Can England Dominate World Cricket?

The England cricket team have been going through a period of considerable success. Led by the impressive figure of Andrew Strauss, their Ashes victory in Australia last winter was a high point, pointing to the recent improvements in their form and fortunes.

But Strauss and his team-mates were quick to stress that retaining the Ashes was only part of their path to glory. Although previous England teams would have been happy to defeat the Australians in their own back yard, it appears that this English side want to achieve far more. They've declared that they won't be happy until they are regarded as the very best team in world cricket.

So how realistic is that aim? Is it possible that England really could come to be seen as the world's finest? There's no doubt that they have some excellent cricketers, including some of the world's best. Graeme Swann, for example, hasn't simply replaced Monty Panesar as the first-choice spinner in the side. He's moved on to become possibly the best exponent of spin in the world. He's transformed the England bowling attack as a result.

Many expert watchers have noted that the team is certainly blessed in the pace bowling area too, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad leading the way.

But do England have the batsmen to be able to compete with the very best? Although the likes of Strauss, Cook, Bell and Pietersen all have impressive international records, some people doubt whether they can really be compared with the Indian team, which most agree currently boasts the best batting line-up.

When comparing these two teams, it seems that England have the better bowlers, but India win in the batting stakes. India are, of course, currently the top ranked side in Test cricket, as well as being the newly-crowned one-day world champions.

All of this means that there is a fantastic summer ahead for English cricket fans. India are visiting the country this year and an Indian victory in the Test series will confirm that nation as world leaders. But what if England were to cause something of an upset?

To beat the Indians would undoubtedly be an amazing achievement. It might even herald a new dawn. International cricket has tended to be cyclical in nature, with Australia having dominated the game for the past 20 years. But it was inevitable that they would eventually be replaced as the world's best team.

Many cricket watchers had assumed that India, with their rich batting talent, would take over from the Australians. Looking at the cricket scene today, it's clear that England feel that they could take over as the world's dominant team. The next few months will be fascinating.



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