Back-t0-back series defeats in the Caribbean followed England’s disappointing World Cup defence in India – is Matthew Mott still the right man for the job?
England In T20Is since the T20 World Cup: three series, no wins. Defeat in the decider against West Indies sits alongside a 3-0 defeat in Bangladesh and a 2-2 draw against New Zealand. In ODIs, the World Cup was the only exam that mattered, and England failed it spectacularly. As it happens, England did lose three T20I series in a row after the 2021 T20 World Cup, and then got back on track against Pakistan, also their next opponents. But between now and then they have several decisions to make, not least about whether Matthew Mott, their current head coach, is the right man for the job.
You can try analyzing different defeats to search for topics and threads. In his first T20I, he failed to take advantage of a strong opening platform. In the second inning, he allowed a counterattack in the middle, but he also couldn’t stop his slider. Death bowling was a problem in the third round victory as well, but in the deciding match he lost due to spin and fell to a below par score, but defended well. Slow bowling is probably the biggest concern as Aqeel Hossain and Gudakesh Motier took 11 wickets in the series, averaging 24.9 wickets and conceding 7.61 overs.
But England’s machine squeaks at every joint. They broke through in the middle overs, asserted themselves with the new ball and struggled to stop the death. They were unsettled by the pace and confused by the commotion. If there’s one deciding factor, it’s the spiral England have gone from match to match to matchup and ultimately to being eliminated within minutes. Moreover, lessons are quickly forgotten, and each step forward leads to the next step back, holes only to be plugged and new leaks created. They learned to outwit Moti and later defeated him, but then allowed Moti to prove decisive in a decisive battle.
Even though the players changed, this complete lack of aura still remained. The team, once confident of victory, entered the World Cup expecting to come out on top. They haven’t completely forgotten how to win, but they have lost the ability to turn one win into multiple wins or avoid crashes. They are increasingly concerned about how to set the pace and how to catch up from behind. “Especially in T20s, where he doesn’t have complete control over the outcome,” Mott said.
Mr Mott has mainly argued that England is on the right track. “There are certainly some good signs that we have a group of players that love playing with each other,” he said after the ODI series loss. “They’re really good friends over there,” he told TNT Sports after the T20I upset. “We didn’t really learn much from that tour.”
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Although he has occasionally hinted at identifying problems, after the World Cup he refused to reveal his findings when pressed. He criticized the schedule for not giving England enough time to warm up before the tournament. “This is a young group and they needs to be treated as such.”
Of course, it’s easy to poke holes in everything a coach says during a losing streak. When something goes wrong, he has two options. If you’re honest and say you don’t know how to solve it, you either emphasize the magnitude of the problem, or you say there isn’t really a problem at all. The first option may raise questions about whether you are the right person to turn the situation around. The latter appears misleading when used repeatedly. The only real solution is to win.
Mott got the job based on his work with an Australian woman. His greatest accomplishment there was leading the best team in the world and turning them into a dominant force after some notable early problems. England’s role was thought to be similar. But teams that previously only needed him one or two tweaks are now in need of a major transition. They join the pursuers and are quickly outnumbered. This is new territory for Mott. The job he was hired to do is no longer his job. This should be important.
World Cup: Group phase exit
West Indies ODIs: 2-1 series defeat
West Indies T20Is: 3-2 series defeatA tough winter for limited overs cricket for England. pic.twitter.com/pEXcX5i6XL
– Wisden (@WisdenCricket) 22. December 2023
Even though the T20 World Cup is approaching, in some ways now is a good time to change coaches. England’s next match will give him time to find a suitable replacement. A new manager might be exactly what they need: fresh ideas and a fresh atmosphere.
England will not play a white-ball match until May and these four T20Is against Pakistan will be their final preparation for defending their T20 World Cup title. England are her T20 international team and are almost the only team in world cricket in that they cover all bases. They have gun openers, explosive finishers, extreme pace, world-class spin bowlers and all-rounders. Not only are some of these players talented enough to participate in the IPL, but their teams are built around them. They should be among your favorites. Instead, it feels like they are headed for another failed campaign, having gone from two-time world champions to non-world champions in six months. There is a growing sense that Mott is not the one who can change that.
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