As Christmas nears, the England Cricket team have secured a 3-0 series whitewash in Pakistan (the first ever such humiliation for the home side) to complete a remarkable 2022. This remarkable achievement, on the back of securing the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia during the autumn, represents one of the biggest transformations in a sporting team’s fortunes I can remember.
As a 15 year old, I was captivated by Mike Brearley’s captaincy of England as they beat Kim Hughes’ Australia in the 1981 Ashes Series, and the remarkable turnaround in leading all rounder Ian Botham’s form. I think it was the moment I started thinking more deeply about the effect leaders can have on teams. The impact has been considerable – much of my working life is spent on helping others understand their strengths (and how best to use them) in order to excel.
One year ago, a weary Joe Root kept facing the media in Australia and saying repeatedly that his England cricket team were competitive against a dominant Australian team, but kept losing ‘the big moments’. In reality, he was deluding himself. The England team under its beleaguered captain had run its race.
Root was in the form of his life with the bat but his cricket captaincy fell short. It was being said by the ECB’s administration and its’ elite coaching support structure that Joe was “the only choice”. And, despite Ashley Giles (MD England Cricket) and Head Coach Chris Silverwood being removed from their jobs, Root felt he was still the right man to lead the England cricket team to West Indies. He wasn’t. And more worryingly, too few people were prepared to stand up to him and save him from himself. He looked drained, his media conferences were ‘more of the same’ – with lots of justification of how hard everybody was working and that “it would come right” in the Caribbean. It didn’t.
The appointment of former Kent captain Rob Key, with little or no cricket administrative experience behind him as MD of England Cricket, started the process of a healthy transformation. He spoke plain English – not management-speak B**s***!
Key appointed two foreign coaches in Mathew Mott and Brendan McCullum to help prepare the team – and most importantly, he elevated the inspirational all rounder Ben Stokes to the role of Test match captain. Stokes is renowned for not wanting to take a backward step as a cricketer, and this aggressive approach has risks associated with it. Maybe the appointment of New Zealand’s Brendan McCullum was the key to Stokes remarkable success since May 2022, meaning Stokes’ aggressive philosophy had full support from the dressing room as well as in and around the team space at hotels, in changing rooms and on the team bus. Such positivity and consistent messaging is vital to providing the support a captain needs if they are going to “go all out for victories”.
So what are the key behaviours that the leadership team has used to inspire the achievement of transformational results?
1. Shown confidence in people.
2. Provided clarity of message – be aggressive. Face your fears, run towards the danger.
3. Be joyful – it’s a game to be enjoyed.
The leaders have identified key people and backed them to perform – even when they haven’t produced the goods. Zak Crawley’s poor run of form, and continued selection sent a message to everyone that if the management team ‘fancied’ you, then opportunity would be extended for you to prove them right over time. Crawley went some way to repaying their faith with a couple of match-winning contributions at Edgbaston and The Oval last summer, and his combined century and half century at Rawalpindi during the 1st test in Pakistan suggest that Stokes/McCullum/Key’s unequivocal backing of a player offers a new template for all cricket management teams.
In terms of clear messaging, the team knows that individuals will be backed in selection if they commit to playing aggressively.
With regard to joy, there is a rare sense of freedom on offer. Players are playing as if they are in the local park. It is a remarkable achievement to get test match cricketers to commit to such a mentality when they are playing the most significant cricket matches of their careers to date.
And now that captain Ben Stokes has been made runner-up in BBC Sports Personality of the Year – and unlucky to not be crowned the winner – the team can enjoy a festive period reflecting on a truly remarkable run of successful results. Full credit to all involved.
Big credit belongs to Joe Root too. The way he has found a place in the team again after being its’ captain for so long, speaks volumes about his character. And, his match-winning century at Lord’s v New Zealand in May kick-started the revolution’s winning run of results. At such a pivotal moment in the team’s development under Stokes, the best player delivered his ‘A-GAME’.
A barometer of the team’s healthy culture is the performance of newcomers to the environment. Will Jacks’ 6-for on debut. And Harry Brook’s sensational debut series in Pakistan marks him out as a generational talent. Yorkshire has an excellent record of producing top-class batsmen to serve England’s needs and this young man may prove to be one of the best over time.
