Old Trafford controversy fails to mask England flaws

Tony Lawrence

A sizeable question mark was hanging over English cricket's brave new world on Tuesday as the dust settled following their dramatic Old Trafford defeat to Pakistan.

The local media, with some justification, chose to highlight a string of umpiring blunders in arguing that England had been swindled out of a fifth series victory in a row.

Several other factors, however, surely contributed to the 108-run debacle, England's rediscovery of the art of the batting collapse topping the list ahead of the team's suspect support bowling and total lack of a spin threat.

That list will make unpleasant reading for coach Duncan Fletcher and captain Nasser Hussain as they prepare for the Ashes series against Steve Waugh's Australians next month.

Under the admirable Fletcher, England, while sticking to a similar pool of players, have transformed their fortunes since the start of 2000, continuously playing above themselves.

While home victories against Zimbabwe and an ailing West Indies side were predictable, away series successes in Pakistan and Sri Lanka came as a pleasant shock.

Bottom of the world rankings in 1999, England were suddenly third and with ambitions to challenge the best.

The squad's lack of depth, however, has become painfully apparent against Pakistan.

PERFECT OPPONENTS

Waqar's side were apparently perfect opponents after arriving in England with a newly installed coach, an ageing and unfit bowling attack and with a history of feuds among its players.

England, with pace bowlers Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick to the fore, duly crushed them at Lord's by an innings and nine runs and looked set to complete the job in the second and final test in Manchester.

But the loss of three players through injury -- Hussain, all-rounder Craig White and left-arm spinner Ashley Giles -- suddenly left the team rudderless, unbalanced and without bowling variety.

Stand-in skipper Alec Stewart -- accused by the British media of unimaginative "captaincy by numbers" at Old Trafford -- remained resolutely optimistic despite Monday's humiliation.

He was "disappointed" that England had lost their last eight wickets for 75 -- and their last five for nine runs -- in the first innings and their last nine for 87 in the second.

But he added: "There are some plus points -- Michael Vaughan's hundred, Graham Thorpe is a world-class player and Marcus Trescothick batted exceptionally well."

All valid points after the trio made centuries in the second test match.

And England, after all, were unlucky to lose four wickets -- the first two those of the last recognised batsmen Ian Ward and Nick Knight -- to no-balls which were not spotted by the umpires in the final session of the match, even if some confident lbw shouts by Pakistan's bowlers went in their favour.

PERFECT CONFIDENCE BOOST

But it is hard to believe that Fletcher, who said before the game that winning was everything to him, will take many comforts away from Old Trafford.

Not only did England miss the chance of emulating the 1969-71 feat of Ray Illingworth's side in winning five series in a row after being held 1-1 by Pakistan, they also gave the waiting Australians the perfect confidence boost before the Ashes.

While Fletcher was probably having nightmares after Monday's capitulation, Waugh must have laughed himself to sleep.

Referring to Australia's domination in the last six series between the two countries, Waugh had said last week: "If we get on top early we can perhaps open some old scars up."

Unless Hussain can return from his broken thumb in time for the first test at Edgbaston starting on July 5, England may already have done that job for him after shooting themselves in both feet

Mail Cricket Editor