After arriving in Australia in October it is perhaps understandable – just a week before the start of February – that the long tour is starting to take its toll.
Mentally it must be draining especially after the joy of winning the Ashes. The One Day series has more than a whiff of 'after the lord mayors show' about it. Many will be eyeing the date when they can fly home and be reunited with friends and family.
But the physical effect of the tour is also having an impact. Stuart Broad was the first to go during the second test at Adelaide but since the completion of the test series a number of players have had to pull out.
Tim Bresnan is already home with a calf strain and Graeme Swann has also been ruled out of the rest of the ODI series with a back injury - two players almost certain of being included in England's first choice XI.
Coach Andy Flower faces a real task now to motivate his players to try and rescue the series – England are 3-0 down of course- while trying to keep his players fresh and fit with a World Cup on the horizon. Fans watching the live score goalwire will know that the side will have one eye on the main event.
What these games have taught us is that beyond England's first choice XI there are definitely weaknesses and they will only win the World Cup with their strongest side possible on show and live scores goalwire fans will realise this.
If that means resting players in the upcoming matches with Australia – even if it sacrifice any hope of winning the series – Flower may see that as a sacrifice worth making with greater challenges imminently ahead.
Mentally it must be draining especially after the joy of winning the Ashes. The One Day series has more than a whiff of 'after the lord mayors show' about it. Many will be eyeing the date when they can fly home and be reunited with friends and family.
But the physical effect of the tour is also having an impact. Stuart Broad was the first to go during the second test at Adelaide but since the completion of the test series a number of players have had to pull out.
Tim Bresnan is already home with a calf strain and Graeme Swann has also been ruled out of the rest of the ODI series with a back injury - two players almost certain of being included in England's first choice XI.
Coach Andy Flower faces a real task now to motivate his players to try and rescue the series – England are 3-0 down of course- while trying to keep his players fresh and fit with a World Cup on the horizon. Fans watching the live score goalwire will know that the side will have one eye on the main event.
What these games have taught us is that beyond England's first choice XI there are definitely weaknesses and they will only win the World Cup with their strongest side possible on show and live scores goalwire fans will realise this.
If that means resting players in the upcoming matches with Australia – even if it sacrifice any hope of winning the series – Flower may see that as a sacrifice worth making with greater challenges imminently ahead.
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