Cricket Betting: England risk unravelling in Bangladesh

England Cricket / Ed Hawkins / 18 January 2010 / Leave a Comment

Follow the leader. But which one?

The decision to rest Andrew Strauss and let Alastair Cook lead on tour next month is one that could backfire in more ways than one, says Ed Hawkins

Political and bureaucratic corruption, serious overpopulation, widespread poverty, monsoons and cyclones. A holiday will not be England's tour to Bangladesh next month. So no wonder Andrew Strauss views the two-Test and three ODIs schedule as an impediment to his mental freshness.

He is absolutely right. Travelling around Bangladesh's dusty and bumpy roads for a month, staying in sub-standard hotels, consuming meal replacement drinks instead of risking the local fare, the heat, the humidity, the unresponsive wickets and not to mention the gripping fear of losing to a home side who are quickly improving. No, well swerved Straussy.

The problem, of course, is that those reasons are exactly why Strauss should be taking his team to Bangladesh. Was Strauss not listening in English class at Radley all those years ago. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more".

No doubt Strauss will be safely ensconced on his sofa watching on television when Alastair Cook leads England in the first Test in Chittagong on March 12. Sitting comfortably? I doubt it. More likely he could begin to squirm as the horrible realisation dawns on him that in cricket's version of hell, he should be there to lead his players through the examination.

Bangladesh are, on the face of it, an irrelevance in England's quest to retain the Ashes later this year. Scratch away the surface, however, and the importance of character building, strengthening team bonds and the experience of leading a team in different conditions are huge.

Does Strauss really expect to rock up for the first Test of the summer in May, which just happens to be against Bangladesh, bark some demands at his charges and not expect one or two to think 'oh yeah, where were you when we all had stomach bugs in Mirpur and were under pressure from two spinners ragging it square?'

Strauss probably is knackered and, in the words of chief selector Geoff Miller, he has had an "arduous time". Save from personal problems which we might not know about, that is what being an international cricket captain is all about. It is tough. And if you don't like it, someone else will be more than willing to give it a go.

In this example, Cook will have to lead. As vice-captain the opening batsman has been groomed to one day take over and there can be no quibble that his leadership skills will benefit from the experience. It is an almighty risk, though.

Treating Bangladesh as a management training course is disrespectful in the extreme. In players of the calibre of Shakib-al-Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, and Shahadat Hossain the home side are more than capable of giving England some uncomfortable moments. And what if they pinch a Test? Since Bangladesh's inception as a Test nation in 2000, only one side from the big eight have left their leader at home, West Indies in 2002. India right this minute are minus MS Dhoni because of a back injury, and look how they are struggling in Chittagong. Bangladesh are [5.10] to beat England with the draw [3.00].

If Strauss' absence threatens England's improvement as Test team, then it does the same for their one-day fortunes. Can anyone answer how or why Cook should be in charge of a one-day international unit when, in November 2008, mercifully, he was jettisoned for not being either good enough, or modern enough, for his opening role? Nor we should ignore England's arrogance that with the World Cup just over a year away, they feel their captain does not need to gain experience in exactly the sort of conditions that tournament will be played in.

James Anderson, England's main strike bowler, escapes criticism. He is crocked by the sound of it with a nasty knee problem which could need surgery. Thanks to going under the knife, Anderson will not be sitting comfortably anywhere for some time. Strauss could be about to find out how that feels.