Thursday, March 7, 2002 There is a new entry today in cricket's Hall of Flab. To the ranks of Colin Milburn, Mike Gatting and co., we can now add Jimmy Ormond, the England seam bowler, whose ample torso and several chins are spread across today's sportspages back home. It was clear that Ormond must have arrived with excess baggage earlier in the week, when he provoked possibly the first barbed personal comment in the entire career of Christopher Martin-Jenkins, who described him as "a barrel on legs". After today's pictures, the barrel may be taking legal advice.

England's fragmented winter has left them in a strange position: some members of the squad are suffering from burn-out, while others are dangerously undercooked. Nasser Hussain is just back from a week off with his wife and baby, Marcus Trescothick is having a break now, James Foster was said to be mentally exhausted two weeks ago, and Andy Flintoff has been feeling the strain too.

The causes are obvious enough. Hussain, Trescothick and Flintoff have been England's only ever-presents in the 19 internationals so far this winter. The three of them, and Foster while he lasted, all had dual roles in the one-day side: one as captain (a hugely taxing job, as Duncan Fletcher often remarks), one as allrounder, and two as wicketkeeper. You wonder how anyone ever thought Alec Stewart could do three roles.

Ormond and Usman Afzaal have clearly been gormless and lazy, and Ormond's shape especially is an insult to the leaner seamers to whom he was mysteriously preferred, such as his new team-mates Martin Bicknell and Alex Tudor. But talk of their careers being over is harsh. Look at Flintoff - he was overweight, he did something about it, and now, far from having a gut to be ashamed of, he has become famous for showing it off.

England are struggling to adjust to the new rhythms of international cricket - shorter tours, but more of them; one-day series and Tests alternating; hardly any gentle first-class warm-ups. They will get there in the end. The only lesson here is that when the Test specialists arrive on tour, they should train with the one-day party rather than being kept away from them as Ormond and co. were. And key players in both forms of the game, like Trescothick, should never be saddled with unnecessary extra duties.

Tim de Lisle is editor of Wisden.com.

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