England debates whether the Poms take ODIs seriously

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

London, Apr 13 (UNI) England's repeated failure in one-dayers -- the latest against India -- and their obsession with the Ashes have triggered a national debate with the opinion divided over whether the team takes the shorter version of the game seriously enough.

Former pacer Bob Willis, who represented England between 1971-84, feels the current squad is a combination of ''bits-and-pieces players'', who have failed to click as a team.

Writing in the Guardian, Willis said,''England's one-day cricket is as bad as their Test cricket is good. It is remarkable that the captain Michael Vaughan and the coach Duncan Fletcher have persisted with such a clapped-out method of management for the one-day side.'' ''The pattern of recent failures has become depressingly familiar. They either get off to a flying start with Marcus Trescothick, if he is available, or they put on a decent stand in the middle, but as soon as the fourth wicket falls the end is in sight,'' the former Test star added.

Willis said England need to prepare their ODI side with the same planning which goes into preparing for the Ashes.

''They discovered and settled on quality for the Test side and that's exactly what they should do with the one-day team,'' he said.

Willis said he could not undersatnd why England wants to have separate Test and ODI squads.

''I have been banging on about this for years: the Test and one-day sides should be the same and, although I recognise that the current squad has been decimated by injuries, I am surprised Fletcher has not pursued this policy, '' he wrote.

He said Matthew Prior, Vikram Solanki, Kabir Ali, Ian Blackwell and Gareth Batty were just not good enough to be in the team and player like Ian Bell and Alastair Cook need to be added in the ODI squad.

''I know that life is tough for young players who come into the one-day side but many have had opportunities to cement their places and wasted them. Solanki is moved in and out of the team and has batted in virtually every position,'' he pointed out.

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