Ahead of India series, ECB sacks data analysts: Report
England head coach Brendon McCullum has not been a supporter of data-only approach
England and Wales Cricket Board have sacked their data analysts Freddie Wilde and Nathan Leamon, weeks before Test series against India as head coach Brendon McCullum would like to focus more on gut instinct and intuition.
England's new World Test Championship cycle begins with a five-match series against refreshed Indian team, from June 20 at the Headingley.
Two of England's most experienced cricket analysts, Nathan Leamon and Freddie Wilde, are exiting the set-up in a development that implies the national team will be less data-driven in the future," according to the The Daily Telegraph.
“Leamon, England's senior data analyst, and Wilde, its white-ball analyst, are both retiring from their work with the national team.”
"Neither will be part of England's white-ball tour of West Indies later this month, which will begin Harry Brook's captaincy in both limited-overs codes," the report further read.
McCullum has not been a supporter of data-only approach, according to which he believes more is at home in T20 format rather than longer format.
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The England hierarchy feel that analysis is a more crucial aspect in franchise cricket than it is in the international game, where players will have fewer easily exploitable weaknesses," the report said.
McCullum also opines that fewer support staff also means an easy environment.
"Under this policy, England players are being asked to take greater control of their own preparation and performance and there has been a cutting back on the amount of support staff on match days to unclutter the dressing room," the report further read.
Actually, England's policy has been to opposite of that of India where Rahul Dravid's time witnessed increasingly greater reliance on data.
Although players are always welcome to check with the analyst themselves, the
management stress that players should mostly trust their instincts.
“Insiders who have worked between the IPL and the national team are convinced that franchise teams now deploy data much more prominently than England.”
