England’s warm-up plans reveal healthy dose of reality and limits of Bazball ethos

Dial has shifted, especially for Fleming’s Test side, before winter tours of South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia Last year, England’s winter started in New Zealand, where preparation for their first game in any format for nearly a month amounted to two relaxed training session

Dial has shifted, especially for Fleming’s Test side, before winter tours of South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia Last year, England’s winter started in New Zealand, where preparation for their first game in any format for nearly a month amounted to two relaxed training sessions, a cultural welcome ceremony involving local Māori elders and, before that, a team-bonding mini-break in Queenstown. “Obviously there was a bit of golf played and a few drinks here and there and team meals and whatnot,” Harry Brook said of that trip. “It was just about trying to spend a bit of time together.

They’ve got some amazing golf courses and we were lucky enough to get on a couple of them. A couple of the other lads managed to get out and enjoy Queenstown. Everybody had a lot of fun.” Continue reading...