"England's natural flair has been stunted" ?
I know what you are saying here. But England's natural 'flair' has almost always been to ensure the opposition can't win, prior to attempting to win a Test match. This is what they have been bought up on since cricket bats were made of wood, and reflected by their slow and as-risk-free-as-possible batting, and negative field placings.
Under some captains, at some points in history, England have diverted from that approach. But if you've followed cricket a while you'll know exactly where I'm coming from.
A prime example from their current stocks is Joe Root. Root is usually, in Test matches anyway, the personification of old school English batting - let everything go that you possibly can. Only play at what you have to. No wonder Geoff Boycott loves him (plus I think he might be a Yorkshireman?)
Yes you are right - but put someone with flair at the controls and you might be surprised what you get - listen to a lot of the English commentators and I'm talking ex players here - primarily the sky sports boys -they have been horrified at the negativity with which they have batted - that may be the old fashioned English tradition but that's a sterotype and one which has been clearly identified as being unsuccessful. I enjoy watching Cook bat to a degree because he is a run maker and when on song his concentration is so powerful - In India he was amazing. Bell the technician is someone I also appreciate, but the guy I want to watch is KP because he loves the contest and he backs himself - watching him out here it were as if he were in another team and he'd been lobotomized to a degree. I sat 4 rows off the fence at the MCG in the Members behind the bowlers arm for 3 days - when the wheels were falling off on Day 3 he went down to Stokes, Bairstow, Bresnan and Broad one after another and I guaranteed you said to them "leave Mitchell Johnson to me -you face Lyon". Three of them responded by playing soft shots and Bairstow proved he clearly wasn't up to the task. KP's response was to throw his wicket away given the cause was lost - everyone in the ground knew he was going to try and hit a six off the ball he got out on.
Batting is and must be instinctive, the moment your mind is cluttered - you're ****** - lot's of cluttered minds in the England camp - so who is doing the cluttering? As a cricket nut myself I've been there and ruined 5 of my best years by over complicating it - simplicity, balance and enjoyment are the keys. The backroom staff need a stern overview.
Root is from Yorkshire, from the same club as Michael Vaughan - I have one of his sticks and he will be a great player in time - but he has been right royally screwed over here. The main ingredient to any successful cricketer and team is belief - the poms have shown little in their players and it shows in their performance as a team.
The main change in the two series - above all things - Mitchell Johnson included - was BELIEF and you can credit the turnaround in that to a Mr D Lehmann and the flow on effect it has had on everyone none moreso than Mitchell Johnson.