England Team Discussion

[wasteyouryouth]

It'd be pure Rob Key energy but I wouldn't be against throwing a Test debut to James Minto against Zimbabwe

Opening the bowling with Sonny Baker

 

[Aislabie]

Tim Wigmore has nailed his colours to the "don't take a spinner to Australia" mast and while I don't agree with him it's hard not to see his point.

I would definitely take a spinner, but it wouldn't be Bashir - that Somerset (where he is third choice) are offering him on loan to Glamorgan (where he will be second choice) feels rather telling. His best ball is fantastic, but it doesn't happen especially often.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Tim Wigmore has nailed his colours to the "don't take a spinner to Australia" mast and while I don't agree with him it's hard not to see his point.

I would definitely take a spinner, but it wouldn't be Bashir - that Somerset (where he is third choice) are offering him on loan to Glamorgan (where he will be second choice) feels rather telling. His best ball is fantastic, but it doesn't happen especially often.

Haven't read the article, but I know spinners are getting less use in Australia since they started using the new Kookaburra a few years ago. Going in to a match expecting a spinner to win a match isn't that good a plan. If Stokes can't play as a fourth seamer, they'd be really short going in with three seamers and a spinner.

I think they'd love it if Bethell and Root could cover the overs of a spinner.

 

[Aislabie]

Haven't read the article, but I know spinners are getting less use in Australia since they started using the new Kookaburra a few years ago. Going in to a match expecting a spinner to win a match isn't that good a plan. If Stokes can't play as a fourth seamer, they'd be really short going in with three seamers and a spinner.

I think they'd love it if Bethell and Root could cover the overs of a spinner.

Yeah, I'd agree with that. I definitely don't think your spinner is going to win a game, so a non-specialist like Bethell whose batting is his main suit might do a job. Archie Vaughan, on the basis that he's opened for Somerset, might be another.

Last time they needed some non-specialist spinners, the brains trust picked Jacks and Livingstone, and of those two I think Jacks could be an attacking option - he gets side- and overspin on the ball with a high action.

 

[Welwyn]

Tim Wigmore has nailed his colours to the "don't take a spinner to Australia" mast and while I don't agree with him it's hard not to see his point.

I would definitely take a spinner, but it wouldn't be Bashir - that Somerset (where he is third choice) are offering him on loan to Glamorgan (where he will be second choice) feels rather telling. His best ball is fantastic, but it doesn't happen especially often.

To be fair, we've only loaned him for the period that the private investigator is out, so he'll probably play.

 

[Aislabie]

private investigator

I grew up on Quantum Leap reruns so I think of him as more of a murderous hypnotherapist

 

[Welwyn]

I grew up on Quantum Leap reruns so I think of him as more of a murderous hypnotherapist

Fair point!!

Happy with the signing to be fair. Sophia Gardens has got flatter as games have gone one for years now. So he won't be short of 3rd/4th innings bowling.