The best of the Test: My Test team of 2011

It has been an intriguing twelve months for Test cricket. Amid fears for the health and longevity of the game’s premier format, 2011 churned up some of the most exciting and hotly contested cricket in recent years. England destroyed almost everyone in their path on the way to becoming world number one, Australia and South Africa shared the spoils in perhaps the greatest two match series ever, Sri Lanka won their first Test in South Africa, and India and the West Indies helped record only the second ever scores level draw in the history of Test match cricket. And that really is just the beginning.

In and amongst such drama though was of course plenty of individual brilliance and with the 2012 now finally underway it seems only appropriate to indulge my inner schoolboy and compile my ultimate Test XI for 2011. 

Are you in agreement?

Alastair Cook 927 runs at 84.27. Without a doubt the stand out batsman of 2011, Alastair Cook has gone from strength to strength since his extraordinary end to 2010. He began the year by adding a magnificent 189 in the final Ashes Test in Sydney to take his series total to a mammoth 766 runs before notching up a further 390 runs in three Tests against Sri Lanka including two centuries and a 96. If that was not enough, Cook rounded off his landmark year by crafting a career best 296 against India as he helped England ascend to number one in the world.

Rahul Dravid 1145 runs at 57.25. One of only two batsmen to score over 1000 runs in 2011 Dravid succeeded where many of his Indian colleagues failed. A match-winning century against the West Indies in Jamaica in June was only to be outdone by three back-to-the-wall hundreds in England as he proved himself to be a class above the rest of India’s old boys.

Hashim Amla 423 runs at 47.00. A curious choice perhaps with the likes of Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar not included despite boasting more prolific records, but Amla’s performances, especially against Australia, earn him a deserved place. A 195 run partnership with captain Graeme Smith in the first Test in Cape Town proved his calmness under pressure after both teams had been dismissed for less than 100 runs in previous innings, and despite losing the second Test in Johannesburg Amla’s five and a half hour 105 in the second innings ensured that the match went down to the wire. A man for the big occasion no doubt.

Kumar Sangakkara 1034 runs at 49.23. The number one Test match batsman according to the ICC Test rankings and the second most prolific run-getter in 2011 Kumar Sangakkara continued to demonstrate his class against the world’s best. Sri Lanka plied their trade against stiff opposition in 2011, travelling to England and South Africa as well hosting Australia and playing Pakistan in the UAE. However, despite only one Test victory all year Sangakkara emerged as imperious as ever bagging three hundreds and a double ton to help his team remain competitive throughout.

Ian Bell 950 runs at 118.75. Rid of his boyish insecurities Ian Bell has flourished into a Test match batsman of unrivalled class. Always stylish but not always prolific, Bell’s hunger for runs has made him into a seriously effective cricketer. A maiden Ashes hundred at Sydney was followed by two unbeaten centuries against Sri Lanka, before a gorgeous 159 against world champions India at Trent Bridge. His defining innings though came in the final Test of the summer. Batting at number three in place of the injured Jonathan Trott, Bell scored a magisterial 235 to help England complete another innings victory and seal a 4-0 series whitewash. Sheer class!

Darren Bravo 949 runs at 49.94. Lofty comparisons with cousin Brian Lara are perhaps a little premature, but there is no doubting that if the West Indies are to return as a genuine force in world cricket then the continued success of Darren Bravo is paramount. Having to wait nine Test matches before recording his first century Bravo eventually reached three figures in style bagging a greedy 195 against Bangladesh this October. Two further centuries quickly followed against India, his total haul of 214 in Mumbai proving pivotal in a famous score draw.

Matt Prior 519 runs at 64.87, 34 catches, two stumpings. It has been a career-defining couple of years for Matt Prior who, provided Sangakkara doesn’t decide to re-don the gloves, now stands as arguably the world’s best keeper-batsman. Batting at number seven, Prior’s selfless attitude to batting and willingness to marshal an admittedly very capable tail has made him an indispensable part of the England set up. A century in all three of England’s Test series in 2011 only represents a fraction of his contribution.

Stuart Broad 33 wickets at 22.30, 239 runs at 39.83. Having missed most of England’s tour of Australia through injury and with the emergence of Tim Bresnan and Chris Tremlett as his replacements during that victorious Ashes campaign there was at least a smidgen of pressure on Stuart Broad to hit his straps in 2011, and that he did. In four Tests against India Broad averaged over 60 with the bat as well as taking mammoth 25 wickets at an average of just 13.84.

