Ben Stokes, the Test captain, reached out to David Saker, England’s bowling coach during their ascension to the No. 1 Test ranking ten years ago, and David Saker has agreed to take up the position again for this summer’s Ashes.
David Saker, 56, is working with England’s white-ball team in Bangladesh right now, but he has agreed to join the red-ball team over the English summer and reclaim a position he held from 2010 to 2015, including two prior Ashes victories in 2010-11 and 2013. In addition, from 2016 to 2019, he served in the same capacity for his homeland Australia.
David Saker told reporters in Dhaka, “I don’t think I’ll play much Test cricket, but I’m going the Ashes. “I want to get you involved in the Ashes, Ben remarked. Rob Key, the managing director, had already floated the idea a little, but I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do it due to my busy schedule. Once Stokesy pushed it, making the choice was simple. I immediately answered yes due to the seriousness of the situation. The cricket in the Ashes is as entertaining as it gets, and I’ve been engaged with both parties. The largest Test event is this.”
David Saker techniques would seem to be a good fit for England’s current Test team, which contains two of his former charges in James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who are about to begin their tenth and ninth Ashes campaigns, respectively. David Saker methods emphasize attitude above technique.
It was a lot of joy working with England the first time, he added. “Because they are now the best team in the world to watch, I am particularly excited about the chance to play in the Ashes with this group.
Brendon McCullum will pick a side that he believes will win and he’ll explain what he expects from the players and then it’s my job to make sure they can accomplish that,” he continued.
“Jimmy and Broady have developed to the point where they are so certain of their abilities that they just do what needs to be done. You expect that from your bowling team. Making sure the bowlers are doing it is my responsibility.
“Furthermore, it makes the dressing room atmosphere delightful. There’s no denying that the attendance for that Test team is enjoyable. Although it may seem insignificant, the environment in the dressing room has a significant impact on international cricket.”
The England team that triumphed in Australia in 2010–11 before dominating the Test rankings the following summer was fortunate to have a core of exceptional fast bowlers, led by Anderson and Broad but also including Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn, and Tim Bresnan who were all at the top of their games at the time.
Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, two of the fastest bowlers in the modern game, might be in England’s squad of quick bowlers for this summer’s Ashes, which Saker believes could offer them an advantage in their quest to win a series against Australia for the first time since 2015.
“You need a decent battery of fast bowlers to win Ashes and important series, and that is clearly the case for England,” he remarked. “The Aussies can be compared to this team, although a bowling team will always benefit from playing at home.
“If Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are available, it will be exciting. You need that pace against the Australians, whether you play them separately or together is another matter. They have the ability to bowl a spell that can completely change the course of a game.
“It is important to have a group of fast bowlers available for selection, which makes it difficult for the selection committee to decide. When you get it, you typically have a team that is rather strong.”
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