Afternoon:
10°c
After England's shocking defeat in the First Test, it is tempting to take the view that the only way is up. Unfortunately, in this case, there is a strong possibility that the team could implode altogether.
Andy Flower, the unfortunate individual who inherited this crossroads in the aftermath of the collision between Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores, admitted as much as he surveyed the wreckage yesterday. With divisions and jealousy in the camp distracting the focus of the players, Flower knows that another poor performance in Antigua this week could send England cricket into freefall.
It was always impossible to believe that the strain of the past month could be put to one side in the course of 10 quiet days of training in St Kitts. I do not think that even the most optimistic of England's management staff believed it would be, either. Chuck in the IPL auction for good measure - and the genuine unhappiness of the players to the 10 per cent levy that the counties have decided to charge - and you end up with a hot bed of discontent.
We should also not overlook the fact that this batting unit has been failing for some time. Indeed, go back to the Adelaide debacle of two years ago and look at the batting line-up: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff.
The same people in the same positions who failed to bat under pressure in the second innings and handed Australia a victory almost as unlikely as this one. Same people and same positions: no wonder people talk about the England team being a cosy club!
And that is why there has to be change. Part of my sympathy for Flower - who is a very thoughtful individual - is that he, and Strauss for that matter, have been presented with a squad of players that neither of them had any part in selecting.
They are stuck with what is here, and who knows if Michael Vaughan, for instance, might have been on the tour had Flower and Strauss insisted on it. What England would give for him now, incidentally, as an alternative at the top of the order where Strauss and Cook play in an identical fashion and Bell surely faces the chop.
Vaughan would have been a real option either to open or bat at three but as it is the only alternative is Owais Shah, who deserves a chance but will find No3 a challenge. Again, had Vaughan been here, he could have replaced Bell and Shah taken Paul Collingwood's place at No5.
Flower's real concern must be the thought of England's batting being exposed again in the next Test. What might happen if, say, England find themselves at 20 for three? Is there enough resolve to respond positively?
And that is the rub. England can - and should, in my view - overcome this dreadful calamity and win the series. Suddenly, Flower would be presenting his credentials for consideration as England's full-time coach and it would be very difficult to ignore them.
Indeed, if he and Strauss between them are able to get this team working again, it would be the best reference any candidate could provide.
There is also the issue of Monty Panesar. Slowly, it seems, there is a growing acceptance that he is going nowhere: what we see - and have seen for two years - is what we will always get.
Panesar is a good spin bowler who, on pitches that have some bounce and pace, will take Test wickets. But he is incapable of adapting to slower tracks and using flight and variation as a weapon. Sulieman Benn, a spinner of just four Tests' experience, comfortably outbowled Panesar in Jamaica, and Monty's only hope now is that the pitch at the North Beach Stadium in Antigua continues its reputation as one of the flattest and slowest on the international circuit. In that event, England would probably choose two spinners, delaying Panesar's demotion.
The final word must go to the West Indies. This was only their third win in 31 Tests and was a supreme team effort. If England need an example of the sort of discipline and willingness to adapt to circumstances, they should look at Chris Gayle's century.
The flamboyant hitter threw his natural game out of the window and played for his team. Compare that to the most tedious of England's many lame excuses for failure such as Pietersen's "But that's the way I play". The best cricketers play to the situation. On Saturday, a number of England's stars showed once again that they are not nearly as good as they think they are.
