Raising spirits and catching practice: Paul Collingwood's England in-tray

DOM HOGAN looks at the key issues England's new interim head coach needs to look at ahead of the Test trip to the Caribbean

Paul Collingwood has been appointed interim head coach for England’s upcoming series against West Indies.

Collingwood said the three-match campaign presents an opportunity to rebuild after the debilitating 4-0 Ashes loss.

But the former batsman will face myriad well documented issues if England are to “get back on track”, as he believes they can.

Here, The Cricketer takes a look at his to-do list. 

Raise morale

In the immediate short term, Collingwood must help a wounded and humiliated Test team reinvigorate themselves ahead of another series away from home.

Losing a series is always a setback to morale, but to lose an Ashes campaign without registering a win - or a score above 300 - is bound to have a profound effect on the mood of each and every player involved.

Throw in various Covid-19 protocols, bio-bubbles and safe living, and the task of revitalising this team becomes even tougher.

Collingwood himself has been vocal on the psychological effects of touring through the Covid era, and perhaps that puts him in good stead to help the side through.

Though the pressure may not be quite so high as the hostile environments of the MCG or the Gabba, the England team will certainly be reminded of their recent inefficacies when they arrive in Antigua ahead of the first Test.

Collingwood intends to give “direction and encouragement” to his side, and fans and players alike will hope that he can help to clear players’ minds of the inevitable lingering after-effects of such a disastrous Ashes tour.

^{Paul Collingwood needs to raise spirits in the England camp}

Address the batting

England’s top-order frailties in recent years have become infamous, but in Australia this weakness was exploited time and time again.

Since Sir Andrew Strauss’s international retirement in 2012, England have had 20 different batsmen face the new ball in 22 different pairings at an average of just 31.14 in under 10 years.

In the recent Ashes tour, Haseeb Hameed, Rory Burns and Zak Crawley were rotated three times in five Tests, and England lost a batsman (Burns) to the first ball of an Ashes Test for the first time since 1936/37.

Even when an England opener does stand and deliver, as Crawley managed in the fourth Test (77 from 100), there has been little support from the rest of the top order.

Those inefficiencies mean Joe Root and Ben Stokes being prematurely summoned to the crease, forced to play roles against the new ball which dilutes their impact, and in turn gives England no real platform to build on.

If Collingwood’s England are to be successful in the Caribbean, they must find a way to strengthen those top three spots, giving their captain and talismanic allrounder the freedom they need to express themselves. 

^{Rory Burns is one of a struggling batting lineup}

Nurture youth

It is not all doom and gloom when it comes to England’s current batting line-up.

In Crawley and Ollie Pope, there are two genuinely exciting batting talents who will surely be mainstays in the side for at least the next 10 years.

Both are full of promise and have on occasion delivered - Crawley’s 267 against Pakistan in 2020 may distort his average of 28.21 but sublime shots in the fourth Ashes Test issued a reminder of his ability.

Similarly, Pope’s unbeaten 135 against South Africa in 2020 was an exhibition of his potential, but in Australia he became fidgety and frenetic at the crease, and his off-stump guard has come in for considerable questioning.

Neither Pope nor Crawley have been able to truly establish themselves in the side and build on the occasional successes they have enjoyed in an England shirt.

For Collingwood, the task will be creating an environment, and offering the mentorship, which allows these players to grow rather than wilt.

He must ensure that the formative years of these two talents are not influenced by the collective difficulties they, and England, have endured over the past two years.

^{Collingwood will be England's interim head coach in the Caribbean}

Catching practice

It is not just with the bat that England have struggled in recent years, and their alarming tendency to drop catches off dangerous players has added several insults to critical injuries.

In the absence of Stokes, England were without one of their safest pairs of hands for much of 2021, but the slip cordon’s failings have given batsmen a second chance on far too many occasions even after his prodigal return.

Most recently, England dropped 17 Australian chances during the Ashes. It might not have been enough to make up the gaping divide between the two teams, but it can hardly have helped.

The famous adage ‘catches win matches’ has never been so pertinent to a side that habitually spurns these opportunities.

In this way, it is vital that Collingwood prioritises the fielding shortcomings of his England side.

^{Dropped catches have been an issue for England in Test cricket}

Spin dilemma

For whatever reason, England have failed to pinpoint one spinner to play with the regularity, and trust, of a Nathan Lyon or Ravi Ashwin.

Jack Leach won his first cap in 2018, but since then England have often relied on the now-retired Moeen Ali, or even Root’s part-time off-breaks.

The result? Leach bowling with an apparent lack of confidence, perhaps affected by the lack of faith shown in him that he is not worth the 68 wickets he has accrued in 19 Tests.

How England choose to move forward will be intriguing. Will they follow the seam-heavy approach adopted by Silverwood, or will Collingwood place more trust in spin? And if so, who?