The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has fired its top data analysts, Nathan Leamon and Freddie Wilde, only weeks before the highly anticipated Test series against India.
Head coach Brendon McCullum’s reliance on intuition and gut instinct, as well as their departure from their data-driven approach, are said to have contributed to the decision.
The next World Test Championship cycle for both teams begins with the five-match Test series against the Indian squad. The departure of Leamon and Wilde is anticipated to change England’s backstage preparations for the major match, which will begin on June 20 at Headingley.
Over the past ten years, Leamon and Wilde have been integral to England’s data plans. During white-ball matches, Leamon, a long-time companion of former captain Eoin Morgan, was renowned for communicating tactical recommendations via coded signals.
Conversely, Wilde offered analytical perspectives that bolstered England’s campaigns in a variety of ways. Both were crucial to England’s triumphs in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2019 ODI World Cup. However, McCullum has not been a strong supporter of the widespread use of analytics, particularly in red-ball cricket. He joined the Test team in 2022 and moved to the white-ball squads in 2024.
“Two of England’s senior cricket analysts, Nathan Leamon and Freddie Wilde, are leaving the set-up in a move that suggests the national side will place less emphasis on data moving forward,” according to The Daily Telegraph.
Since players in franchise cricket typically have fewer obviously exploitable faults than in the international game, the England hierarchy feels that analysis is more significant in franchise cricket. The report also stated that in order to declutter the dressing room, fewer support staff members have been assigned on match days, and England players are being urged to assume greater responsibility for their performance and preparation.
England’s strategy has shifted towards simplification under McCullum’s direction. Players are being urged to take charge of their own preparations, and fewer support staff members are on hand on matchdays to tidy up the locker room. This model reportedly seeks to create a more laid-back and self-assured atmosphere.
Although data won’t completely vanish as a result of this shift, its function will be marginalised. There are currently no plans to directly replace Leamon and Wilde; instead, Rupert Lewis, the current Test analyst, is set to assume responsibility across all red-ball and white-ball forms.
Although players are always welcome to speak with the analyst directly, management underlines that players should mostly trust their gut feelings. Data is currently used by franchise clubs far more frequently than by England, according to insiders who have worked with both the national team and the IPL, the report continued.
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