with the players’ involvement included every step of the way. One can imagine Ashley Cole offering advice on the piping or Crouchy making sure the garment has sufficient elasticity.

Once you are lured into the clips showing how the new crest shows “substance and integrity” you know you have reached the final destination. Guided by the Senior Designer who rejoices in the wonderfully tailored name of Aitor Throup, we understand how the kit moulds to each curve of Rooney’s torso.

The big question which hangs over me after witnessing what goes on behind the scenes is whether the tradition of swapping shirts at the end of internationals may now be dead as surely no player will let go of his own individually tailored shirt. The title of this Mumbo Jumbo courtesy of Umbro is “Pride in the process”, but there is a more colloquial alternative “Bullshit in a Shirt”.

Winning ugly

Bland and featureless are not words you would normally associate with the Caribbean but these are some of the kinder adjectives being bandied about in trying to describe the monotony of the test series with England, which is meandering to a close in Trinidad.

The West Indies will feel fully justified in their tactics if they do indeed pull off the expected draw in the fifth Test match to secure a 1-0 victory as this will be their first series triumph over a major cricket nation for several years. England were firm favourites before the series began so this should be considered an upset, and a boost to cricket in the Caribbean. But it is surely a pyrrhic victory.

The last three matches have been devoid of entertainment as the anodyne pitches have produced an imbalance that has seen a glut of runs, with very little in it for the bowlers. After the drama of the first test in Jamaica and farce in Antigua we have seen batsmen rule the roost. In a succession of long innings untroubled by either the pitches, which have remained steadfastly flat throughout, or the bowlers who have grown increasingly exasperated by the unresponsiveness.

This has not been engaging cricket to watch and ultimately will have turned off many more people than a series victory will have attracted to the game. There is no begrudging the West Indian victory, which was established by the destruction of the English batting at Sabina Park and has been deserved as they have used the conditions to blunt England’s bowlers in the subsequent matches when faced by large first innings totals. The obdurate last wicket stand in Antigua showed a cussed determination not to be beaten.

However, as cricket tries to fight off the rival attractions of football and basketball for the attention of the next generation, it has not helped itself with this mundane, pedestrian procession of batsmen scoring endless runs with barely a flicker of danger or excitement. So whilst a successful team can be attractive this may be a prime example of winning ugly.

Stanford scandal harms cricket

When Sir Allen Stanford rolled into town with his offer of an eye-boggling $20 million prize fund for a 20/20 tournament the alarm bells at Lords should have been ringing. The essence of cricket is not, and should never be, just about money. Stanford's offer proved irresistible to the cricket authorities who grabbed the opportunity and the shame now surrounding Stanford's financial dealings reflect badly on the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The Ashes is arguably the greatest prize in the game as the oldest rivals, England and Australia, battle it out for supremacy. The series captures the imagination of not only the protagonists but also of the whole cricketing world, but ask a cricket fan how much prize money is up for grabs and the vast majority will not have a clue. Nor should they, as this is a sporting contest based on over 100 years of test cricket and not a "get rich quick" scheme.

When the Stanford tournament started, the main focus was the cash on offer to the winning team rather than the quality of the cricket. Indeed in the run-up to the match, the money was paraded around in a box for all to see which was as flagrant and tawdry a PR stunt as anything witnessed in a sporting arena. Never mind the sport, just drool over the money was the clear message.

The ECB have now cut all ties with Stanford following the announcement of the SEC investment fraud charges on 17 February. But, irrespective of the undue haste and enthusiasm with which the ECB joined in, they cannot now wash their hands of the whole affair and must carry some element of blame into the sordid nature of these events. Stanford has been vocal about wanting to bring an end to Test Match cricket, and in a way the ECB may have helped undermine the game in its pursuit of the Texan's tainted fortune.

It's just not test cricket

Dear, oh dear. Listening to Sir Vivian Richards’ reaction to the abandoned test in Antigua was both painful and deeply sad. His anger was barely held in check when he was describing the people responsible for the shoddy preparation of the pitch, these “armchair generals have failed again.” Once the game started, it was immediately apparent that the ground, named after the greatest Antiguan cricketer, was unfit for the match and Richards’ anger was matched only by his embarrassment.

