A disgusting surrender by too many again in the last test, but there is more to this story than players not playing anywhere near their potential.
These players will get much dog's abuse when they eventually return to England, most of it deserved.
Honourable exceptions begin with Stuart Broard who was for me the second best bowler in the series. Harris, a superb bowler again all series, has slightly better figures, but he has been bowling after Johnson, not leading the attack himself and then bowling after Tremlett or Bresnan. Ben Stokes also can hold his head up high, he could not have been expected to do more. Top of the batting averages, only centurion, best strike rate with the bat. Fifteen wickets at an average under his batting average, a good old measure of an all rounder's performance. No doubt England will now flog him to death and have the same pernicious effect they seem to have on so many players that play their way into this England environment.
Which raises the subject of the colossal amount of people employed by England at various levels, who will probably escape censure following this humiliating winter.
What are they doing to players when they get hold of them? Players who, through constant high performance at their counties, get selected and are then apparently required to learn at the feet of these masters how to play cricket? The list is too long, and goes back too long.
As far back as Jimmy Anderson about six or seven years ago. Out of the England team and cricket altogether for a while as he struggled with a stress fracture caused by the England set up insisting he change his action in case he suffered ..............a stress fracture! Only by returning to his own "inadequate" action did he become the bowler that took so many wickets. But Anderson had the strength of character to stand up to this battalion of wage collecting automatons and do his own thing, many will not. It will be interesting to see how Tymal Mills bowls in the coming summer . I'd bet he bowls a bit slower.
How much damage have this lot done to Steven Finn? Will he recover, and does HE have the internal nous to tell them where to go? Stuart Meaker and others, including Liam Plunket, who came back to Durham significantly reduced as a bowler after he had been with England, (although he hardly helped himself!), have suffered a decline after contact with this all knowing, all seeing cabal of coaches. In the summer I heard one of them on the radio saying that "we need to make Steven (Finn's) action more repeatable" Unbelievable. They have ruined him by messing about with his run up, and now they are wanting to change an action of about fourteen years, rather then just letting him do what HE feels is right.
And all these batting "coaches". Twenty five innings now and not one score above 400. This is not a blip. Good established batsmen are in their shells against good accurate bowling, not daring to play their own game at times. What effect will they be having on young players going on Lions tours, or just getting into the England team? Stokes might be fine in this regard, I certainly hope so, he seems to be a strong character, but many might not be.
The players and head coach get the biggest rewards and so they will get the most stick. Fair enough, they have been largely appalling, showing a distinct lack of application at times.
But there are many whose names will never be mentioned who are are at best doing no good at all, and more likely causing lasting harm to young players for the future. They will keep their heads down, collect their cash, trot out the right cliches and look after themselves. England spend millions on the England set up, and it is a set up that would not have allowed Mitchel Johnson to sort himself out. QED.
