England's slow-bowling cupboard looks bare because of the tournament's spinner-unfriendly pitches and its sapping and lopsided schedule

He exudes authority but has the ability to remain one of the lads, which distinguishes him from the other worthy contenders to succeed Cook

Lord Patel's appointment to the ECB could bring the endangered format to the forefront, both financially and otherwise

The occasional Ashes dead rubber notwithstanding, there's something about this south London venue that inspires

At the risk of sounding unpatriotic: we need a 2-2 scoreline ahead of the climax

Someone who repeatedly has to prove himself despite playing over a hundred Tests, his recent stats do not make for good reading. Here's hoping he has a bit of magic left in him

The Great British Public bares its soul to the men in the team's Ashes engine room. This week: the captain

The Great British Public bares its soul to the men in the team's Ashes engine room. This week: the director

The Great British Public bares its soul to the men with their heads on the block come July 8, starting with England's new coach

Their distrust of left-hand batsmen goes back centuries, but the current Test squad belies that bias entirely

Exquisitely flawless, the former England captain was the Rembrandt of batting: all touch, timing and subtle depth; and never better than 30 years ago

England could do worse than appoint the outspoken, media-friendly former captain as their director of cricket

An interview with cricket's long-suffering format

The best are subtle, unhurried cheerleaders who never rush to judgement but rise above the din

The best-laid plans can come spectacularly undone in knockout situations. Which is why we love them

The Amiss awards for the first third of the World Cup - named for a batsman who knew a thing or two about courage and common sense

Featuring Afridi, India v Pakistan, DRS, Ireland and Finn's hat-trick

In the last few years, a handful of players have dominated tennis; in cricket, the playing field has never been more level

Unlike in baseball, where you could mistake Babe Ruth's slugger for a modern-day one, in cricket the difference in sizes and weights is mind-boggling - and harmful

There have been several changes in the number of participating teams, each inviting flak. Yet another change will be in force come 2019