England go mobile

Interview: Pace bowler Liam Plunkett

By Martin Gough
BBC Sport in St Lucia

Flintoff's iPod is not only for listening to music

Everywhere you look, people have portable MP3 devices plugged into their ears and the England team are no different.

But now, rather than just watching the latest Britney Spears video, the members of England's World Cup squad are just as likely to be looking at Shane Bond's slower ball.

England have employed a video analyst for several years, taking footage from television and breaking it up for players to study.

But Mark Garaway, who took over the job 13 months ago, has taken that a step further after finding a method of converting that footage for use on portable devices.

606: DEBATE What's your thoughts on all the technological analysis in the game today?

After a chance conversation, he discovered the requisite software available on the internet for just £15.

"I only stumbled across the converting stuff about three weeks ago. The new bit is the portability," explained Garaway, who began video analysis while coaching Somerset's academy squad.

Ian Bell can look how Vettori grips or Bond runs in and mixes up his slow balls Liam Plunkett

"Every team will be doing the same sort of thing [video analysis] and I know others are looking into this [portability]. It just means you can look at it whenever you want."

Last week, players were watching footage of Australia, and Garaway spent Tuesday uploading clips of New Zealand players.

Only one player does not carry an iPod around. Captain Michael Vaughan has apparently been left behind by the portable digital revolution and relies on an old-fashioned laptop.

The method is useful for scouting future opponents but it can also be used for a "greatest hits" compilation.

Plunkett hopes England can analyse Bond's slower ball

Players see themselves at their best and are better able to get into the same frame of mind again.

Young pace bowler Liam Plunkett admits he has watched his dismissal of Australia's Adam Gilchrist in last month's second one-day series final around 25 times.

When he watches that beautifully-shaped delivery from around the wicket that moved in late, beat a drive and clipped the top of off stump, he knows he can do it again.

"It's a good feeling seeing the ball come out right, it gives you that confidence and takes you back to when you bowled that ball," he said.

"It's different things as well. Ian Bell can look how (Daniel) Vettori grips or Bond runs in and mixes up his slow balls."

"Before you go and bat you might need a confidence boost," explains Plunkett, before taking a sly dig at the prolific Kevin Pietersen.

"KP might watch himself score a fifty or hundred and get confidence, not that he needs it."