Jonny Bairstow has copped a bit of flak for his claims that people want England to fail at this World Cup but I have no problem with his words, as he was being true to himself.
There are two types of sportsmen: Those that don't read the news, and isolate themselves from any kind of media, as they don't want any criticism to affect them, and those that do.
During my England career, Duncan Fletcher was predominantly a non-reader but others like me — recall my three-fingered salute to the press box upon scoring a one-day hundred against India at Lord's — would digest what was being said and take the attitude of: 'I'll bloody well show you.'
This kind of reaction makes Bairstow what he is. He is not calm and reflective. His strength lies in proving people wrong.
Look at when England left him out of the 50-over side and he carried drinks for Alex Hales and Jason Roy. He was constantly trying to show the selectors they had made the wrong call.
He has a somewhat unique way of getting across his rather abrasive views. The way he conducts himself is not everyone's cup of tea, and that probably goes for some players in the current England side.
But I don't have a problem with players speaking their minds. It is better than bland cliches.
People might contest whether his comments ring true but when you are in that kind of team environment, you tend to be emotional.
My job now as a commentator and columnist is to be calm and reflective, yet it is important not to forget what pressure does to you as a player. This was a typical kind of Bairstow reaction.
If this was a new Jonny — showing his nerves and that England's situation was getting to him — then I would be worried. But this is how he has been all his career.
One thing players tend to forget, or simply overlook, is the role the media plays. Its duty is not to be the cheerleader of the team, it is to call things as it sees them. The trouble is, with social media all encompassing, the modern cricketer cannot hide away from such opinions.
Twenty years ago, you would ask the hotel receptionist to send up a bundle of newspapers to your room the next morning after you had got a hundred. Some players used to build themselves up in this way, reading all the nice things said about them.
Equally, a low score would be followed by an instruction to keep the radio off on the way to the ground, while the TV would be a no-go as you would not want to see your shot again. These days you cannot get away from something popping up on your phone.
We had a saying in the dressing room: 'You only win if you win' — you can only silence people by being successful on the field. Pundits will still pick apart your performances, but less so than after defeats.
Eoin Morgan's press conference after Australia contained a few sharp responses to questions. If England lift the World Cup, it will be remembered as him being cool, similar to Jonny's words being Jonny at his best.
If they get knocked out, it will be taken as the pressure getting to them. Because it is a World Cup, everything is analysed.
Take Kevin Pietersen's provocative tweets about Morgan's batting against Mitchell Starc this week. Any top-level cricketer would have recognised from the footage shown that Morgan was a little bit leg-side of the ball when facing the Australian left-armer.
One, he was trying to open up the off-side and two, four years ago he was concussed by the bloke. Starc was bowling at a rapid pace, too.
On commentary, I would have said something like: 'Starc will feel in the game here. Australia will like what they see.'
Kevin being Kevin went one stage further and said: 'He's scared.'
The worst thing you can call an international batsman is scared. That would have hurt the team and Morgan himself when it was put to him in the press conference.
Not that I think it will affect him. Not much does.
If anything, Jonny and Eoin are the microcosm of how I want this England team to be. Under pressure, they need to be just as they have been over the last four years. There should be no self-doubt, starting against India at Edgbaston.
This team has won lots of away series in different conditions. They are not one-dimensional. It is not, as some people are saying, that they have been caught out. It is that they have not adapted as well recently.
They have been a bit reactive and it is important not to be so, not to get caught up in the fact that Pakistan beat New Zealand on a pitch that spun square. This pitch is fresh, which means adjusting accordingly.
India and Australia have realised that this has become a slightly old-fashioned World Cup, where a score of 250-280 will do nicely. That is a thing England have to be discussing.
In general, their mood is to go hard but Morgan and Trevor Bayliss have to work out whether they have the players to do so.
If they do, they should be true to themselves: even when Bairstow and Roy are at their most devastating, they are never reckless, and at times they have replicated the slower starts of India and Australia.
With regard to Saturday's call on whether Roy will play, I would eliminate any risk.
Yes, it is a crucial game, and people will say that is a reason for him to be recalled come what may, but if he pulls a hamstring early in the contest, that is one of your main batsmen down.
The decision is simple. Ask the medical staff: 'Is he fit? Has his tear healed? Yes or no.' If they say it is a risk, I would err on the conservative route because, with international rules now precluding runners for batsmen, it could mean England operating with 10 men from 11.30am and that could be disastrous.
England are doing it the hard way now. They will probably have to beat India twice to go on and win the World Cup.
One reason I believe they can beat India is because despite the Indians' form so far, and their comfort in playing the old-fashioned style of ODI cricket, such adaptability should not be confused with an ability to play a different way.
I am not sure they can go up if England do raise the bar in terms of a batting total.
That, plus the facts that India's batsmen did not particularly play the Afghanistan spinners well and England's recent statistics versus spin are excellent, is why I think they are vulnerable.
It must not be forgotten that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are three of the best players in ODI history but the loss of Shikhar Dhawan to injury, and moving of KL Rahul to open, has left a hole at No 4. This is one of the areas to be exploited.
When batting, England have to target India's fifth bowler in Hardik Pandya. If it is a spinning pitch, he cannot be allowed to bowl his 10 overs for 40-50 runs. He has to 'go'.
Most of all, though, England have to be as natural as they have proved on their rise in limited-overs cricket.
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