Farbrace hands over free, fearless England

Amid all the talk of fresh starts and new eras, another one will end for England at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The T20 match against New Zealand will be Paul Farbrace's last - for the foreseeable, at least - as interim head coach. Trevor Bayliss will arrive in England at the end of the week and Farbrace will slip, without fuss or complaint, back into the wings.

Bearing in mind the progress England have made under his control - and the change to their approach in limited-overs cricket has been radical - it is a spell that deserves some recognition.

The simplistic explanation would be that England, freed from Peter Moores, have had all impediments removed and shot forward. But attractive though any simplistic explanation might be, it does not really stand up to scrutiny.

In many ways, the language of Farbrace and Moores is the same. As Steven Finn admitted last week, England intended to play aggressive cricket at the World Cup. They were just unable to turn words into actions on the big stage.

Equally, the idea that Moores was prescriptive and obsessed by "data" remains a myth. The England analyst during the World Cup was frustrated by the lack of use of his work. Farbrace has pointed out that the Sri Lanka side he coached previously utilised stats far more.

But, since the World Cup and Moores' departure, England have embraced the new approach without compromise or fear. Senior players have been discarded and any sense of selfishness or caution has been banished in case it sets root and spreads. Everyone has bought in to the idea. As Bob Dylan put it, when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.

Farbrace may well be the perfect man for such an environment. He has, in the course of his sporting career, played county cricket for a decade - often on the brink of being dropped - coached football, 2nd XIs, county sides and academies. He has led a side to the World T20 title and read of his own future dismissal many times. He has been shot at, criticised, lauded and ignored. He has, in short, experienced just about everything the game can throw at him. He has a sense of perspective.

For that reason, it has been relatively easy for him to reduce tension in the dressing room. While nerves are inevitable - these young men have been dreaming of this for most of their life - Farbrace has the easygoing, phlegmatic manner to help the players relax as much as possible and play fearless, consequence-free cricket. He knows it is just a game. It matters, but plenty of things matter more.

That is not to say he is soft. His fielding drills are brutal, his fitness standards are exacting. And if he makes sure every player leaves the nets feeling good about their game, they will have had to work for it along the way.

His commitment to the bold approach is absolute and extends beyond on-field tactics. It is understood, for example, that after Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan were injured and England required replacements, a couple of names were suggested by the selectors. But they were rejected by Farbrace and, eventually, the Overton twins were selected instead. His desire for progress, for youth, for boldness, is uncompromising.

There are tougher tests to come for England, though. Churlish though it may sound, the ODI series victory was achieved against a New Zealand attack that was increasingly weakened from their World Cup unit. Not only will the arrival of Australia provide some sort of barometer of progress - it is much easier to be upbeat when you are winning - but, if this new England do enjoy further success, it will become a challenge to maintain the same united spirit and camaraderie as they enjoy at present. As Craig Kieswetter's words have shown, success can be just as much of a challenge as failure.

Already the relative success of this team is attracting attention. ESPNcricinfo understands that David Willey is the subject of interest from several counties and is highly likely to depart Northamptonshire. It is understood that, while he is not out of contract until the end of 2016, he has an agreement with the club whereby he can leave if he requests. He has no shortage of suitors.

While there is no reason to think that Willey's head will be turned by such opportunities, the point remains that innocence can be one of the first casualties of success. Alex Hales admits that, for a while, he lost his way after his first coming as a T20 batsman. Farbrace, with his experience of triumph and disaster, is ideally placed to help them keep their feet on the ground.

This T20 squad is another picked on the basis of potential rather than achievement. Mark Wood, for example, has only taken three - yes, three - T20 wickets in his career. Sam Billings has only scored one half-century. Reece Topley is just 21.

But they all have raw talent and they are all free from the scars of previous campaigns. They can be moulded in the image their captain, Eoin Morgan, desires and they might give England a better chance of progress in next year's World T20. The chance of a return for Kevin Pietersen has receded markedly.

It just underlines Farbrace's success. He took the tiller in stormy seas and has helped England to much calmer waters. If this England go on to enjoy success, they will owe him plenty.