Dale Steyn 28 wickets at 19.57. Still undoubtedly the world’s most consistent and potent fast bowler, Dale Steyn had yet another year to remember in 2011. Steyn took five wickets or more in all five of South Africa’s Test matches last year, which included bouts with India, Australia and Sri Lanka. His battle with Sachin Tendulkar in Cape Town perhaps the year’s greatest cricketing confrontation.

Saeed Ajmal 50 wickets at 23.86. The leading wicket taker in 2011 Saeed Ajmal helped Pakistan complete a year of much-needed consolidation after continued controversy throughout 2010. His best haul of 11 wickets came in a losing cause against the West Indies, but he went on to lead the attack and help his team to victories over Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Sterner tests await in 2012, however with an as-yet unseen “mystery ball” ready to be unleashed the world’s top teams will have to treat him with respect.

James Anderson 35 wickets at 24.85. Now officially the spearhead of the England attack, James Anderson hardly bowled a bad ball in 2011. Seven wickets at Sydney capped off an exceptional Ashes series for The Burnley Express, and after a steady couple of outings against Sri Lanka Anderson once again turned on the magic taking 21 wickets against India in four Tests and terrorising Sachin Tendulkar with a master class in swing bowling.  

Test cricket "the gold standard" - Dravid

Speaking at the annual Bradman Oration, Rahul Dravid has reminded cricket's players and administrators that the future of world cricket rests upon the effective management of the five day game.

Dravid delivered the speech at the Anzac Hall at the National War Memorial, Canberra, the first cricketer from outside Australia to do so in its ten year history.

A studious and thoughtful presentation, Dravid began by paying his own respects to the legacy of the late great Sir Don Bradman before reminding those in attendance of the remarkable history that binds India and Australia together both on and off the field.

In the second half of his 40-minute speech Dravid spoke openly and honestly on the current state of world cricket. He shunned those who felt Indian cricket was driven by "money and power" and instead spoke of a team and of a nation rich in diversity, brought together by a common understanding and passion for the game of cricket. 

He also questioned those who saw Indian cricketers as "overpaid" and "underworked" and insisted that investment into Indian cricket has only helped spread the field wider, improving facilities and allowing cricketers from all walks of life a chance to succeed, including the likes of Munaf Patel, Umesh Yadav, Zaheer Khan and Virendar Sehwag.

Commenting on world cricket in general though, Dravid make clear his fears for the health of Test cricket. 

"It is not the numbers that Test players need, it is the atmosphere of a Test that every player wants to revel in and draw energy from. My first reaction to the lack of crowds for cricket was that there had been a lot of cricket and so perhaps, a certain amount of spectator-fatigue."


He added that players development was also clearly being hindered by the "mad merry-go-round" of the cricketing calendar, and that despite the popularity of Twenty20 cricket "Test cricket deserves to be protected, it is what the world's best know they will be judged by".


He also called upon the administrators to ensure that teams played, "Test cricket that people can watch" and that "fit into 21st century life, through timing, environments and the venues they are held in." This included the trialing of day-night Test matches and investing in the proposed Test Championship now delayed until 2017. 

He spoke of playing a day night first-class game for the MCC in Abu Dhabi which left him convinced, "day-night Tests is an idea seriously worth exploring. There may be some challenges in places where there is dew but the visibility and durability of the pink cricket ball was not an issue."

England announce squad for Pakistan series

England have announced a sixteen man squad to take on Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates next month.

Stuart Broad, Eoin Morgan and Chris Tremlett have all recovered from injury and are included, whilst Monty Panesar is selected as second spinner. Ravi Bopara keeps his place after replacing the injured Jonathan Trott against India, and Steven Davies returns as Matt Prior's understudy. Tim Bresnan remains the only doubt having recently undergone elbow surgery.

Perhaps most surprising is the inclusion of Panesar who has not played for England since the first Test of the 2009 Ashes series. Since then Graeme Swann has gone on to establish himself as both England's and the world's premier offspin bowler, however with trips to Sri Lanka and India later in the year England are clearly keen to once again integrate Panesar into their plans. His chances of playing against Pakistan remain slim though with Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower likely to maintain the tried and tested six batsman, four bowlers ratio that worked so effectively this year.

Ravi Bopara will also likely find himself on the sidelines at least initially as England's batsman aim to continue what was a prolific year with the willow in hand. Having fought off competition from the likes of James Taylor and Johnny Bairstow, Bopara has done well to at least keep himself in the England setup, although he will have to make a marked improvement on his last outing in the subcontinent (Sri Lanka, 2007) if he is to remain in the picture in 2012.

