"We have to manage their workloads as a calendar year as a whole" - Ashley Giles on how England plan to deal with a jam-packed schedule
England's managing director of men's cricket, Ashley Giles, assessed the team's dire situation ahead of the fourth Ashes Test. The Three Lions are currently trailing 0-3 in the series and have lost the urn to arch-rivals Australia.
The nature of the defeats in recent times and the waning quality of England's talent pool has stirred the entire cricketing structure. Giles arrived in Sydney on New Year's to deal with the concurring chaos ever since the Englishmen have set foot in the land Down Under.
Speaking about the stacked schedule for 2022, Giles stressed the importance of Test cricket.
“I see involvement in the IPL but to stop it creeping into anymore of the [English] season. We don’t want to miss any Test cricket particularly. The season is busy enough with seven Tests next year. It is an incredibly difficult and busy period coming up. That is the aim but we have to manage their workloads as a calendar year as a whole."
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Giles lamented the amount of cricket England had to play following the outbreak of COVID-19. He stressed the need to find the right balance between the amount and quality of cricket. This way optimum results can be achieved without any additional burden on the players, physically or mentally. Giles added:
"It is a problem and we’ve got to find a balance. We need to balance the amount of cricket with the quality of cricket. And making sure that we look after our people. That’s the coaches, players and everyone. Coming back to that wellbeing piece, let’s focus on that, not rest and rotation. It’s ridiculous to think that these guys can play every single game.”
A comprehensive report will be filed by the 48-year-old over England's debacle in Australia. The review will put particular emphasis on why the players are not developing in the current red ball setup.
"We will have those conversations" - Ashley Giles on Joe Root's future as England Test captain
Joe Root's captaincy in the ongoing Ashes series has been criticized by fans and pundits alike. From poor decisions, negative tactics, and placing the blame for defeats on bowlers, it has been a nightmare tour for Root, the captain. Giles claimed talks will be held regarding the future of the 31-year-old as leader of the team.
"We will have those conversations. I will not be drawn on it now. I want Joe to concentrate on the Test."
There have been calls for a potential overhaul of the coaching system as well as authority personnel behind the scenes. Addressing those demands, Giles assured that replacing him and the other central figures in the England domain would only prolong the inevitable, rather than solve it.
"Unless we look at more systemic change and a collective responsibility and solutions, we can make whatever changes we want.
"You can change me, change the head coach, change the captain. But we're only setting up future leaders for failure. That's all we're doing. We're only pushing it down the road."
All set for the Pink Test!
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At the moment, England are looking to avoid a third Ashes whitewash in 15 years. They will take the field in Sydney to compete in the fourth Test against Australia.