Hello Friends,
I am sure all of you would have experienced turning adversity into opportunity during various stages of your life. During the Covid 19 pandemic we've heard it even more. We have witnessed so many instances across various spheres of life where golden opportunities have been discovered amidst extreme turmoil. Such instances are a common feature in sports world as sportsmen are known to defy all the odds time and again. Recently concluded England Vs Pakistan men's ODI cricket series in England presented one such instance.
England team members had to self quarantine themselves due to sudden Covid19 infection to few players. This happened just couple of days before the opening game against Pakistan. There was no way that England could field their first choice team in next 48 hours. Hence on an emergency basis they had to pick an alternate team including a bunch of debutants. Most of these guys were involved in their respective county cricket commitments. Above all England selectors had to brought Ben Stokes back on an emergency basis to lead the side who was recovering from an injury & expecting to join the team in near future. Stokes was the most experienced guy in the team with the remaining lot having an experience of a handful of matches with them. In such a situation lot of people would have thought it's advantage Pakistan. But Stokes led team had other plans. They convincingly routed Pakistan 3-0 including a record breaking chase in the final ODI. The result created contrasting emotions in both camps. Pakistan team was extremely disappointed with their below par performance whereas the opponent camp was ecstatic as somewhere down the line the ODI World champions surprised themselves .
 |
| Image Credit: flickr.com |
Performance of the England team in this series is a testament to their bench strength and all the hard work that regular captain Morgan & team management have put in through last few years. So what made this inexperienced and newly formed team successful in such a short while? There can be many factors but one major factor is their self belief. This belief has become even stronger since their maiden ODI World cup triumph a couple of years back. Stokes who was an integral member of that victorious team was leading this new look side. He would have definitely felt the pressure. But pressure is something modern day cricketers are very much familiar with. He led exceptionally well & ensured that each of the player does justice to the roles assigned to them. Team effort resulted in an emphatic victory. Every member of that team made some sort of the contribution to the teams' cause. That is what makes a champion team. Isn't it? It started with a wicket in the very first ball of the opening match by Saqib Mahmood and ended with a match winning maiden ODI hundred by James Vince .It could not have been any better than this. Stokes' inspiring leadership was equally supported by the flamboyance of the new look England team. Full marks to England selectors , team management & the players of course to present such an amazing example of turning an adversity into opportunity. With a long cricketing season lined up plenty more inspiring instances like these are definitely in store.
Stay tuned for more updates in this space.
Social Media Connect