India v England 2008

[Animator!]

Supposedly 5 players have told Dominc Cork that they won't be travelling back. Now, thinking of his associations with particular countries and players I'd imagine Flintoff and Harmison feature in those 5. I doubt we'll go back, if we do it'll be a heavily weakened squad. Which I wouldn't really mind seeing, a lot of the players a touch away from the squads who should be in anyway being given the chance to impress can only be a good thing.

However, safety is obviously a major first priority.

 

[RoboRocks]

Looks like England are set to go anyway:

Cricinfo - Full-strength England head to Abu Dhabi

Our bowling attack picks it self if all members of the side go.

Interested to see Alan Richardson is apart of the performance squad since you feel someone like a Hoggard or a Pattinson would be there instead.

Strange that England have chosen Ollie Rayner as the spinner in the performance squad as well. Rashid would have benefited more for the visit, maybe not to play in the tests but to at least get some experience playing in India, although Rayner has bowled well for Sussex recently.

 

[smssia0112]

Pattinson is injured at the moment.

 

[nikhil_99]

Yuvi got a chance,hopefully he will prove himself,he needs to be more consistent,he got chance in test after 8 months.

 

[Yogy]

I still doubt that this tour will continue.

 

[alex2k8evans]

all players going
they should not go back anything could happen
RIP all people hu died in india

 

[Insomniac]

Seems England is returning to India.

Can you say $$$$?

 

[Ste]

Can you say $$$$?

Yeah exactly. Means surely they cannot use any security/safety related excuses to Pakistan now and for Zimbabwe they will have to use a proper excuse e.g. Mugabe/whole situation than "safety grounds".

 

[manee]

Can you say $$$$?

Can't really say a symbol, tbh, so I'm going to go ahead and say 'no'.

 

[nikhil_99]

With less than 24 hours before the fate of England's tour of India is decided, Peter Moores has admitted that both Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison remain concerned about returning to the subcontinent for the two-Test series which begins on Thursday.

Source

If they both dont play against India in 2 test match series,then it will become easier for India,because these two players are quality players,spcially Filntoff,he is a danger bastman,he can bowl fast,and he has ability to change the game at any moment,lets wait and watch now..

 

[SaiSrini]

Good decision by England (if they tour)

 

[nikhil_99]

That decision will be taken today,after few hours...lets hope for the best.

 

[nikhil_99]

Pakistan's Asad Rauf has had to step down as an umpire for the scheduled first Test between England and India as he could not get the proper visa, the International Cricket Council said on Sunday. The first Test, starting on Thursday, was moved to Chennai from Ahmedabad and the final Test to Mohali from Mumbai following last week's militant attacks that killed at least 171 people.


Billy Bowden replaces Asad Rauf in Chennai Test


Both are good umpires,so that wont make any difference,we are waiting eagerly to resume Cricket in India after the terror attacks,lets hope Cricket win over terror,and England comes down here to play both the matches...

 

[King Pietersen]

What a surprise. Ryan Sidebottom's pulled out of another tour. He is ridiculously injury prone at the minute, and I can't honestly see him ever returning to International cricket. With Harmison back and firing, and with Pietersen's liking for Anderson and Broad, I can't see a way back for Sidey, unless Harmy starts flaying it around all over the place again, which is a distinct possiblity considering the lack of bowling in the lead-up to the first Test.

The replacement for Sidebottom.....nope, not Kabir Ali, Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Saj Mahmood, Chris Tremlett or Charlie Shreck, it's Amjad Khan. The man who only took 21 FC wickets last season, albeit at a good average, but when you compare him to any of the names listed above he's got nothing on them, not for me anyway. I don't honestly see why Kabir Ali gets completely overlooked by England, he's been magnificent in the past few seasons in FC cricket. He's only 28, and has performed brilliantly in the last 2 seasons. Here are his stats:

2007:
398 overs, 75 Maidens, 56 wickets at an average of 24.44.

2008:
311 overs, 53 maidens, 59 wickets at an average of 18.74.

If those aren't good enough stats to get a go in the England side, then I don't know what someone needs to do. Ali also had the competition from Simon Jones last year, and clearly rose to the challenge, taking more wickets than the season before. The guy's just getting better and better. I'm not sure what kind of pace he operates at, but it can't be any slower than Sidey. I honestly cannot see why the lad's not given a go in Test cricket. No-one's talking about him either, all the talk is about Bresnan, Mahmood and Tremlett. Kabir Ali just seems to stroll through the FC competitions, year on year and take heaps of wickets, yet never gets a go. It's shocking. He took 5 wickets in his only Test Match as well, crazy that he's not been given another go.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Sidebottom will get back in easily. His been England's best bowler ever since he came back into the side and if common sense prevails then Stuart Broad will be making way.