With a cloud still hanging over Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn  and Chris Tremlett will also be looking to stake their claim for a recall in the two three-day warm up matches before the first Test on January 16.

Andy Flower named coach of the year

England team director Andy Flower has been named UK Coach of the Year at the 2011 UK coaching awards.

Flower was also named UK High Performance Coach of the Year after a year of unprecedented success for the England cricket team. In partnership with captain Andrew Strauss Flower oversaw an historic 3-1 Ashes victory in Australia as well as a 4-0 whitewash of India as England finished the summer as the world's number one Test playing nation.


ECB Chief Executive David Collier was quick to recognise Flower's contribution."Andy has been an outstanding coach to the England cricket team and I am delighted that his dedication, knowledge and all-round leadership skills have been recognised within the wider sporting world."

"The last twelve months have been momentous ones for England and this is in no small part due to Andy's personal drive and determination to bring the best out of his players and ensure that our preparation and performance are second to none."

Retirement

Flower has also recently suggested that he may well not be coaching England by the time of the next World Cup in 2015 but is dedicated to leaving a long-term legacy to ensure England maintain their status as the world's best team.

The Zimbabwean signed an improved rolling contract with the ECB last summer but admits that family commitments may one day force him to step down.

"That [2015 World Cup] would be the ideal scenario but I have a young family and it is a full-time job, more so in some respects,” Flower said. “You don’t know what is around the corner. In my present position I will definitely keep planning towards that [2015] sort of longevity but realistically I don’t know."

Flower is currently enjoying a three month break from cricket before England travel to the United Arab Emirates in January to play Pakistan but is already focusing his attention on challenges ahead. “To remain No 1 is a serious challenge for us."


"We aimed for No 1 Test ranking and that was a great motivational tool for us. Now we have achieved that other sides will be doing the chasing and we have to reset our standards. We have underperformed in the 50-over game.


"The next World Cup is in Australia in 2015 and that is one of the specific challenges we have. For Andrew Strauss and myself, we want to put in place a method of operation and certain principles that will stand English cricket in very good stead in the long term."

The problem with Test cricket

After an astonishing climax to last week’s second, and regrettably final, Test between South Africa and Australia at the Wanderers, and an equally enthralling finale to the drawn Test match between India and the West Indies, a common and frankly unsettling debate has once again bubbled to the surface: is Test cricket really dying? On the evidence of that historic day in Johannesburg or those final moments in Mumbai certainly not, but aside from these extraordinary, yet increasingly rare, moments of clarity in which the future of Test cricket looks safely intact, the situation is otherwise rather more uncertain.

Exposure

One thing that perhaps all cricket fans and commentators can agree on is that there is too much cricket. As the only major Test playing nation in the northern hemisphere it is perhaps an issue more familiar to those who follow English cricket, but with the influx of the unnecessarily long IPL and a multitude of television commitments to adhere to it is a concern for cricket the world over. Most saddening is that Test cricket suffers more than most.

What people fail to realise is that Test cricket is completely and utterly unique from all other forms of cricket. The skills shown in a Twenty20 are not likely to offer much in a Test match, and whilst the 50 over game mirrors Test match batting more adequately, the defensive and restrictive nature of bowling often found in a one day game does little to prepare a bowler for the rigours of a five day match.

"We do play too much cricket and if something had to give my choice would be 50-over cricket, or make it 40-over cricket or something.” Graeme Swann

A greater focus on limited overs cricket does almost nothing to support Test cricket and its increasing presence on the world stage may well be slowly bringing the game’s legendary format to its knees. Knocking 40 off 30 balls or bowling ten overs in a day is so far removed from the intensity of Test cricket that it is no surprise that interest in the game appears to have waned. Players regularly turn up undercooked and often cannot complete a Test match because they’re exposure to ‘tough’ cricket has been so infrequent.

For cricket as a sport to succeed and remain an entertaining and enthralling battle between bat and ball Test cricket must remain at the helm. Test cricket serves as the benchmark for all other cricketing ventures. It teaches bowlers to work out their opponents, how to bowl aggressively and to savour an opponent’s wicket. It tests a batsman’s technique, temperament and ability to protect their wicket at all times. These are treasured and essential skills in cricket; skills that if Test cricket was to lose its authority would soon find themselves absent from the game and would ultimately destroy the very fabric of the sport.

