I think in both ODIS and Tests england play badly when they are not at home. They played well against pakistan to win the test series... both teams were depleted not just pakistan. So they did take massive revenge for what happened in pakistan, in the srilanka and india series also vaughn giles simon jones and flintoff(against arilanka) were missing. Your team is depleted as it is and it plays horribly when away from england.

Having said that Fletcher IMO has not been a great coach, England won the ashes under him but that is perhaps the best Test team england has ever put to ground. So you cant just give Fletcher credit for that, i think it had more to do with troy cooley than fletcher anyways. Having the strategy of ODIs being testing ground for test matches is laughable. How does bowler with 10 overs to bowl prepare himself for a test match with 50 or so overs he will have to bowl? How does a batsmen who has say 15 overs per wicket to make runs at 6 or something an over prepare for the gruelling long innings of test matches, it just does not work that way. What does happen however is a blower like sajid mahmood putting in a reasonably ok performence in ODIS and winning his coach's trust and then being carted as soon as he bowls more than 20 overs? Have you noticed that Sajid Mahmood bowls one four ball every single over? just multiply that by 20 overs and thats 80 runs in itself. Plus players like Harmison who are in woeful form will definately carry it over to tests... i think even KP will, he is not himself that is for sure, and how the heck does Fletcher warrant sending of GO jones for batting practice and then replacing him with chris read who just cannot bat?

All the above are quite bad coaching decisions IMO if they are truly in his hand. Thus my point, that England need a new face with a fresh outlook on cricket, maybe after the ashes as not to unsettle an already unsetlled team further but definately after the ashes.

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He did have bad luck with injuries to key players both in Pakistan - India and Sri Lanka, and yet again in the home series against Pakistan.

But this was his own making, in South Africa Harmison was clearly ill, (home sickness) is an illness, but Fletcher still made him stay on for the one dayer's, also Flintoff was having to carry England along with Hoggard with his bowling, when HE should also have gone home with the rest of the Test side.

Fletcher might know his cricket, but knows nothing at all about man management, or when to rest his key or injured players.

He is set on winning the Ashes, IMO nothing else matters, I don't doubt England will retain the Ashes this time, but Flintoff will be wrecked as a consequence.

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Ern

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...nd/6075172.stm

you all read this and tell me honestly if you think this guy will help your teams cause in any way?
he is already making excuses for the world cup exit

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Good to see that Rachael's favouritism is alive and well.

Collingwood "superb." "World Class Finisher." Make him Captain, no KING or perhaps Emperor. Do you have a yen for jack-of-all-trades North Easterners Rach?

Flintoff, out of form. Not a patch on Botham, drop him. Don't let him anywhere near the England team. EVER.

It's like I haven't been away.

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Red-it, Red-it, Read it and wept

LOL !!

2 things. I'm sure Pakistan's bowlers preferred bowling at GoJo during the English summer! And Fletcher would not have been the man making that particular choice!! (I suppose anyone who gets out for 1 and 0 in two innings of a tournament cannot bat?)

To be honest though Notts, as much as his first couple of test innings were okay, his ODI scores since he returned have been lame. I'm behind him as he tries to make his claim, but he has to improve his ODI form.

There wasnt anything wrong with his ODI form when he was dropped, so whats that got to do with anything?

Oh here we go again. Let's try logcial arguments and not silly swipes at Flether's supposed irrational dislike of Read. Can you honestly say Read's form now isn't poor? He does need a long run, but needs to pull his finger out too.

Colly - Reads form seems worse that it is, the simple fact is the top order batsmen are rubbish and he is being forced to bat in impossible situations in one day cricket, unlike Test cricket you don't have time on your side to try and stop the rot.

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Ern

I'm completely with you Colly. I wasn't too amused at his pathetic slog against India, how stupid was that? His knock against the Aussies may have ended unfortunately, The Guardian suggesting he may not have hit the ball. However, we did see some of what he's capable of against Pakistan in one of the ODIs where he was hitting Shoaib back over his head. Like most of the rest of the team he needs to be working more at what's needed when he gets to the crease rather than always playing his natural game. I won't back him unconditionally, he has to bring some of what he gives to Notts to the England side.

I do worry that this poor form is giving the management the ammunition to leave him out at Brisbane.