England's Middle Order Equation: Paul Collingwood + Ian Bell = Disgrace

10 days ago, the world laughed as the woefully short of form Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell managed to edge and block a slapstick 45 runs against the Kiwi's, taking England to a six wicket victory.

Both batsmen should have been out on multiple occasions, and neither of them looked comfortable at the crease. Neither of them have done all series.

Both players were given the opportunity to go back to their counties and play before the final decisive test match in an attempt to regain a bit of composure out in the middle to get some runs under their belts.

Both, however, declined the opportunity in favor of a laid back jolly up in the nets with batting coach Andy Flower. Collingwood promised that it was the right decision, and we'd see him proved right in the third test.

Sadly, I was proved right, as I prophesized low scores for both.

I hate to be cynical, but these are the facts: if the two players had returned to their counties, they would likely be playing in freezing cold conditions for four days in front of four old men and an ice cream van. Unglamorous and hard work.

Whereas a session in the nets is nothing, a machine bowls a few balls, Colly hits them, everyone laughs, fun fun fun. I even saw a picture of Collingwood turning his hand to archery in his few days off. Good stuff.

Well, Collingwood might be laughing, and the world might be laughing at him, but I'm not amused. I think he and Ian Bell are disgraces.

When you play for your country and thousands of people have spent £X to watch a top quality international cricket match, they don't want to watch two players flapping hopelessly at the ball and getting out for zero. 

For the two of them to be too lazy to try and even rectify their form is infuriating.

Contrast the two of them with, for example, Mark Ramprakash, who upon being dropped from the England team in 2002 returned to county cricket and worked tirelessly to improve his game. Now, he is regarded as the best player in the entire county circuit.

I think dropping both Bell and Collingwood would be very good for them, as they seem to think they are untouchable, which in fairness, they do seem to be.

Complacency seems to me the biggest problem with England's top order—there was one man in New Zealand whom the pressure was on, Andrew Strauss. 

He knuckled down and upped his game because he knew he could take his place for granted any longer.

Interestingly, all the England players have been made available for the first round of twenty20 matches next week...what are the odds Bell and Collingwood turn out for those matches?

I think it's only really fair they spend the week in the nets again, instead of in the high profile, big money twenty20 matches. It's the best thing they can do for their form, surely?