In the world of analysts, TV replays, team meetings and data mining it is easy to forget the value of instinctive tactical thinking.

As an analyst in a previous life, it was my job to come up with the plans for our bowling attack that maximises the impact against any given batsmen or batting line up.

The data behind those plans was significant yet the most rewarding experiences I had came from the things I suggested which were considered "off the wall".

Yesterday, in my role at Millfield School, I watched two lads bowl off spin to right handed batters with a 6/3 off-side field and bowled 16 overs. Only 3 balls would have hit the stumps.

They pitched the ball way outside the off-stump and the batters from my team smacked cover drive after cover drive into a slow outfield and 5 waiting fielders.

The 2 young bowlers came on at 80 for 1 and quickly turned that into 120 all out when these lads asked different questions to my batters.

I asked myself 2 questions:

1. Would I have asked my off-spinners to bowl such a line to such a field?
2. Why didn't my batters take a stance outside off-stump and hit a few deliveries into the acres of space on the on side?

The answer is the same: my conventional thinking and my conventional coaching!

What I learnt yesterday from watching these two Sharjah based young bowlers was that out of the box thinking can throw another team off track. In the shortened formats of the game this is vital. If you can confuse your opponent for an over or two then you lessen their impact.

I watch so many 50 over games where the middle overs are dull because someone bowls off spin to a 5/4 on-side field and go at 5 an over. Everyone says well bowled, instead of saying,

"Actually, that was boring, how can we win an over or two through deception or confusion?"

So, when the game is meandering the question to ask yourself is,

"Can we do something different? Can we confuse or deceive and see what happens?"

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was awesome at this; putting fielders in odd places - remember a close catcher on the pitch edge to Mathew Hayden in 2005 - or asking his bowler to bowl an over of cross seam bouncers.

Later skipper Andrew Strauss was less instinctive yet very self aware. So he used Stuart Broad as his "out of the box thinking" lieutenant. Often you would see Straussy and Broady in discussion. That was the reason why.

So are you an out the box thinking coach or captain?

If not thats fine because you have other vital leadership skills. But then I ask; who is your Stuart Broad?