England must show “bouncebackability” at ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup

Not so long ago, a football manager came up with a new word to describe his team's capacity to come back and win matches after one or more setbacks.

He said his side needed "bouncebackability," and that is exactly the quality England will require at next month's ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup (ICC U/19 CWC) in Sri Lanka.

That is because their tour of Bangladesh last November and December, put in place to help them complete their preparations for this tournament, could not have gone much worse.

True, it allowed the players to get used to sub-continent conditions, but in terms of results it was a disaster with 11 losses from 11 matches, including defeats in all six games of a one-day tri-series against the hosts and Sri Lanka.

"I hope that trip will be an advantage because it has given the players experience of conditions that should be similar to those they may encounter in Colombo," said coach Andy Pick.

"But the fact is we did not give a good account of ourselves and as a result I think you have to be honest and say it is a negative coming into this tournament."

And faced with that negative, Pick has looked to turn things around for the team in several ways.

Changes have been made to the squad that lost in Bangladesh with all-rounder Steven Mullaney, top-order batsman Mark Stoneman, left-arm spinner Graeme White and all-rounder Mark Nelson (replacing the injured Richard Jones) all drafted in.

The captaincy has also changed hands with Moeen Ali replacing his fellow top-order batsman Varun Chopra, although Chopra has been retained in the side as vice-captain.

"The change of captain is not a reflection on Varun and our recent results but is more about the need at U/19 level to strike the balance between development and winning," said Pick.

"Varun captained the side last summer (against Sri Lanka) and in Bangladesh but Moeen is also a mature student of the game and deserves his chance to develop that aspect of his cricket.

"It would be unfair to give the captaincy to one man for two years when there is the chance to share it around and this will also now be an opportunity for Varun to concentrate solely on his batting.

"We have made changes (to the squad) on the basis of what happened in Bangladesh and what we saw of players' techniques.

"I am hoping the four new players can bring in some energy and fresh enthusiasm because they do not have the baggage that comes from being part of a losing side," added Pick.

Another way the coach is seeking to turn around flagging morale and form is through a pre-tournament tour to Malaysia, where the squad will train and play three matches ahead of their arrival in Sri Lanka at the end of January.

"That's now a huge trip for us," said Pick. "It means we have the chance to go to the tournament off the back of three wins if we play well rather than the 11 losses we had in Bangladesh. If we can do that then hopefully the confidence, morale and form will flow."

One advantage England appear to have is that the draw seems to have been kind to them as Group D is one of two groups that includes two Associate teams - Ireland and Nepal - as well as Zimbabwe.

However, Pick has urged his players to dismiss the idea of relaxing because of this draw and has used an example from the last ICC U/19 CWC in Bangladesh as an illustration of the dangers any side can pose.

"Australia failed to qualify for the Super League in 2004 thanks to one spell of bowling (by Tinashe Panyangara, who took 6-31 to bowl them out for 73) and we have got to be aware of that sort of thing," he said.

"Just half-an-hour can derail your whole tournament and we are urging the players to be full-on at all times."

England's batting is likely to be built around Ali and Chopra and they also have a host of all-rounders including Rory Hamilton-Brown, Rob Woodman, Mullaney and Nelson that will add depth to the batting and bowling.

Slow-bowling options, always likely to be important on Sri Lankan pitches, include off-spinners Ali and Hamilton-Brown and left-armers White and Nicholas James.

Despite their poor recent form, Pick knows it is still all about performances on the day that count - as Zimbabwe showed against Australia in 2004 - and as such he and his players can still dream of success next month.

"As a coach I would take pleasure in winning because that would mean the squad we have picked and our preparations have been right," he said.

"That would be massive for everyone."

The England squad is: Moeen Ali (captain), Varun Chopra (vice-captain), Rory Hamilton-Brown, Nicholas James, Richard Jones, Andrew Miller, Steven Mullaney, John Simpson, Mark Stoneman, Huw Waters, Graeme White, Greg Wood, Robert Woodman and Ben Wright.

Manager - John Abraham, coach - Andy Pick, physiotherapist - Rosalind Shuttleworth.

The ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup 2006 will take place between February 5 and 19. 16 teams are scheduled to play 44 matches in 15 days at five different venues in Colombo.

Ahead of the tournament, the ICC's Corporate Affairs department will continue the build-up to the event by providing the latest news and also profiling all the teams taking part.

Further details of the tournament can be found here:

An assessment of Australia's prospects at the ICC U/19 CWC can be found here:

A preview of Bangladesh's chances in Sri Lanka is located here: