How can England win the 2009 Ashes?

[Leicester Fox]

You might say it's too early to be asking that question but heres the thing, it was around this time a couple of years before the ashes that we beat the West Indies and began our brilliant run of wins that eventually lead to us winning the ashes. Obviously we never planned beyond that but oh well What must we do now to win the ashes? Obviously we've got to start putting wins togethr and get some confidence but where do we need to improve before 2009 to actually challenge Australia. I think we've got to accept Freddie won't be there and if he is it's a bonus, until then I think we need to play Broad. He can bat at 8 and he's got so much potential, I know people have had enough of me bumming him but he is quality. Other than that I think we've got loads of pace bowlers in Hoggy,Sidebum,harmy,Jim,Kerplunkett etc but I'm not sure any of them have the ability to win us a series on there own, hopefully I'm wrong! In the batting the class is there, I think as long as we get a settled order we'll do ok, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Vaughan and Colly will all be there fitness providing I expect unless some new youngsters come through or Bopara/Shah force them out. Even Strauss might make it back in! We've obviously got some certaintys provided their fit in the top 5 and Monty but how do you think we should build our team towards this series?

 

[MUFC1987]

By winning more Tests than Australia.

I thank you.

 

[King Pietersen]

Hope that Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds and Mike Hussey get injured. That would be a start. We then need KP and Vaughany at their best and some on song bowlers. Broad has to play, as does Panesar and we need a consistent wicket-keeper. With Warne and McGrath retired though, we certainly have a decent chance.

 

[PhilD123]

I don't think we should rule Fred out at all, if he rests this winter, perhaps makes a change or two to his action, then if he gets some luck then he could be injury free. If, and thats a big if, he can bring his batting form back, and his bowling form stays at the high class level, then he can be our lynchpin in 2009 as well. I could see Vaughan retiring after the 2009 Ashes, so it could be a final farewell for him.

I don't see the team changing too much from now until then, with only perhaps Broad coming in.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I very much doubt fred will play, every time h comes back he gets injured again! I honestly believe he won't get his career back although I would love for him to prove me wrong.

Yeah Vaughan will probably retire so lets hope its on a high!

 

[jordox]

I think you can scratch 2009 from your planers boys. Australia have got it in the bag. England just aren't good enough. Their youngsters are pretty average I feel and the whole team in general just isn't flaring. Granted, a lot can happen in two years, but really I highly highly doubt it.

 

[RoboRocks]

I think you can scratch 2009 from your planers boys. Australia have got it in the bag. England just aren't good enough. Their youngsters are pretty average I feel and the whole team in general just isn't flaring. Granted, a lot can happen in two years, but really I highly highly doubt it.

How can you say that when its 2 years away. You never know what can happen. Plus we have a lot of great youngsters coming through.

 

[Sureshot]

I think you can scratch 2009 from your planers boys. Australia have got it in the bag. England just aren't good enough. Their youngsters are pretty average I feel and the whole team in general just isn't flaring. Granted, a lot can happen in two years, but really I highly highly doubt it.

How can our youngsters be pretty averages when the ones who've come in have done a good job:

Bopara, Cook, etc.

I wouldn't like to put any kind of answer behind this question, I want to see how Australia perform without Warne and McGrath.

 

[rabeta]

It's too early to think about this yet. We have to move on from the Fletcher era when he would have been doing exactly that, trying to build a side that will win the Ashes. We need to pick the best side for each Test series, and the more tests we win the more likely we are of winning The Ashes.

 

[usy]

A good question.

Yeah they need to work hard. Heed to figure out their faults. Need some better players in team. Need to bring that spirit back (2005). Need to win. Need to stop drinking too much.

 

[ZexyZahid]

Even if England plays against Australia A it will be tough to beat them. But surely they can give it a try.

 

[Leicester Fox]

We need to start building towards it now, it was in the windies that things started to fall into place and we saw the makings of the ashes winning side. I think we'll probably end up with most of the current side with maybe 1 or 2 different players thrown in. The only spot up for grabs really are 6, the keepers spot and a bowlers spot imo.

Jordox, you quite obviously know very little about English cricket if you think our youngsters are average. Now lets look at Alastair Cook, he averages 44 after 21 games, now if he continues this average for the next 11-12 years according to my highly accurate calculations () he will make about 12000 test runs. Hardly average.

only 1 player drinks too much and he's never fit Usy! I think we could beat Australia A, well at home anyway

 

[.Mob]

You better hope that Rashid becomes Warne, version 2!

 

[RoboRocks]

You better hope that Rashid becomes Warne, version 2!

Nobody would like that to happen more than me.

England have plenty of talent at the moment and you have to believe that more and more players are going to come through as well.

There are such cricketers that have started extremely young such as Rashid, Jordan and Godleman, in which they have time to develop their talent and still be introduced into International cricket at a still young age.

 

[.Mob]

Off topic, but why do you support both Lancs and Yorkies at the same time?