Brook’s success has been slightly overshadowed by 18 year-old debutant Rehan Ahmed’s 5 wicket haul in the second innings of the 3rd test to set up victory in Karachi. Ahmed is now England’s youngest-ever test cricketer and with only 3 first-class matches under his belt before his test debut, has become a ‘poster-boy’ for all young cricketers who want to get to the top.
There appears to be no hierarchy – in this England team, if you are good enough, you are old enough.
Under Stokes and McCullum, Jonny Bairstow has played the best cricket of his life. Despite the previous regime not wanting to embrace his qualities fully, Bairstow has always found a way to make a statement about his ability and temperament. Dare to write him off at your peril was often the way under other leaders – and some did exclude him at times. But, under this leadership team he appears more settled, happier and valued. His results on the field of play have been phenomenal.
So many players have followed Bairstow’s lead and played their best cricket too.
Ben Duckett has come back into the team and excelled. Ollie Pope has succeeded in the important role of number 3 and shown that his exceptional form for Surrey can be replicated in the test arena for England. Jamie Overton made a remarkable debut at Headingley. Jack Leach has a test match 10-fer to his name. Ben Foakes is establishing himself as one of the world’s leading cricketers. Ollie Robinson has clearly turned a corner with his fitness and is among the most respected bowlers in world cricket today. His strike rate and average of wickets taken against runs conceded puts him up with the likes of legends such as Glenn McGrath presently. Stuart Broad produced some magical moments – especially in turning around the NZ test at Lord’s with a remarkable over on the Saturday morning to bring England back into a match that appeared to be slipping away from them. Mark Wood has provided much-needed enthusiasm and pace on flat pitches and offers the team a helpful edge in challenging conditions. And James Anderson continues to excel. What a bowler, what a man! His quality continues to improve – swing, accuracy, intelligence continue to combine to ensure he bowled some wicket-taking deliveries in Pakistan that were incredible.
Who says leadership is over-rated in top sport?
Only a fool wouldn’t recognise the positive impact that Stokes/McCullum/Mott and Rob Key have made to the England Cricket teams since May. The healthy transformation has given England a platform of entering 2023 as holders of the ICC T20 World Cup, the ICC 50 over World Cup and a test team that is becoming globally renowned for playing a style of aggressive, match-winning cricket.
Can it work against Australia in next summer’s Ashes? A big question!
Australia’s better quality bowlers, and a three top-class batsmen with plenty of experience in English conditions will prove a tough opposition.
Can England’s top 3 deliver against a higher-grade attack? Will the spin bowling pair of Leach and Ahmed prove competitive in English conditions? Can Jofra Archer and Mark Wood get fit enough to play a meaningful role in the series? Can the team stick to its’ guns if/when it begins to lose matches? Will the public and media remain supportive if the Stokes/McCullum way begins to unravel next summer?
Batsmen scoring big runs, especially if they do so at a good run-rate, set up test match wins. Under Stokes in 2022, England has scored their three highest-ever test series run-rates (4.54 v NZ; 4.09 v SA and 5.5 an over v Pakistan). The role of test match batsmen can be to prevent defeat too, but drawn matches do not seem to be part of Stokes’ psyche as a captain.
Fundamentally, it is the bowlers who win test matches. Stokes’s team has taken 20 wickets in all but one of the tests he has captained. His aggressive tactics and the stated ambition for his bowlers to ‘think wickets’ (as opposed to conserve runs) has been an important factor in the team’s transformation. The catching has been good too. The team spirit is remarkable.
A year ago, when doom and gloom surrounded English cricket, one particular wise voice advocated for Ben Stokes to be made captain. Mike Brearley wrote in The Cricketer magazine why he felt Stokes could help the team transform itself, if he were to be appointed. In time, others listened and acted upon the strong suggestion by the sagacious former England captain. I’m so glad they did.
With so much to look forward to, 2023 promises to be a great summer of cricket. It will take something special to top 2022!
Onwards and upwards…