Why England does not unearth an Amla

Mike Atherton is concerned about the depressing culture of failure among British cricketers of Asian origin. Writing in the Times, he wonders why Ravi Bopara, Monty Panesar, Owais Shah and co. are not emulating the feats of players like Hashim Amla who have made it big in non-Asian sides.

The idea that some kind of cultural divide is to blame finds credence, perhaps, in the failure of Panesar to kick on. In these pages yesterday the spinner was quick to blame himself for listening to others instead of his instincts. There is an echo here of his failure to impose his ideas upon the England captain he played under mostly, Michael Vaughan. Vaughan always set Panesar’s fields for him, yet Andrew Flintoff has recounted how Panesar, before his debut in India, came to his room full of ideas about his field placings.