Quick Singles

So this morning we heard that Paul Collingwood is currently playing his final test match, he has retired from test match cricket. Always reliable always giving his best but never flamboyant or outrageous Collingwood has for the last five years been a rock in the English middle order, an outstanding fielder, a reliable extra bowler and always willing put the hard yards whatever the discipline. Collingwood has always been a man England have turned to in a crisis, with the bat, ball or in the field.

The two innings I will remember Collingwood for the most are with England in corner, backs against the wall with Collingwood as the last man standing with the rest of the English players beaten. This time last year Collingwood and Bell held out at Newlands against Steyn and Morkel bowling partnership completely selflessly Collingwood didn’t even reach fifty; his innings was one entirely focused on the team. At Cardiff in 2009 focused his efforts on saving the game, a crucial innings of discipline and grit that not only saved the game but the series. Collingwood’s effort and discipline with the bat allowed him to produce results well beyond his abilities a double hundred at Adelaide in 2006 and a debut century in Indian are career highlights that any test match batsman would be proud of.

But it is in the field that Collingwood set a standard that I believe is not matched by any cricketer worldwide. His agility in the field meant that he could save a hat full of runs from his preferred position at point or more memorably change a the course of game with some thrilling catches to take the breath away. In many ways Collingwood’s excellence in field set the tone for the great improvement in England’s field over the last decade, an example to players young and old, for his effort and his committment.

We’ll still see Collingwood giving his all for England in one day and twenty20 or entertaining in IPL but when a player such as Collingwood who has been at the heart of the improvement in England’s work effic and attitude retires from test cricket, the pinnacle of the game a word needs to be said. His attitude, effort and commitment will not be forgotten.

England have just lost a test match in previous Ashes series this would have meant a full squad rotation. Out goes Graham Hick or Mark Ramprakash in comes some fresh talent who have hardly scored a run all summer, the bowlers were even more at risk almost constant rotation. In recent years England’s selectors have kept strict discipline sticking with the same eleven through thick and thin. Now however some pundits would have England drop Finn and Collingwood for two of Shahzad, Bresnan and Morgan.

Collingwood has had three poor tests and didn’t exactly cover himself in glory during the English summer. On the other hand his straight replacement Eoin Morgan has faced only a handful of balls in Australia and does not offer a realistic alternative with the ball, do you imagine that Morgan realistically could do any better? Tim Bresnan does represent a reasonable alternative; he offers both a realistic option with the ball and is a reasonable batting option. Bresnan offers the only realistic option to Collingwood as much as England might deny it they need a fifth option with the ball, but actually selecting a player as a fifth bowler instead of the sixth batsman represents a big change in selection policy but if Collingwood has lost it there probably isn’t much of an option.

Steven Finn is on the other hand the highest wicket taker in the series, at times he has been wayward or has looked tired but to actually drop him is perhaps taking it a bit far. Shahzad is green and questions have to asked about how much penetration Bresnan offers against the likes of Watson, Ponting and Hussey in test match cricket. Finn was tired at the WACA as he had to bowl longer spells with Swann going missing, Finn has been wayward in previous innings but question weren’t asked when England were winning so why now?

Unless Finn or Collingwood are now completely dead in the water, there seems little point in forcing changes to the make-up of a side that has rarely changed without good reason since Strauss and Flower took over as Captain and Coach. England’s selection policy has worked well in recent years, let’s not panic just yet.

England fans should be worried, the middle order is looking weaker with every innings. The batting card sums it all up:

Pietersen c †Kamran Akmal b Mohammad Amir 0

Collingwood LBW b Mohammad Amir 0

Morgan c Yasir Hameed b Mohammad Amir 0

At 47/5 Pakistan had England were on the ropes, Amir was bowling magnificently with a spell of golden arm swing bowling he had England flailing around with loose shots, poor shots selection and completely lacking in confidence.

Pietersen is quoted as saying he was ‘not the person I used to be’ and the shot selection reeked of a batsman who just didn’t had a game plan for his inning. Pietersen’s lack of county cricket means there’s been no way from him to find form outside the international spotlight. It’s not often I say this but I’m with Geoffrey Boycott  he needs county cricket.  If it can be arranged he needs time in the middle in the County Championship, or hell even club cricket would do, drop him from the one day team and make it clear he needs to find form to keep his place.

Collingwood just looks out of form, he got out simply by missing. Give him time in the middle and he is a vital cog in the England machine; able to save or win a match with the bat, offer a good option with the ball and able to catch and field with the best in the world. It’s hard to say his place under pressure but it should be.

Morgan really ought to be on the plane he has the talent to take any team apart in any form of the game but does he have the mentality? Do any of the England middle order have the mentality?