For the second time in recent history a Test Match in the West Indies has been abandoned within the first hour of the game. This spells disaster for test cricket as the game struggles to retain its popularity amongst the Caribbean youth and could be the final nail in the coffin for a game, which has been in terminal decline since the 1970s. The whole debacle left the players, commentators and especially the spectators forlorn, frustrated and flabbergasted. The shame is that the optimism that had been generated by the overwhelming victory in the First Test, is now masked by the sheer amateurism of the cricket authorities.

Many observers, after first sight, felt the pitch, which had been sanded far too heavily to compensate for the dampness, was going to be problematic. But nobody anticipated how disastrously under-prepared it was. After only 10 balls the game was up as the opening bowlers struggled to keep their footing. It is pathetic that there had not even been a trial run over the last few days and ridicule will now quite rightly be heaped upon the West Indies cricket board. Sheer incompetence is too kind a phrase to describe this fiasco. If the whole situation were not so disastrous it would be hilarious. West Indian cricket may never recover from this ignominy and in a way maybe the authorities do not deserve any better. Bring on the Beach Cricket World Cup, at least it would be better organised.

Capello's Spanish lessons

Fabio Capello has vowed to learn from the 2-0 defeat to Spain. We are not sure how Capello’s mastery of the English language is progressing, but after England’s performance in Seville he might have to expand his vocabulary somewhat with insipid and pallid becoming useful additions. The second half, in particular, was more like a return to the bad old days of McClaren with aimless balls heading in the general direction of Crouch who looked out of his depth as he always does against good international defenders.

England started the game confidently enough with Heskey proving his value as a focal point and there was some neat but hardly threatening passages of play. Agbonlahor busied himself in the wake of his senior partner but never looked like breaking free from his Spanish markers who had an increasingly comfortable evening.

Unfortunately after their impressive performances against Germany, both Wright-Phillips and Downing were disappointing and neither offered much down the flanks. It is essential when playing possession football to have some invention and thrust down the wings, but apart from one jinking run by Wright-Phillips there was little on offer.

It has to be acknowledged that Spain are a pretty formidable outfit, now on a 29 match unbeaten run and buoyed by their Euro 2008 success they are self-assured and fluid throughout the team. From rampaging full backs through the artistry and control of midfield to the razor sharp strikers, there are very few flaws. Although inevitably much of the attention was centred on Beckham’s 108th cap we would do well to focus on the Spaniard who knits their play together so adeptly.

If you were ever perplexed why Fabregas, one of the best Premier League players, fails to make the starting line-up just observe the wonderful Iniesta for a few minutes. He has a quick mind and delightful touch which elevate him to a higher plain, exemplified by a sublime disguised pass inside Glen Johnson in the first which left the Portsmouth player very much dazed and confused.

As it was a friendly, there was the usual rash of second half substitutes but none had much impact on the tide which had been turning since Villa slipped the ball past James as Spain upped the tempo towards the end of the first half. Beckham showed he is still officially an LA Galaxy player by spraying too many “Hollywood Balls”, as Ron Atkinson used to describe those long passes, which look great but often achieve little. Lampard looked like he was pining over the loss of Big Phil and was so off key that he hardly passed to a teammate for 15 minutes.

After the encouraging signs of the last handful of matches, Capello now needs to accelerate the rate of improvement. He is the right man for this role and he will learn from the experience but he needs to be realistic about the task ahead of him. He has very little time in which to cement the advances he has brought about so far and then try to narrow the gap between genuine World Cup contenders, such as Spain, and potential also-rans like England.

Was England's Jamaican capitulation a surprise?

So should we be surprised by the dismal performance of England’s cricketers in the first test at Sabina Park? The warning signs were there a few months ago when I heard Hugh Morris, the recently appointed Team Managing Director for ECB, speaking during the Indian tour on radio and all he came out with were corporate platitudes and management babble. Although he was interviewed for a couple of minutes there was hardly any mention of cricketing matters, it was all about structure and targets. This man had clearly spent too long burying his head in MBA handbooks rather than Wisden.

