Outside Edge: England's Test team has youth but little vibrancy

Diary of a cricket obsessive

Alastair Cook has been branded 'untouchable' by Geoffrey Boycott (Getty Images)

Like the Aussies, England need to enjoy playing; not just say they do

In theory, England have an exciting and fairly youthful test side. Ian Bell may be 33 but he still looks around 12; Jimmy Anderson has been a grumpy so-and-so for ever so his age (32) is irrelevant. Altogether though, the average age of the XI which played in Bridgetown, minus Jonathan Trott, is 27. It ought to suggest present vibrancy and future promise.

And yet for some reason that isn’t the impression that the team gives to fans. Alastair Cook often seems cautious, sometimes careworn. The corporate jargon which dominates most press conferences is a weird mixture of bland and incomprehensible. Similarly, the fact that there are so many characters who appear each to want a hand on the English tiller – from captain and coach, to ECB chairman and chief executive – leads to the feeling that more energy is being expended off the field than on it.

The revival of Australian cricket in the last two years has been premised on a realisation that the team comes first and that playing must be enjoyable. England may say they are having fun but few observers would detect the genuine effervescence that ought to accompany the fine words.

Chanderpaul won’t be far behind Trott in graceful retirement

The struggles of Jonathan Trott against the Windies were painful to watch. It’s tempting to see his inclusion as a symptom of the straight-laced approach of the Cook leadership. In fact, it was a pretty brave thing to recall Trott; and better for all concerned to know quickly whether he could cut the mustard again. That he couldn't is an enormous shame - but better for it to become clear in the Caribbean than to discover the fact mid-Ashes. If Adam Lyth fails to impress against New Zealand will KP be up for an opening spot?

Arguably sadder than Trott's final fling were the travails of Shiv Chanderpaul, one of test cricket's grand old men. On the whole, 40-year-olds don’t play professional sport. Chanderpaul’s longevity and the remarkable renaissance of Misbah ul-Haq have been wonderful exceptions to the rule but it’s reasonable to suppose that if Chanderpaul has a poor series against the Aussies in June, it may be his last. Even so, barring total calamity, surely he will score the 46 runs needed to take him ahead of Brian Lara as West Indies’ highest test run-getter.

Trott strokes through the covers against Australia in 2013 (Getty Images)

Ansari may be the best young spinner in England but will we see a twin-spin strategy against the Aussies?

Zafar Ansari is a top pick for England’s match today against Ireland. He has been a favourite of this column for some time for his strong bowling action and ability to give the ball a hearty tweak. His captain at Surrey, Gareth Batty, describes him as a the best young spinner in England.

Yet the question remains as to what England’s long-term test strategy is when it comes to spin bowling. Moeen Ali had a poor time against the West Indies, yet there is presumably intended to lead the spin line this summer. Against Australia that is a doomed philosophy. Much better to play Ali, Root and a specialist and prepare pitches accordingly. Will Ansari be that man? He’s good but inexperienced. James Tredwell is the safer bet. And what about poor Simon Kerrigan? Arguably still the best spinner in county cricket, it cannot be right that one calamitous performance is the last we see of him on the international stage. Can it?

Nine wickets helps Harris to weed out recent bad memories

The Championship is shaping up to be a good ‘un. Yorkshire and Warwickshire, pre-season favourites, might have a challenge on their hands from any or all of Sussex, Durham and, more surprisingly perhaps, Middlesex.

James Harris’s nine second-innings wickets in Middlesex’s win against Durham earlier this week was particularly notable, coming from a man who was once assumed to be an England star in waiting. Instead, a move from Glamorgan to the capital and attempts to change his action led to serious decline.

There are echoes of James Anderson’s early-career woe in Harris’s tale. Let’s hope his story has a similarly happy conclusion.

@willjgore