This column was first published by cricketnirvana.com

If England were smug at Australia’s recent streak of defeats and optimistic of an Ashes victory, they were given a rude awakening of their own inadequacies by West Indies in Jamaica.

Jerome Taylor’s disciplined spell of fast bowling (5-11) saw England crash to 51 all out and an innings defeat on Saturday in the first Test, and it was the moment when reality finally hit home. That England are not a very good cricket team any more.

In fact not since they last beat Australia in 2005 have they been strong. They have had moments of brilliance like their comeback against New Zealand at Old Trafford last year when staring at defeat, and a good series win over Pakistan in 2006, but even then New Zealand are firmly entrenched in cricket’s second division, while Pakistan were minus Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif then. Their win over South Africa in August was a dead match after all.

But before placing England’s frailties under the microscope, it should be noted how much stronger, better prepared and more disciplined West Indies appear to be now under Chris Gayle’s leadership.

This win was the culmination of some good progress starting with a Test win in South Africa over a year ago, and including the focused preparation over six weeks that led to England’s woeful loss in the $20 million Stanford match. West Indies have suffered long enough and while they are far from the summit of world cricket, they are at least climbing. Not like England, who are plummeting at an alarming rate.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were celebrating their record $1.55 million Indian Premier League contracts on Friday, yet their drastic low the following day at Sabina Park typifies how two of the world’s best are struggling to carry an under-achieving team that has become too cosy and too content at mediocre performance.

Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood and Alastair Cook are good Test cricketers, but why have they not pushed on to become very, very good Test cricketers? Cook, a great prospect and Graham Gooch’s protégé, has six but none above 130, which to me shows a lack of hunger to go on and be greedy for himself and responsible for his team.

Those guys’ averages around the 40 mark would have been the sign of a top player 15-20 years ago but no longer. The Australians of recent times along with the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar, Kallis and Lara have raised the bar to averages in the mid-fifties. Only KP can match up.  
 
Even promising bowlers like Monty Panesar and Ryan Sidebottom are struggling – Panesar’s levelling out is a major concern. Shane Warne’s sledge that he plays the same game every match seems a more perceptive view each game. The development of Stuart Broad is one of the few positives for England.

The team’s ridiculously bloated backroom staff, the lack of a coach and the recent controversy over Pietersen;s exit as captain all add to the shambles that is currently the England team.

This team was by and large the best team that could have been picked – with the exception of one or two. Drastic change is not called for, maybe more a soul-searching exercise individually, when players should ask themselves are they really being tough enough mentally and showing the mettle required to excel at the top level? Are they really training hard enough to improve? Training drills can sometimes become tedious and a going-through-the-motions feeling can set in.

Ultimately, a freshening up is needed for the second Test in Antigua. Owais Shah for Bell and probably Graeme Swann for Panesar as the many left-handers in the West Indies team could be more vulnerable against a good off-spinner. Maybe even James Anderson, England’s most improved player of 2008, for Sidebottom.

Whatever happens in the next five Tests between England and West Indies from now to May, the Ashes should be one hell of a contest - between two average sides!

Richard Sydenham is Managing Editor asnd Owner of Bigstarcricket.com

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