Competition

In order for Test cricket to reclaim its rightful place at the top of the sport it must more than anything else remain competitive. This does not necessarily mean ensuring a result after five days, a draw is often the fairest outcome and saving a Test match can be riveting viewing, but ensuring that along the way there is an even and exciting battle between bat and ball and that ultimately those players who step out on the field are tested.

One obvious tweak is to produce more interesting wickets. Clearly the surface must be safe and ideally last four or five days, but watching batsmen (usually Indian’s in India) churn out scores of 500 plus every innings, bagging a century each in the process, is just plain boring. Cricket’s old boys are forever harping on about a lack of fast bowling talent and genuine world class wicket takers, yet whilst we do not wish to gift bowler’s wickets they don’t deserve, one reason for such complaints may not be simply a lack of talent but rather the sheer volume of cricket and the unresponsive surfaces on which it is played.

"In the English summer the pitches had a little bit in them for the bowlers but if you bat well enough you can score big runs which we did. Organisers are going to want five days of cricket for the gate receipts but at the same time people want to see exciting cricket so the pitches need to be result pitches."  James Anderson

Crucially competitive wickets attract that rare breed of fan – the neutral. Sure any England fan doesn’t mind watching the Aussies loose by an innings and 50 runs, but to a South African such a one-sided result offers little in the way of unbiased entertainment. Rewind to 2005 and you find a series that encapsulated the entire cricketing community. Why? Because the series was played on a knife edge. So thrilling was the narrative that even non-cricket fans found themselves glued to the television or queuing for miles outside Lords just to get a taste of the action.

What was unique about that series however, and in fact every other series between England and Australia, was its context, something clearly devoid from almost all non-Ashes cricket. Take the English Premier League. Its competitive nature and increasing rivalries between clubs and their fans keeps this multi-million pound industry thriving year after year. Cricket does not have this. The news that the planned Test Championship, that would see the top eight Test playing nations compete against one another in a knockout style competition, is to be postponed until at least 2017 is certainly tragic but its conception alone (which I applaud) suggests something is rotten in Test match cricket.

Anderson: 'Next year is going to be really tough for us'

James Anderson expects a tough test next year as England look to maintain there position as the world's premier Test nation. England begin their 2012 campaign against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in January before travelling to Sri Lanka for a two-test series

England have never played a match in Middle East and Anderson believes the key to success will be to adapt quickly to conditions.

"Pakistan played Sri Lanka over there recently and played really well and won the series," Anderson told ESPNcricinfo. "They're used to those conditions now but we've never played a Test match over there so it will be a new challenge for us and we'll see how we cope with that.

"We've had challenges before. We went to Australia and won there, so we'll be confident. We'll look to see how we're going to take 20 wickets because that will be difficult and crucial for us; the spinners might play a big part"

Anderson, along with fellow seamers Graeme Onions and Chris Tremlett, will head out to join the England performance squad in South Africa for a training camp prior to the Test series.

"It's been our goal to become number one in the world and we've got there sooner than we thought we would," he said. "Next year is going to be really tough for us. Getting to No. 1 is one thing but staying there is a completely different task."

Cook and Strauss in all male SPA shortlist

England captain Andrew Strauss and vice-captain Alastair Cook have been shortlisted for the 2011 Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Strauss and Cook have been integral to a magnificent year for English cricket. A thumping victory in the Ashes down under was followed by an equally impressive 4-0 whitewash of India on home soil this summer, a result that meant England would begin 2012 as the world's no. 1 Test team.

After a poor run of form in the summer of 2010 Cook was a man under pressure, but with 766 runs in five Ashes Tests and 294 against India this summer - the sixth highest score by an Englishman and the best since Graham Gooch's 333 against the same apposition in 1990 - the elegant Essex opener proved he was here to stay.

He was duly rewarded with the One Day captaincy and went on to preside over series victories against Sri Lanka and India, all the while contributing handsomely at the top of the order. A 5-0 defeat in India at the back end of the summer reminded Cook that captaincy could not be taken for granted, but having overcome obstacles in his short career so far it would be no surprise if Cook returned with aplomb in 2012.

As Test captain however Andrew Strauss's success has almost been untainted this year. Unbeaten in their last nine series Strauss has given England the kind of stability and calm that they needed after the disastrous series in the West Indies in 2008.

In 2011 Strauss masterminded an astonishing Ashes victory in Australia and helped England to their first whitewash over India since 1974. In partnership with Andy Flower, Strauss has helped mould England into a prolific and highly professional unit who will once again be looking to assert their authority over world cricket when they face Pakistan and Sri Lanka this winter.