The Ashes (Australia tour of England)

[Dutch]

All this talk of character and fight and how proud the boys need to be.....sod off! Its like saying we fecked up badly and got ourselves in a complete mess but we lasted longer in that mess than people expected.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

I see a lot of questions here and I am going to put my two cents forward-

First and foremost, England have to accept that they have been lopsided with their preparations for the past ten years. It is unacceptable that you either start becoming a red ball specialist team (until 2015) or a white ball specialist team (now) and strike no sort of balance.

Secondly, having two coaches for different formats or a different support staff is not a solution. This obsession surrounding big ticket names in cricket team balconies seems big in England and Pakistan of late but it's the cricketers who change fortunes, not coaches. You need one balanced coach who works like a friend with cricketers who knows when to give gun cricketers a break and try fresh people.

Thirdly, this logic of playing people who have played 12544363 test matches in dead rubbers needs to stop. The selection for the last test is a fine example. When are you going to try an Ollie Pope, a number 3 or a Sam Curran? Broad's cricket doesn't need the third test to prove he's a quality test match bowler in these conditions. It's a fact. Also, Sam Curran was the man of the series last summer against the number 1 test team and he hasn't played a game this summer. Isn't that kind of stupid? Woakes was dropped after one bad test for Overton which is rubbish selection after Woakes bowled his shoes off in the first two tests! Jason Roy and red ball cricket don't go hand in hand. Period.

You cannot mix white ball and red ball cricket. To amplify- Bairstow who is a far better batsman than Wade is hiding behind his keeping gloves so that he can make his 30's and 40's down the order and keep his place while Australia have the confidence to play a Wade as a pure batter. THAT in itself says a lot. They dropped Khawaja who has been their best test bat while the three banned test cricketers couldn't play. Bairstow and Buttler both cannot play together if they both think they can make it with 30's and 40's. One of them has to put their hand up and be a proper number 3/4/6 depending on where Root prefers to bat and make tons.

Speaking of tons, Root needs to go back and take a look at what Smith has done not just in this, but Ashes overall and see what he has done. Again, he has the same ability but he needs to convert and be more ruthless and hungry almost. I think he's a good lad and a fine cricket brain. Let him keep the job for now. Give him time. But, the clock is now ticking for sure because of this shambles.

This English team is blessed with insane ability and depth and I think they have not fulfilled their potential. It says a lot when they were the first English side to become world champions!

Agree for the most part. Don't think Pope should bat at 3 though, part of the problem England have is fitting people into positions they aren't accustomed to.

Depth is important. Unlike in other times, it's not like there aren't two or three options for each one of England's current problems.

Opener - Sibley or Crawley
Number 3 (Root should be at 4, it's where he wants to bat and him and Stokes should be batting together as much as possible) - Crawley, Northeast, even good old Gary Ballance would do as good as some of this lot

6 and 7 - Pope, Hain, Malan, Foakes, one of Buttler or Bairstow. And if they really want a specialist number 7; Higgins at Gloucestershire averages 70 this year, has four centuries and three fifties mostly batting at 7. He's also got 40 wickets.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Malan

He is just a left-handed version of Joe Denly. Not the greatest of option to have.

 

[Velocity]

He is just a left-handed version of Joe Denly. Not the greatest of option to have.

Thought he was pretty solid in the last Ashes down under. Got a hundred at Perth and a few fifties. Then after misfiring to 2-3 tests England just sent him away to grind away in the county scene. Think he's been hard by, and by any means he should be given another chance.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

What on earth happened to Malan?

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Agree for the most part. Don't think Pope should bat at 3 though, part of the problem England have is fitting people into positions they aren't accustomed to.

Depth is important. Unlike in other times, it's not like there aren't two or three options for each one of England's current problems.

Opener - Sibley or Crawley
Number 3 (Root should be at 4, it's where he wants to bat and him and Stokes should be batting together as much as possible) - Crawley, Northeast, even good old Gary Ballance would do as good as some of this lot

6 and 7 - Pope, Hain, Malan, Foakes, one of Buttler or Bairstow. And if they really want a specialist number 7; Higgins at Gloucestershire averages 70 this year, has four centuries and three fifties mostly batting at 7. He's also got 40 wickets.

Okay, I know I'll get heavily bashed for this, but I did not feel Anderson & Broad were certain starters in the XI down under. I don't think Broad is a bowler I would carry to bar NZ and SA. Anderson, I would take everywhere including Oz but play him only at certain venues i.e Brisbane and Perth.

