NASSER HUSSAIN’S TACTICAL ANALYSIS Fielders must be flexible to avoid slipping up again

FORMER England captain Nasser Hussain addresses the issues which could settle the series. Today, he looks at how Alastair Cook can get the best from his slip fielders . . .

THE key with any slip cordon is to get a settled unit and learn about each other’s foibles and movements. Some like to stand deeper than others, some prefer to catch with their fingers pointing up, others with their fingers pointing down. Some are right-handed, others prefer to go with their left. Above all, the captain must be flexible. If the pitch is quick, your slips might be finer. If it’s on the slow side, gully comes into play. You have to read the batsmen, the conditions and your own team-mates. Trevor Bayliss suggested after the trip to Spain that England’s best slip cordon was Alastair Cook at first, Ian Bell at second and Joe Root at third. First slip has the security blanket of being next to the keeper, so the most crucial position is second. By the end of the New Zealand series, you could see Bell’s confidence had gone, so it’s vital he gets that back. You can’t have any doubts at second slip. He has to catch pretty much everything. Bayliss will also be keeping an eye on the formation. At times England’s slip cordon can get a bit narrow. The problem comes when they then go so wide that nobody’s sure who’s going for what — Bell and Gary Ballance had that issue against New Zealand at Headingley. The basic rule is that, if you’re standing wider, you both move for the catch. Cook, Bell and Root have to learn about each other — but also be flexible enough to adapt.