 "Brendon McCullum brings in new strategy to England team before India Test series")
As the countdown begins for the much-anticipated five-match Test series between England and India starting 24 June, England head coach Brendon McCullum has reportedly introduced a fresh tactical approach. The series will also mark the beginning of a new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India.
Having led England’s bold ‘Bazball’ revolution in Test cricket, McCullum is now looking to change the strategy a bit. England have sacked two of their top data analysts, Nathan Leamon and Freddie Wilde, from the national team. According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, this shows that England may now be focusing less on data and statistics.
McCullum’s shift away from data-driven decisions
Leamon was England’s senior data analyst and Wilde worked as the white-ball analyst. Both of them will not be part of the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies, which will also be Harry Brook’s first series as captain in both ODIs and T20Is. The move comes as McCullum is reportedly planning to take a simpler approach to the game.
“The England hierarchy believe that analysis is more important in franchise cricket than the international game, where players tend to have fewer easily exploitable weaknesses,” the report stated.
“As part of this approach, England players are encouraged to take more responsibility for their preparation and performance and there has been a reduction in the number of support staff on match days to de-clutter the dressing room,” the report added.
“While players are always free to consult the analyst themselves, the management emphasise that players should largely rely on their instincts.”
India, who narrowly lost the WTC Final to Australia last year, will be looking to start their new WTC campaign with a strong showing on English soil, where they haven’t won a Test series since 2007. Under the leadership of a new captain, India will look to turn things around when they face McCullum and Ben Stokes’ revamped English side.
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