I feel England's first and foremost priority should be getting an attack. Archer and Stokes pick themselves and I for one would definitely play Woakes. I'm not playing Curran in Oz unless he proves to me that he can bowl 85+ mph regularly. I think Wood is the sort of bowler you need there and I'd be sending him & Archer on A tours to Oz to play red ball cricket instead of meaningless bilateral limited overs. This should also include Jack Leech and I don't know why but I feel Moeen Ali really fits in at 6. He needs to be played as a batter who can be your second spinner. He's too good to be out of the team.

 

[zimrahil]

I have a feeling some of these out of form players will get 50s and buy themselves another six months.

This is my main concern...

 

[Dutch]

Foakes and Curran have basically done nothing wrong except apparently not be in the correct Boys Club.
I have heard nothing from anyone, no player or coach or someone from the ECB suggesting that there is a real grasp of reality. Everyone blows the trumpet and says oh yes test match cricket is the real form of cricket....and what do we do...we initiate an even shorter format than Twenty20....with each city team "....guaranteed at least one test player" ...feck me, boys, feck me......

 

[Velocity]

I feel England's first and foremost priority should be getting an attack. Archer and Stokes pick themselves and I for one would definitely play Woakes. I'm not playing Curran in Oz unless he proves to me that he can bowl 85+ mph regularly. I think Wood is the sort of bowler you need there and I'd be sending him & Archer on A tours to Oz to play red ball cricket instead of meaningless bilateral limited overs. This should also include Jack Leech and I don't know why but I feel Moeen Ali really fits in at 6. He needs to be played as a batter who can be your second spinner. He's too good to be out of the team.

Agree with all of this. I think whats hurt Moeen the most is the idea that England have indoctrinated that he carries a huge responsibility as a lone spinner and he is mostly seen to fulfill that role rather than focusing on his all round skills. His batting has certainly deteriorated due to this, and that's probably the reason why. Leach has shown some solid control and he should well and truly always be starting in England's lineup, and play Moeen as a second spinner. It's imperative for England to view Moeen as a part timer and a batsmen to benefit not only their team but Moeen himself. His batting has been missed in situations where it was needed.

If Sam Curran is to play, he needs to play apart of a four man seam attack of Archer, Broad, Woakes and Curran himself, because Curran seems to be an ineffective third bowler and is well suited to be a fourth spare seamer. Woakes plays ahead of him due to his experience and his far better performances with the ball which consolidate his position as the third seamer. Curran is a useful batsman but his bowling does not seem threatening without cloudy skies and gloomy weather.

On the opener and #3 issue, Root does not seem to be half heartedly committed towards occupying that #3 spot. If there are truly no decent #3 batsmen in the county circuit, I'd experiment with using a county opener and playing him at #3. He could play a role similar to what Pujara plays for India, taking the pressure off the team and letting the likes of Root, Stokes and Bairstow make runs. Jason Roy was an ambitious choice but he is simply not cut out to be a good top order batsman with his technique. This Ashes series may have killed his confidence and might even dent his One Day game in the future. England should have someone gritty that wears the opposition down within the top 3, and Roy is not the answer to that.

 

[Ed Smith]

Aye it feels a lot like this will just be written off as a bad job. It'll take a major series loss to one of the more minor test playing nations to actually trigger a response I feel.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Aye it feels a lot like this will just be written off as a bad job. It'll take a major series loss to one of the more minor test playing nations to actually trigger a response I feel.

Didn't they lose to Bangladesh back in 2016 ? Did that have any impact ?

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

.. Top class stuff

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Okay, I know I'll get heavily bashed for this, but I did not feel Anderson & Broad were certain starters in the XI down under. I don't think Broad is a bowler I would carry to bar NZ and SA. Anderson, I would take everywhere including Oz but play him only at certain venues i.e Brisbane and Perth.

I feel England's first and foremost priority should be getting an attack. Archer and Stokes pick themselves and I for one would definitely play Woakes. I'm not playing Curran in Oz unless he proves to me that he can bowl 85+ mph regularly. I think Wood is the sort of bowler you need there and I'd be sending him & Archer on A tours to Oz to play red ball cricket instead of meaningless bilateral limited overs. This should also include Jack Leech and I don't know why but I feel Moeen Ali really fits in at 6. He needs to be played as a batter who can be your second spinner. He's too good to be out of the team.

Moeen Ali is not the answer to England's top six problems. His batting average in the top six is worse than outside of the top six. For the last two years he barely even looked like a useful number 8.

 

[Croadyman]

Goughie just said on his show on Talksport that he thought Silverwood should be the next England coach. What do people think to that idea?

 

[Croadyman]

Was a real kick in the teeth when Wood got injured before the ashes,think he was starting to find his best form and would have offered something different.

Looks like he has definitely benefitted from lengthening that run up,unfortunately the ankle injuries have taken their toll on him.