The importance of the 'x-factor'

Paul Collingwood, in an interview with Donald McRae of the Guardian, opens up about his relationship with Duncan Fletcher, leading Scotland to the 2015 World Cup, and his current stint as assistant coach of England.

"Today you need your x-factor players, your mavericks and different personalities, because people express themselves at a whole new level. You don't need robots. In fact you cannot have robots anymore. If you're going to win things you're going to have to give these mavericks a leash and allow them to perform. They can't all be like that but team dynamics have changed. Look at Australia. Going into the Ashes I thought they were ready to blow up. There seemed no real team ethic. But see what they're doing now with these maverick players. They can blow you away."