article_snippet: English cricket has always presided over a deeply imperfect system, one hampered by a fear of revolution.
article_snippet: What should concern English cricket right now is how one of the best-resourced teams in the world spent the World Cup looking like one of the worst; how an air of fatalism about their chances became a self-fulfilling prophecy; and how Downton appeared so intensely relaxed about the fact that England were miles off the pace.
article_snippet: In fact, batting was not even the half of batting problems –
article_snippet: Steven Finn has gone backwards in both pace and achievement as a bowler .
article_snippet: Chris Woakes has added pace but England's bowling stocks pale in comparison with the likes of Australia .
article_snippet: But the long term is even more worrying: where are England’s fast bowlers going to come from?
article_snippet: Even Anderson has always relied on craftsmanship rather than speed, while Broad keeps breaking down and Steven Finn has slowed.
article_snippet: English fast bowlers emerge in spite of the system, not because of English.
article_snippet: Why waste all the effort of tearing in at 92mph when you can put it there or thereabouts – three words that get to the heart of English cricket – at 78mph and watch the grass do the rest?
article_snippet: More damaging, we're left to conclude, is a domestic set-up which encourages fast bowlers to throttle back if bowlers're to stand any chance of making it through the season.
article_snippet: It shouldn't be the case that England feel the need to take promising young quicks out of the domestic game, away from the coaches who know young quicks best.
article_snippet: A glance at Australia's list of fast bowlers provides an unnerving glimpse of the future.
highlights_snippet: James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn et al are cause for concern .