England 'need a new one-day plan'

England captain Michael Vaughan

Vaughan scored 130 runs from eight innings in the World Cup

England's one-day strategy needs a complete re-think, according to a key figure in planning the team's future.

Brian Rose, a member of a panel set up to review the Ashes disaster, says England's poor World Cup results betray a failure to adapt to the modern game.

"Other sides are more aggressive. We don't seem to have taken the game forward in comparison," said Rose, Somerset's director of cricket.

"We have to come up quickly with a philosophy of how to play the game."

Rose is part of a seven-man panel, alongside Nasser Hussain, Nick Knight, Angus Fraser, Hugh Morris, Mickey Stewart and former European golf tour boss Ken Schofield, reviewing England's performances over the last four years, including the recent Ashes whitewash.

The review was set up to analyse what went wrong in Australia and to recommend the necessary changes to ensure it does not happen again.



It's no coincidence, for example, that the four semi-finalists in the World Cup are very aggressive at the start of the innings

Brian Rose

It will not necessarily be accepted wholesale by governing body the ECB.

Rose insisted that details of the review should remain confidential until it is published in May but he refused to single out coach Duncan Fletcher for England's World Cup failure.

Fletcher has guided England from last to second in the world Test rankings since taking over late in 1999 but his side are seventh in the one-day standings, above just West Indies of the major Test-playing nations.

"The comparison between England one-day performances and the English Test team over the last few years is black and white, apart from a few peaks," Rose told BBC Sport.

"I think Fletcher is trying to motivate them but for some reason it's not happening.

"But you just can't target one bloke. It's a combination of selection, coaching, captaincy and the players available at the time. It needs very carefully looking at and it needs looking at quickly."

England captain Vaughan, meanwhile, has had a disappointing World Cup with the bat, scoring just 130 runs in eight innings at an average of 16.25.



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And Rose said Vaughan's continuing selection in the limited-overs side should be discussed as part of a wider-ranging rethink.

"You have to have a strategy first and then have a selection policy," added Rose.

"We've got to identify people who can perform at whatever level, whether it's one-day cricket or Test cricket. I'm not sure we've been good enough at specifically gearing our teams to specific tasks.

"If, for example, you went round the counties and said, 'Who are the best one day players?' they might not be the same as the best Test players.

"It's no coincidence, for example, that the four semi-finalists in the World Cup are very aggressive at the start of the innings.

"Michael Vaughan has been a great Test player for England and a great captain but his style of play is difficult to adapt to being aggressive in the first 15 overs of a one-day international.

"It doesn't seem to be compatible and I think his record clearly shows that.

"If the philosophy states that England will play what they consider to be the best one-day side, that may contain someone who is not the Test captain."

Former England captain Alec Stewart also stood behind Fletcher and said the players must be accountable.

"He's been the best coach that I've worked under in an England set-up and he's taken English cricket forward," Stewart told Five Live.

"Just a couple of years ago everyone was singing his praises. I'm more concerned about the way the players have played. I always say coaches coach and prepare, players play, and the players haven't played well enough.

"So it needs to be looked at. People start saying well is county cricket too soft? Do we not produce enough international-class cricketers? Those questions have been asked for a long, long time. I just want to come up with some answers."