England Team Discussion

[richowebbo]

With Ali coming back for the next Test, I think there are only two people that he can replace.

If they need two spinners, which I think they will in Grenada, then Ali comes in for Jordan. Nasser mentioned in commentary that they could do that and then bring in Rashid for Tredwell, as England won't mind having Rashid in the side as one of two spinners. At the moment, they can't trust him as the only spinner.

The other option is that Ali comes in for Tredwell and it's just a straight swap.

Either of those options would probably mean Ali batting at 7 and Buttler at 8. They won't replace Anderson or Broad for Ali. Stokes batted well enough to keep his place.

My guess is that the team for Grenada will be

Cook
Trott
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Ali
Buttler
Tredwell
Broad (should be close to the axe, but selectors deem him undroppable)
Anderson

Surely Trott and Cook have to be dropped after another abysmal showing. Cook definitely won't get dropped though and Lyth won't be given his chance so you are probably right with that team. Ali will probably come in above Stokes though. I don't see the point in bringing Ali into the squad in place of Rashid though. He was outstanding for Yorkshire and bowls Leg Spin, so something for the batsmen to think about with spinners turning it both ways. I use the word turning loosely, as Tredwell doesn't turn the ball hugely, but is good at flight bowling.

If we must have this ridiculous director of cricket role, for me I'd like to see Vaughan get the job. He spends his life being negative and attacking the England squad, so would be interesting to see if anything changes with him in the role.

I don't understand why we can't just have a Manager and a Chairman and get on with it. Chairman deals with all the political crap, Manager picks the team and manages with his coaching staff. Would be so easy. Why do we need a selection panel, and chairman of selectors etc.?

 

[Skater]

A headline to strike fear into every England fan.

 

[War]

Rob Steen: Is Vaughan the one to reconnect the ECB with its public? | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[richowebbo]

257 all out when batting first is really poor.

I give thanks to the cricketing Gods for Jimmy Anderson!

 

[Skater]

Christ.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

...As England seize control in Barbados

^A bit premature that article don't you think.

 

[blockerdave]

^A bit premature that article don't you think.

i imagine it's an early edition, before the collapse.

-----

If Strauss gets the job it will just be ridiculous. How can there be any pretence of a fresh start by putting the previous captain in charge, a guy who all the senior players played under? It undermines Graves' entire regime right before it even starts. Just entrenches the current safety-first, stats-obsessed, negative cricket in the setup. Absolute travesty of an appointment.

The fact that it takes Captain Boreoff out of the Sky Commentary box is the only positive.

 

[Markkkkk]

So England seem in a bit of trouble... Lets hope it stays like that for about 5 years to increase the chance for the need of a left-arm fast, true all-rounder

 

[_Sam_]

Trott retires from international cricket. Shame for him to go out like that but at least he hasn't left it hanging and stood around in the doorway. If he still wants to hopefully he can just kick it on with Warwickshire for a few years now.

 

[swacker]

A real shame the way things ended but he was a cracking asset to England for a long time, and I hope that's how people will remember his international career.

 

[richowebbo]

A real shame the way things ended but he was a cracking asset to England for a long time, and I hope that's how people will remember his international career.

I think All England fans will always remember Trott for what he did for us, but the simple fact is he should not have played, let alone played as an opener. It is a kick in the teeth for the guys making runs. The selectors and chiefs of the ECB always say "make runs for your county and you'll get picked for England". What they forget to add is that your face has to fit, or more accurately, Cook has to like you.

For a time, under Strauss, we won Test cricket by batting sides into the ground, tiring them out in the field and taking advantage. Test cricket has moved on and most sides have 1 or 2 players in the top 3 who are attack minded. In Alex Hales, we have the perfect fit for this, if he'd just be given a chance.

As Strauss seems nailed on for the Director job (and whatever it may or may not let him do), we will continue to pick teams that think you can just protect your off stump for a couple of hours and a win will come.

