Old England Test Match Paradigm: Professional, conventional, and methodical.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum
New England Test Match Paradigm: Creative, attacking, and risk-taking.
New captain Ben Stokes and new Head Coach Brendan McCullum are tearing up the conventions of English Test Match cricket. How are they disrupting a sport so steeped in traditional?
Here are a few ideas:
- Clarity of purpose throughout the team and coaching staff – “We are out to attack, entertain and to win”.
- Total self-belief – “We back ourselves to win from any situation.”
- Freedom to play without fear.
- Supporting players to do what they do best, such as positioning fielders so bowlers can take wickets despite the dangers of giving away runs.
- Getting creative – new types of shots and finding ways to put the opposition under pressure, bringing one-day and T20 cricket into test matches
- Experimentation – constantly adjusting the field settings to search out breakthroughs
- Making failure acceptable; changing the conversation from “At least we saved the game (got a draw)” to “Losing is just part of the
Record-Breaking Victories for the England team
process”.
- Role Modelling fearlessness as captain.
What have I missed? Is this a change for the better?
Whatever the case, Test Match Cricket will never be the same again.
