Limited-Overs Consultant Paul Collingwood has revealed some of the secrets to England’s white-ball revival as he puts the players through their paces.
The Durham captain and former England all-rounder has been working on the confidence of the one-day squad, who took a 2-1 lead in their series against Pakistan with a six-wicket victory at Sharjah yesterday.
Collingwood has also been working on ways for the batsmen to find singles at the start of their innings and which areas present opportunities to clear the rope.
“I’m trying to get the guys going out there in a confident manner,” he told ecb.co.uk.
“I know from my playing days that the game is 90 per cent mental, 10 per cent technique, and we’re trying to get the message across that the guys are in good form and doing things well technically and then going out there and believing in themselves. I think that’s an important part of the game.
“Starting off innings over here is pretty difficult so giving the guys targets to find the ones – hitting down the ground, down mid-on and through midwicket, and missing that guy at straight midwicket for the spinners.
“All grounds have different dimensions and understanding what the dimensions of this ground are and if you get half a bat on it are you still going to clear the rope and that sort of stuff.
“Some of the guys really enjoyed it: J-Roy was smashing them into the back wall 20 rows back and Jos Buttler as well has got amazing hand speed.”
While England’s performances on the field will certainly have pleased Collingwood, he revealed that Operations Manager Phil Neale has not been quite as enthused.
“It’s great for me to watch as well,” he added. “We lose a few balls – I get Phil Neale in my ear, he keeps shouting over ‘Forty pounds a ball those Colly’.”