England must answer the Finn question

Potential is probably the most overused word in cricket. In English cricket, anyway.

While players in their 20s might reasonably be described as possessing potential, in England the word is sometimes used to describe players well into their 30s. Chris Lewis, Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash were picked for their "potential" long after experience provided a far stronger indication of their suitability for international cricket.

But how should we see Steven Finn? Finn who, aged 22, became the youngest England bowler to 50 Test wickets. Finn who, aged 24, was ranked No. 2 in the ICC's ODI bowling rankings. Finn who, for the first two or three years of his England career, bowled with unusual pace but who has, for the last two years, bowled with the attitude and length of a fast bowler and the pace of a fast-medium bowler. Finn who is still only 25.

The uncomfortable truth is that it has been a long time since Finn has bowled fast. Since his run-up was altered (originally shortened, then returned to normal), since he altered his approach to the crease to avoid colliding with the stumps, since bowling became more of a mental battle than a natural process, he has tended to bowl a great deal closer to 130kph than 150kph. And England have several 130kph bowlers already. Picking him in the expectation that everything will suddenly click into place is wishful thinking.

There tends to be a great deal of wishful thinking in the debate around the future of Finn. So desperate are England to have a fast bowler to complement an attack a little stronger on guile than force, they have snatched at any sign of improvement in Finn. They did so after he took some wickets at county level. They did so when he claimed three wickets against Scotland. They did something similar with Chris Tremlett before the last Ashes series, when it was clear that he could no longer bowl at the pace he once did. Desperation can distort judgement.

In Test cricket, England are considering alternatives. The pick of their fast bowlers on the recent Lions tour were Mark Wood, who has an excellent chance of winning inclusion in the Test squad to tour the Caribbean, and Boyd Rankin, whose inclusion may depend on whether the selectors choose to rest either James Anderson or Stuart Broad. Liam Plunkett is also ahead of Finn.

But it is understandable why England persist with him in ODIs. He is younger than Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Plunkett and Rankin, and even now, while conceding his runs at a rate of 6.89 per over during the World Cup, he still has an excellent strike rate. A wicket every 21.7 deliveries is the fifth best of any seamer in the tournament who has delivered more than 25 overs.

Perhaps that sounds better than the reality? After all, Finn took a hat-trick in the match against Australia. But the wickets came from the final three balls of the innings as batsmen tried to thrash him for boundaries. Two of them were caught by men running in from the rope.

He has suffered horribly at times, too. To see him concede 49 in two overs against New Zealand was to see a ruthless - brilliantly ruthless - exposure of England's tactics: short or length bowling at fast-medium pace on good pitches is just not good enough in this day and age. Finn's treatment at the hands of the Sri Lanka batsmen was little better.

There have been just enough glimpses of the Finn of old to sustain hopes of a full revival. During the Scotland game, he passed 140kph quite often as his spells progressed. Equally, during a Championship match against Yorkshire last summer, he noticeably increased in pace when bowling to Joe Root. It suggested that his issues may be mental as much as technical.

But those moments are brief. In general, Finn has been the third quickest member of the England seam attack at this World Cup. There have been times when, as he waited at the end of his mark for the ball to be recovered from the other side of the boundary, he has looked the loneliest man in the stadium. There have been times when you worry if further exposure to this level of punishment might damage his long-term prospects further still. Nobody wants that.

Some blame David Saker, the England bowling coach, for Finn's troubles. Others blame Richard Johnson, the Middlesex bowling coach. Certainly, neither has been able to cure him. But when we talk of Finn having his run-up changed or his action remodelled, we talk as if he is a passive object. Ultimately he has to take responsibility for his performance. There is no shortage of goodwill extended towards him.

In the longer term, when the review into England's World Cup performance (or lack of it) takes place - and such performances tend to give birth to such reviews - it might be pondered why players seem to deteriorate with long exposure to the Team England culture. Whether it is the coaching, the media or the ferocity of the schedule, it does seem that national team does not extract the best from their talented players.

In the shorter term, England must decide whether to stick with Finn for the key match in Adelaide against Bangladesh. To drop him risks damaging his self-confidence - perhaps a little more brittle than some - further. But to persist with him in the face of mounting evidence could damage their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals. He has played 98 international matches. They really should know what they are going to get from him at this stage. It isn't a fast bowler.

Jordan, a better fielder and batsman, who has bowled with good pace in training, is one option. James Tredwell, who will offer reliability if no great bite, is another. At least with Tredwell, Eoin Morgan will know what he is going to get from his bowler and will be able to set fields accordingly. That has been a luxury rarely afforded him of late.

It remains unlikely that England will drop either Anderson or Broad despite their underwhelming tournaments to date. Whatever their World Cup records, they have built up a great deal of credit over the last few years, and in an inexperienced team, the management still hope their quality will shine through.

All of which leaves Finn looking vulnerable. He is young enough to come again. But if he is to win a recall, it will probably have to be on merit not potential. We've been down that road before.