ECB must take right decisions to make England dominant force

THE TALK has been of the cliched variety. Bogeys laid, monkeys off backs and so on. The only surprise in this summer of football is that it wasn't described as "35 years of hurt".

England thoroughly deserved to become world Twenty20 champions for their performances in the Caribbean. They had the best bowling unit, by far the best batsman in Kevin Pietersen, the most audacious as well in Eoin Morgan and when the pressure was on, they proved themselves so clinically ruthless it was like watching the steamroller Australian side of the late Nineties. There is no greater compliment than that, but what now? India won the inaugural World Twenty20 and spawned the financial behemoth that is IPL. Pakistan won the second and then suffered exclusion from world cricket, at least at home, as terrorism prevented teams from touring. So what should we expect from the England and Wales Cricket Board and its chairman, Giles Clarke?

A shambles probably, if the recent events are to be a guide. The chaps who ignored Lalit Modi and the treasure chest of India, the IPL and Champions League, preferring instead the siren words of Allen Stanford and his 20 million promise are still in charge.

What England now have is a legacy as champions to build upon. Not that there seems any inclination to do so. The bloated county Twenty20 programme will start soon, filling the coffers of the counties to funnel towards too big staffs. Without this money the counties would struggle, indeed some still do anyway, but the chance of having a domestic tournament with more global stars, bigger TV audience and therefore much more cash to support the game has gone. There were plans such as that detailed by Keith Bradshaw of MCC, but these were regional franchises and the smaller counties felt threatened, squealed in protest and voted against.

It is a shame, because England is the perfect Twenty20 venue. There are good time-slots for TV on the sub-continent, excellent stadia, big crowds, a wonderfully diverse ethnic mix and for a spell in mid-summer the kind of balmy evenings that are made for floodlit matches. Last year's World Twenty20 proved most of this. All that remains is a plan to exploit it.

Instead, the English board exploits the energies of the players and wallets and patience of the fans. This Thursday, the first Test series of the summer begins at Lord's against Bangladesh. The fact that England played them in the winter suggests such a swift return fixture is ridiculous, without even considering the fact that they are not a box-office country. The ECB has squeezed them into a crowded schedule to satisfy the ICC Future Tours Programme and also the contractual obligation to Sky TV of seven Test matches a summer.

That is all that matters, counting the beans and satisfying TV. The players' welfare is barely considered, nor the patience of a financially stretched audience. Head coach Andy Flower has already stated that England will have a strict rotation policy to protect the squad and it will be interesting to see how he manages the workloads of the bowlers and main players this summer. All have to be fit for selection for the Ashes tour in November. Shane Warne described winning a Test series in Australia as one of the hardest tasks in cricket and it is one that this England generation have to do to complete their CVs.

They have drawn a series in South Africa, won one-day series and now their first global tournament. They hold the Ashes. Now they must win in Australia and in India. To do that, England will have to be at their best and if that means resting players against Bangladesh or during the English summer, then so be it. Already Graham Onions is absent for three months courtesy of a stress problem in his back and while that was being diagnosed he underwent an operation on his knee.

The fitness and welfare of the bowlers should be at the forefront of the ECB's mind. Thankfully, with Flower it appears it is, but that may depend on pressure from above.

So over the next ten months, expect many personnel changes, a lot of work for the yeoman cricketer such as Tim Bresnan, plenty of debate about Matt Prior, Craig Kieswetter and the wicketkeeper role in the three forms of cricket, a clamour for Morgan to make his Test debut and an increasing demand on fielding.

During the World Twenty20, England were very good in the field and this contributed hugely to their success. This group of players has a wonderful opportunity to be the best in the world. The signs are that they have the talent, the aptitude and attitude, and in Flower a fine coach. They will also need some luck. If only their paymasters, the ECB, were in such a good position.

A world trophy has been won and with it a great opportunity for cricket in England. The hope must be that the ECB do not squander it.