The second sign of something going amiss was the clumsy and inept removal of both Pietersen and Moores at one fell swoop. To lose your captain suddenly is disturbing, but to also lose the coach at the same time creates turmoil and disruption. Morris and his men must have missed out on reading the chapter in their management tomes on making succession a smooth and almost organic process. They decided, in their infinite wisdom, to go down the fractious and unsettling route. The whole furore over the loss of both captain and coach centred on who told tales and alongside stories of cliques in the team, it all began to resemble a pathetic playground squabble.

Through the whole squalid episode English cricket lost dignity, leadership and respect and that is not a basis for the “high performance culture” so enamoured by the new guard at the ECB. If this had been the bungling of the old style stuffed shirts we would have all nodded and wryly observed that’s what you get when you have traditionalists in charge. But we are in the modern era and there is really no excuse for such amateur incompetence.

Focus is another word/ concept that is so beloved of the new management and is often seen as the panacea to any sporting sides’ problems. Unfortunately, focus has been lost amid the squabbling and rancour of the weeks running up to the tour of the West Indies. Hazarding a guess at what occupied the players’ minds the first few would revolve around how would KP react to losing the captaincy after such a brief reign, who is going to be the new temporary coach, who is going to be the new permanent coach and when will they be appointed, how will Andrew Strauss get on as captain, how much will x be worth in IPL auction. Another major question was how would this affect chances in this summer’s Ashes.

Whilst these are understandable considerations in the circumstances, there was one oversight, which undermined the team and probably led to the debacle of the second innings in Jamaica. There was hardly room to give any thought to the opposition and such thoughtlessness is bound to leave a team exposed to underperformance. This lack of preparation was borne out of the combination of internecine strife and an arrogance that the West Indies were merely there as cannon fodder in the build-up to Australia at home. So scrambling to a total of 51 and losing by an innings should not have been a surprise to most, but one feels that those in charge are scratching their heads as they check their spreadsheets one more time.

Probable winners of 2010 World Cup

As the 2010 World Cup will be the first to be hosted on the African continent it is worth considering whether the climate will be a factor in determining who wins the Jules Rimet trophy. The tournament will be held during the South African winter so any concerns over the impact of heat on certain players will be limited. The average temperature during June and July does not rise much beyond the early twenties centigrade and is comparable to a Northern European summer. This should mean that there will be no great disadvantage to countries from the Northern hemisphere as has been the case with some World Cups when they are played in intense heat.

With 500 days to go to the opening match, it should be noted that there is still a long way to go even in the qualifying campaigns, most of which are not even halfway through yet, so we do not know who will be there for certain apart from the hosts. Interestingly, Paraguay currently lead the South American group, six points ahead of second placed Brazil with Argentina even further off the pace.

it is difficult to envision any winners coming from outside the traditional football strongholds of Europe and South America. None of the Asian, Oceanic or North/Central American group can be considered too seriously. The only realistic contenders to upset the duopoly of Europe and South America winners appear to be the stronger African countries such as Ghana and Ivory Coast but history suggests that they will not make it beyond the Quarter final stage, even on their own continent.

So we the likelihood is that the winners will come from the top Europeans, Brazil or Argentina. Neither France nor Germany seem to be rebuilding very effectively, both Netherlands and Portugal have always flattered to deceive at World Cups, and reigning champions Italy do not appear to be going forwards. So of the Europeans, following their Euro 08 success Spain will be full of confidence and England are definitely on the way up under Capello.

As for the two South American giants, both are blessed with some of the most skilful and attractive ball players in world football but they also possess the steely strength required of World Cup winners. There is very little to choose between the two but Maradona may make the difference as the new coach. Ultimately, I foresee a final pitching Argentina against England with Diego proving yet again to be England's nemesis as Argentina carry off the trophy for the first time since 1986.