ICC World Cup 2015: 4 team managements that haven't played it smart

In every sport, the outcome of a game is decided based on the performance of the players on the field. However, one cannot overlook the role played by the backroom staff as they are the brains behind the players on the field. In cricket, though the captain has a major say in the proceedings on the field, very often he acts on the strategies devised by the backroom staff and the coaching staff which together comprise the team management.Team India is a perfect example of how a good backroom staff can change a team’s fortunes. The Men in Blue looked a hapless lot after the Test series against England last year. Reacting to their performance in the Test series, the BCCI appointed Ravi Shastri as the Team Director. They also appointed Sanjay Bangar as the assistant coach, Bharat Arun as the bowling coach and R Sridhar as the fielding coach.MS Dhoni’s men haven't looked back ever since as they managed to beat England in the subsequent ODI series and won the next couple of ODI series’ at home. Though they had a difficult tour of Australia, they have bounced back in style and emerged as one of the best teams at the ongoing World Cup.While India have a very good team management, there are some other teams that need to improve on this aspect. Let’s take a look at four such teams:

#4 South Africa

The inclusion of South Africa on this list may be surprising, but the truth is that they indeed need to get smarter. In spite of being pre-tournament favourites before every ICC tournament, the Proteas end up falling short on every occasion. While experts put this down to the temperament of the players, the backroom staff too needs to take a fair share of the blame.

For all of AB de Villiers’ brilliance with the bat, he sometimes bats too down the order for South Africa’s liking. Though number five is his preferred position, it would do the Proteas a world of good if their captain batted regularly at number four. Given his adaptability, the wide array of shots in his repertoire and his ability to control the proceedings, he would be a perfect fit at number four.

While there is no question that Quinton de Kock is a top notch player, the South African wicket-keeper has been struggling for runs in this World Cup. South Africa, however, have persisted with the youngster. They can have de Villiers don the keeper’s gloves and accommodate an extra bowling all-rounder like Vernon Philander as they bat very deep.

Moreover, de Villiers being the athlete he is, would do a good job with the gloves. Another issue that the Proteas need to address is their inability to chase. Twice they have chased in this tournament and on both occasions, they have ended up losing. Someone needs to make them believe that with all their batting might, they can chase down targets.

#3 Pakistan

While arch-rivals India have undergone radical changes since the nineties, Pakistan have remained in a rut. A part of the blame lies in the tumultuous nature of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). It is one board that witnesses far too much drama, something that has a significant bearing on the mindset of the players. This is one of the major reasons why some of the more reputed coaches in international cricket refuse to work with the Pakistan team.

This leaves the PCB with just one man to go to, Waqar Younis. Though he was an excellent player, the 43-year old has not had a significant impact as a coach in multiple stints with the Pakistan team. The decision to make Younis Khan bat in the top order is one among a series of blunders that Waqar has committed in this World Cup. Though Younis is a quality player, he cannot score as quickly as someone like Umar Akmal who has had to bat way down the order.

Contrary to the general belief of having your best batsmen face as many deliveries as possible, Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s best batsman often bats too deep. Often he finds himself in a situation where a lot of the run-scoring is left to him without any real support.

Moreover, Misbah went in for stop gap keeper Umar Akmal for the first four games even when he had full-time wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed in the squad, something that cost Pakistan dear as Akmal kept grassing simple chances. Pakistan’s ground fielding in general too has been awful as they have put down many chances.

#2 West Indies

While it is a good thing to play your cricket with swagger, it is equally important to apply yourselves on the field, something that the West Indies fail to do time and again. Unlike the Calypso Kings of the seventies and eighties that were an amalgamation of brain and brawn, the modern day team is all about brawn. A series of baffling decisions has put them in a do or die situation going into their last group game vs the UAE.

For starters, experienced campaigners like Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Ravi Rampaul were not included in the squad for the World Cup. Moreover, Jason Holder, a player with just 26 ODIs under his belt prior to the World Cup was made the captain of the team.

Given that there were experienced players like Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels in the mix, it was surprising to hand over the reins to someone as inexperienced as Holder for a key tournament like the World Cup.

In a tournament where spinners Daniel Vettori, Ravichandran Ashwin and Imran Tahir have been amongst the wickets, the Windies have preferred using part-time spinners like Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle over frontline spinner Sulieman Benn. In the game against India, when India were in a tight spot chasing 183, skipper Holder surprisingly pressed part-timers Dwayne Smith and Samuels in operation.

Moreover, someone needs to explain to the Carribean batsmen that they do not have to smoke every ball out of the park. Often, they have been guilty of gifting their wickets in a bid to play one shot too many.

#1 England

England have imprisoned themselves in a cell so dark, so distant that no fresh light can reach it. The world has changed and they don't know

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 9, 2015

The above tweet from Harsha Bhogle aptly summarises everything that ails England cricket. After enduring a shambolic campaign in the World Cup, many questions have been raised on the way the English team is managed. To begin with, they sacked Alastair Cook, their captain of 3 years, just a month before the World Cup and replaced him with Eoin Morgan, someone who has been woefully out of form in recent times.

Moreover, they left an impact player like Alex Hales on the bench for some of the crucial games and played Gary Ballance in his place. This has always been a problem for the English team as they prefer not to go in for players who are unconventional.

Ian Bell, Gary Ballance and James Taylor – all of whom bat in the top order – have ODI strike rates of under 80. These days when teams look to make the most of the mandatory powerplay, having such batsmen at the top of the order defies logic.

The English are an impatient lot as they sack players at will. The absence of big names like Kevin Pietersen and Cook cost them as the team lacked experience. Also, an over-reliance on Moeen Ali cost them dear as the 27-year-old neither picked up wickets nor contained the batsmen.

One can just hope that England will have learnt their lesson and will mould themselves as per the need of the modern day game.