I feel very negative about the way the last 18 months have unfolded. We had a real chance to change the way we played, then hired Moores, got rid of Downton and we're replacing him with Strauss. We got rid of Cook from the ODI captaincy and replaced him with Morgan, when Root should have been given the job as he is the obvious man to Captain the Test team in the future.

Before the 2013 Ashes, Austrailia sacked their coach and brought in a coach in Lehman who really rocked the boat. He is outspoken and likes exciting cricket. They put in young, hungry players and stuck with them through the initial poor period, and are now reaping the rewards. When we lose, we get rid of the young, hungry players and keep the old boys who are letting the side down. We do our absolute best to ruin young players career's as soon as we can.

There needs to be a change now and in doing so, give the game back to us, the fans. If it was up to me, I'd get rid of the majority of this team and start again, and give the team chances to improve. There are too many heads being stuck in the sand.

 

[bigred]

I think All England fans will always remember Trott for what he did for us, but the simple fact is he should not have played, let alone played as an opener. It is a kick in the teeth for the guys making runs. The selectors and chiefs of the ECB always say "make runs for your county and you'll get picked for England". What they forget to add is that your face has to fit, or more accurately, Cook has to like you.

For a time, under Strauss, we won Test cricket by batting sides into the ground, tiring them out in the field and taking advantage. Test cricket has moved on and most sides have 1 or 2 players in the top 3 who are attack minded. In Alex Hales, we have the perfect fit for this, if he'd just be given a chance.

As Strauss seems nailed on for the Director job (and whatever it may or may not let him do), we will continue to pick teams that think you can just protect your off stump for a couple of hours and a win will come.

I feel very negative about the way the last 18 months have unfolded. We had a real chance to change the way we played, then hired Moores, got rid of Downton and we're replacing him with Strauss. We got rid of Cook from the ODI captaincy and replaced him with Morgan, when Root should have been given the job as he is the obvious man to Captain the Test team in the future.

Before the 2013 Ashes, Austrailia sacked their coach and brought in a coach in Lehman who really rocked the boat. He is outspoken and likes exciting cricket. They put in young, hungry players and stuck with them through the initial poor period, and are now reaping the rewards. When we lose, we get rid of the young, hungry players and keep the old boys who are letting the side down. We do our absolute best to ruin young players career's as soon as we can.

There needs to be a change now and in doing so, give the game back to us, the fans. If it was up to me, I'd get rid of the majority of this team and start again, and give the team chances to improve. There are too many heads being stuck in the sand.

I don't get this talk that they should have picked people scoring runs ahead of Trott.

I know it hasn't worked out, but Trott did score lots of runs in the second half of the season for Warickshire, and he scored a lot more runs than Robson, Lees and Lyth on the A tour.

 

[War]

Ye letting him open was a risk, but it was a gamble similar to Australia trying Simon Katich in the role that was worked well. But he did make the runs to deserve a chance ahead of other people because of his record. They probably have dropped him for Barbados test however.

 

[cooks1st100]

An imaginary horse and the man who wants to be AB Villiers | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

I've added this link in regards to the one-dayer against Ireland. A few of the lads there I know very little about ( Ansari, Billings, Gregory and Roy). Can anyone shed any further light on these guys? Personally I like the sound of Gregory from a bowling point of view although I would be more interested in seeing how he would get on bowling for Somerset against NZ in the warm up game.

 

[_Sam_]

My thoughts are the team will be :

Hales
Roy
Vince
Taylor
Bairstow
Billings
Willey
Rashid
Bresnan
Wood
Finn

To be honest Gregory and Ansari were the 2 that I was surprised to see in the squad.

Roy did well last year opening for Surrey in the t20 and although he didn't quite fire as much in the RLODC he did get over 1000 runs in fc cricket I believe.

Billings did well in one day cricket with some remarkable innings for Kent last season and is a keeper.