Don't Panic !

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the book that elevated the towel from simple drying aid to the role of essential DIY tool, strongly cautioned against panicking. So much so in fact, that it famously emblazoned the words "DON'T PANIC" on its front cover. England's cricket selectors would do well to grab a towel and wrap it around their head whilst closing their eyes tight, lest they be assaulted with a wide variety of media outlets urging them to do exactly what the publishers of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy have taken such trouble to help them avoid.

The English editor of Cricinfo, for example, seems prepared to do anything

"On today's evidence, it's going to be nigh on impossible to resist affording Steve Harmison one final, final shot at redemption if England are to claim anything from this series. It really is looking that desperate right now"

Is it really ? Let's remind ourselves of a few things to stop ourselves from panicking, or over-celebrating depending on nationality

1. Australia have not become useless overnight

Yes some all time greats have retired and no, their replacements aren't as good. No, there is no longer Warne and McGrath to throw the ball to when times get tough and I agree Hughes andKatich aren't as imposing as Langer and Hayden. But this team is up and coming and contains mostly very capable players. The replacement batsmen might not be young but they are far better than given credit for in the past couple of weeks. Katich has had an amazing last few years including a triple hundred in domestic cricket. Marcus North is also no mug. He has played for 5 counties, knows England well and is patient. He has also matured in his outlook, especially since he took on the West Australian captaincy. Ponting and Clarke are still as they ever were andHussey will bounce back.

The reason Australia became so good was to pick good young players with the right attitude and then give them confidence by showing faith in them. This is what has been done with the quick bowlers in this side. Time for another big call: Johnson, Siddle and Hilfenhaus will be the nucleus of the team for the next 5 years and all take over 200 test wickets. We do need a spinner though but Hauritz looked like he could walk and talk at the same time in England's first innings and who knows, might take some wickets in the second.

On the keeping side, Haddin still puts down too many chances for mine, but his batting is often sublime. Let's not forget that Gilchrist's keeping wasn't always particularly flash either so, dare I say it, we haven't lost a great deal with Haddin.

England are not behind to the Netherlands here, they are playing a fairly good team.

2. England have also not become useless overnight

After 4 days of the series, I hear talk of 1989 again. You remember the story: an unheralded Australian team batting for days and days and wining the Ashes easily. Well, if we hear much more about that we may as well pack up and go home now because using 29 players and 4 captains gifted the Ashes to Australia back then and total panic would do the same now.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that England have a strong top 6 and a bowling attack with variety. Cook and Strauss still have good records, Collingwood still scored a double hundred in Australia and KP is still, for all his faults, a marvelous batsman. Anderson still swings it both ways at pace and Flintoff will always be the lion of 2005 to me.

At the same time, England need to be a little more realistic about one or two of their team. I don't want to sound blunt but Graeme Swann is not a great bowler. In fact, I think he is substandard. He has taken wickets against fairly weak teams and has an action unsuitable to getting any drift through the air. Let's not be surprised that when he comes up against reasonable opposition that he doesn't go through them like a dose of the proverbial

England don't need major personnel changes. The have the talent.

3. The difference has been a simple one but is difficult to change

The difference between the two teams so far has been attitude, not ability. How many times do I have to listen to English players complaining about the circumstances they find themselves in

"Hopefully the ball won't swing - we didn't get any which was obviously disappointing - so hopefully that continues"

Way to think positive Paul Collingwood.

Then I see an interview with Swann where he was discussing the lack of turn ? What ? Even poor little Nathan was turning it on Day 1. These guys are deluding themselves.

Graeme Swann was prepared to do anything to extract some turn from the Cardiff pitch

Then we move onto the Daddy of them all: KP. Not only did KP tell anyone who was listening that

"it was just unfortunate it hit me on the head",

but he then sat in the stands and whacked himself in the forehead with his hand for the cameras. Kev, a big man would just admit that they played a silly shot. This bloke should be the best batsman in the world but his ego is constantly working against him

It is difficult to blame one person for 5 days worth of sport but that shot was undoubtedly the turning point of the Test. Pieterson should have cruised to a big hundred and England should have got at least 550 on the back of it. Instead, he scored 69 and England were about 120 short of what could have been. Let's hope for their sake, it isn't the turning point of the series.

Meanwhile, what was the fairly maligned Marc North thinking ?

"Regardless of where you play and whatever the conditions, if you get in, make sure you go on and get a hundred, and if you get a hundred, try to get a big hundred"

And that's the difference. Hang your head KP

Ford: Don't panic... don't panic...

Arthur: So this is it. We're gonna die.

Ford: Yeah. We're gonna die.

[pauses]

Ford: No... no! What's this?

[goes over to control panel]

Arthur: What's that?

Ford: What's this...? What's this...?

[flips switch]

Ford: This... is... nothing. Yeah, we're gonna die.