Rob Key was appointed the new managing director of the ECB’s men’s cricket on Sunday. Leading television operator for Sky Sports after retiring from the professional game, Ki has often been candid in his views on English cricket and his new role sheds a different light on his previous decisions.
As well as Sky podcasts and columns for Evening standardKee published an autobiography two years ago entitled ‘Oi, Key’ – Tales of a cricket player. At the time, he told ESPNcricinfo that it contained “a few tales and a few views on the good and bad things” about the game, but with some important decisions to be made over the next two months, some excerpts are now read like those of the Key Manifesto .
Coaching
Kee has often been cynical about the value of coaches, to the point that one chapter of his book is called “Coaching is what you get to the bottom of.” Earlier this year, he hinted that he believed England should split the role in two: a test coach and a white ball coach.
“There are basically three types of coaches,” he wrote. “Those who have a positive influence, those who have a negative influence, and those who are neutral. Although many coaches would like to see themselves as a positive influence, the truth is that such people are actually few.”
Kee sees a big difference between district and international coaches, suggesting that Peter Moors struggled with reinforcement because he didn’t realize he was “dealing with elite players.” “An international coach is more of a manager,” he wrote. “They don’t really have to do much. It’s actually better not to do anything.”
Australian coaches
Kee’s own career has been influenced by Neil ‘Noddy’ Holder, the cotton coach who encouraged him to maintain his high back lift, and John Inverariti, who coached him in Kent. Don’t be surprised if you hire an Australian to coach England.
“Australian coaches with their ‘can’ attitude certainly offer a refreshing and powerful contribution,” he wrote. “They have the ability to cause small explosions in your head. When the fog clears, you see everything with absolute clarity.”
Steve Harmison, Rob Key and Andrew Flintoff played significant roles in England’s 2004 series victory over the West Indies • Getty Images
Captain-coach relationship
Kee will have to ensure that his new test captain and coach do not clash. “[There is] an absolute truth about the dynamics of the captain / coach, “he wrote.” It is imperative that they are on the same page. “
He describes in detail the failures of the English tour Ashes in 2006-07 and the shortcomings of Duncan Fletcher’s relationship with Andrew Flintoff. “[Flintoff] however, he will try to do his best to make sure that this partnership works, “he wrote.” The question is whether he had anything to do with it.
“I know how important cooperative thinking is,” he continued. “As captain of Kent, I found Graham Ford a great coach to work with – we had a shared focus on bringing the team forward. Because of our shared attitude towards improvement, we have never had a clash. “
Test captaincy
Kee was highly critical of Joe Ruth’s captaincy during England’s defeat at the ashes, and Ben Stokes was the first to replace him. Although some draw parallels with Flintoff’s ill-fated stay as captain, Ki’s own view of his close friend’s reign suggests that this will not deter him.
“Fred was a better captain of England than he – and many others – ever thought,” Kee wrote. “Circumstances were difficult – he just couldn’t have chosen a worse time to be captain of England. The team went from perfect balance in 2005 to Saj Mahmoud, who hit number eight. It would always be 5-0. They were throwing stones at the bazookas. “
He is also full of praise for Stokes, who would respond to Ki’s idea that the captain should be an inspiring figure. “Since the Bristol nightclub incident, Ben Stokes has invested so much in his game,” he said. “He trains so hard – harder than anyone around him, at a distance. Great talent gives focus. He did that for Fred in 2005 and he’s doing the same thing now for Stokes. Without difficulty, neither would have reached these incredible high points. “
Captain of the white ball
Kee’s relationship with Ioan Morgan dates back to 2009, when he was captain of the England Lions on tour in New Zealand. “What I found was a cricketer who never missed a single trick,” he wrote. “When the coaches asked who the deputy captain should be, I immediately told Morgs. I saw someone who didn’t just want to say what people wanted to say.” They are unlikely to collide too much.
Game style
Kee prefers an attacking style of playing cricket, which may be bad news for Alex Lees, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley. “We accuse people of playing too many punches, but as a batsman, your only currency in the game is running,” he wrote. “For some reason, we seem to be happier if people block.
“I admire Trevor Baileys because he believes in positive cricket. His opinion is that it is possible to defend positively as well as to attack. That means committing to the blows, having a goal. Is it good to score 10 percent of the ball? I don’t know if it is.
“Players are often accused of losing their wicket by using offensive thinking, as if they never get away while playing defensively. When Jason Roy discovered on the test team … the experts said there were no more good old-fashioned discoverers. In fact, we had already tried ten openers, most of which were just that. “
Rob Key was captain of Kent in their season, winning the promotion in 2009. • Getty Images
District cricket
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Key will be the introduction of a highly effective ECB review in the internal game. He had previously outlined a schedule for the English season, including a one-day competition in April, a first-class “best of all” tournament held in parallel with the Hundred, and three divisions of six teams in the Championship.
IN “Oh, the key”, it seems that he looks at the game of the county through the prism of the English test team, and not at something valuable in itself. “Four-day cricket as a business is a complete bankruptcy,” Kee wrote. “It doesn’t make money and it costs a hell of a lot to install. Compared to other formats, it just doesn’t make financial sense.
“Championship cricket really only has one card up its sleeve. The television rights to the game are linked to Test cricket, and Test cricket can only survive as long as there is a production line of Championship players.
“County cricket exists only because of the money from test cricket, the England Test team only because of the conveyor belt of the championship. They are the strangest couple: worlds are divided, but they cannot divorce because they are completely dependent on each other. “
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @ mroller98
Add Comment