Andrew Strauss' commitment and vision come to fruition

SIMON HUGHES: It was Strauss who made the call to back Eoin Morgan to lead the England one-day team out of the mire and it was Strauss who saw the partnership of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace as fundamental

The person I think we should all congratulate these next three days is Andrew Strauss.

What a 12 months he has had. Just before the new year he lost his wonderful wife Ruth, who had been his rock and driving force through so much of his professional life, to a rare form of lung cancer.

He had earlier stood down from his role as England’s director of cricket to care for her and their two sons. 

Strauss has remained closely engaged with England’s World Cup campaign however, being a regular pundit for Sky Sports, and has been at most of the team's games.

He will have occasional chats with players and coaches, all the while keeping a respectful distance, but it was his initiative and vision that got England’s one-day cricket back on the rails after their woeful 2015 World Cup effort. Now he is seeing all that planning and commitment come to fruition. 

It was Strauss who made the call to back Eoin Morgan to lead the England one-day team out of the mire, and it was Strauss who saw the partnership of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace as fundamental to that rejuvenation.

It was Strauss who laid the groundwork for England to become the best one-day side in the world, just as he had led England to be the No.1-ranked Test team as captain in 2011.

It is all about earmarking the right players to perform under pressure and creating the right environment to drive them forward. Strauss establishes what you might call cultures of excellence. He is, unequivocally, a master planner.

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He still has his finger firmly on the pulse. I chatted to him before the crucial group game against India at Edgbatson - which of course England had to win, after two mediocre performances against Sri Lanka and Australia.

What would you say to the England players in the dressing room before play today, I asked him.

"To play with a fearlessness, positive mindset - to get back to the way we have played  throughout the last two years that has got us to No.1 in the world," he said without hesitation. 

And they did too. They were smart and selective against the Indian opening bowlers, but savage and merciless against the major threat of the Indian spinners - Kuldeep Yadav got such a mauling he hasn’t played since and Yuzvendra Chahal finished with his worst analysis (0-88) in all his ODIs. England scorched to a 160-run opening partnership (in 22 overs) and they haven’t taken a backward step since. 

What England have played for most of the last three years, and at the start and end of this tournament, is what you might call Total Cricket.

A positive (but not reckless) opening pair, skill and momentum all the way down the order, innovation too, everyone doing their bit. The same in the field. Probing, potent fast bowling, smart changes of pace, good use of spin, and ultra-committed fielding - the hallmark of which is numerous aggressive one-handed pick ups and flat throws to effect run outs or general hesitancy in the batting team.

At their best England bear down on an opponent like an armada, with the wise, calm, ruthless Morgan in command.  

And now they have reached the World Cup final and their exciting, hard-won skills, tangible courage and exceptional unity will be seen on free-to-air television for the first time.

Win or lose, the nation should be proud of them. And thankful for that man Andrew.

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