State of the Nation - Cricket: England still have reasons to remain cheerful

This year, it is tempting to say that England are in a right old state and leave it at that; after all, they have lost five of their last seven Tests, and their captain is rightly considering his future.

Look beyond the results, however, and the prevailing uncertainty surrounding Alastair Cook, and things are probably not as bad as they seem.

A talented team (albeit one that has yet to realise its potential) has a real opportunity in 2017 – an opportunity to win England’s first global one-day trophy when the Champions Trophy visits these shores in June, and then to avenge the 5-0 Test whitewash in Australia three years ago when that rivalry resumes Down Under in November.

On the face of it, there is not too much for England to smile about as they return to India for their first assignment of the year – a three-match one-day series followed by a three-match Twenty20 series.

England’s one-day cricket is on the up, but India’s 4-0 win in the Test series before Christmas was a fair result, with Cook and his men soundly thumped.

In the build-up to that series, England’s long-standing dramas with the bat continued when they lost all 10 wickets in a session in Dhaka to hand Bangladesh their first Test victory against them.

England have collapsed so often in recent times that they should really have a team of paramedics on standby, assuming that they are not already part of the inflated backroom staff.

While such collapses cannot be allowed to go on, there were, nevertheless, signs towards the end of the year that England had found a promising top-order.

Haseeb Hameed – inexplicably overlooked for the Bangladesh Tests – showed in India the sort of form that saw him take two hundreds off Yorkshire last summer before injury cruelly ended his tour.

Keaton Jennings, drafted in as his replacement, then scored a century on Test debut to show that he, too, is another young player with a splendid temperament.

A top-three of Cook, Hameed and Jennings, with Joe Root back at No 4, could well be in place for when England meet South Africa and the West Indies at home in Test cricket later in the year.

Plenty expect Cook to stand down as captain sooner rather than later, and for Root to be put in charge, giving him time to bed into the role ahead of the Ashes.

An England team under Root would certainly be an exciting prospect, with the Yorkshireman likely to favour a more attacking approach than Cook, and the responsibility may even help Root’s batting.

Root had a very good 2016, if not quite the extraordinary year of which he is capable, and is the type who would surely thrive on the leadership.

With Cook presently considering his future, it will be fascinating to see what he decides.

Further optimism for the year ahead is provided by another Yorkshireman in the form of Jonny Bairstow.

Last year was a breakthrough one for the batsman/wicketkeeper, who came of age as an international player.

Wherever Bairstow bats in the line-up, he practically comes with the guarantee of runs, while his glove-work has come on leaps and bounds.

Root and Bairstow are clear evidence of the talent that exists within the England set-up, which also boasts a world-class all-rounder in Ben Stokes.

Clearly, however, there are issues to address.

In addition to Cook’s situation, James Anderson has missed eight of England’s last 23 Tests and sometimes struggled when he has been fit.

In English conditions, the Lancashire man remains the epitome of consistency; his bowling average in six home Tests last year was 15.26.

His average of 46.81 in six away Tests, however, was concerning, and the challenge of bowling on Australian pitches is not going to get any easier for a man who has given such splendid service.

Notwithstanding Adil Rashid’s achievement in taking 23 wickets at 37 in the India Tests, England continue to struggle in the spin bowling department.

Rashid is a work in progress – in his case a work that might have progressed much further had England shown more faith in him earlier in his career – and there are few spinners emerging in county cricket, which does not encourage them with its pitches and schedule.

Rashid, in fact, is emblematic of the England side in general in that he can be hot one minute and lukewarm the next.

However, one hopes that the Yorkshireman is not put on the back-burner once more and then suddenly expected to rip through Australia next winter, but given time to develop in the coming Test summer.