Thursday, March 28, 2024

England likely to lose Ballance in search of equilibrium

 England likely to lose Ballance in search of equilibrium
March 4, 2015
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Misfiring batsman Gary Ballance is likely to be the sacrificial lamb when England's harried selectors decide on the lineup for next week's World Cup crunch match against Bangladesh. Disgruntled former players and raging media pundits are demanding changes to a team that has won only one game from their opening four and stand on the brink of an ignominious exit from the global showpiece. Though England cannot boast a single consistent performer in the tournament, Ballance's four consecutive failures at number three with the bat provide ample motive for selectors to swing the axe or demote the 25-year-old down to the middle order. Thirty-six runs in four matches is an ugly statistic for any specialist batsman but damning for a player expected to anchor an innings. More strident critics will continue to question why the Zimbabwe-born batsman was even picked in the first place. "I am not sure Ballance is a one-day cricketer," former West Indies bowler and TV pundit Michael Holding told ESPNcricinfo.com last month. Holding's observation came after England had suffered a second consecutive World Cup humiliation with their defeat against New Zealand in Wellington. Ballance had been caught for a leaden-footed 10 after changing his mind too late about playing at a short ball by seamer Trent Boult. "I think he is a fantastic test batsman... I am not sure he has the right attitude for ODI cricket," Holding added. Though England have struggled on the field, selectors have been criticised for doing too much at the wrong time and too little when times demand it.