Cook and Trott Out

[HomerJSimpson]

Not convinced by either of them and have a feeling the opener position will become as a big an issue as the number 3 use to be. I really don't know who I'd have and I guess giving a chance to a new player gives them a chance to show their capabilities but I fear that with the new ball and the Aussie new ball attack in particular will find the England top order wanting.

 

[fundy]

Lyth > Hales atm. Hales isn't even opening for his County, so should definitely not come in ahead of Lyth, who was amazing last year, and should have been given a chance in the West Indies. I do feel for him though, as a few failures, and questions will be asked, like with Robson and Carberry before him. They should just pick someone, whether it's Lyth, Carberry, Robson or Compton and just stick with them for at least 3 series and see how they get on. We're far too quick to bin opening batsmen.

I don't agree with the Death by Cook cricket either in Tests. When Cook is scoring runs, he's not bad to watch, and you don't need to have pinch-hitting in Test cricket anyway. It's a 5 day game, what difference does it make if someone scores a ton off 130 balls, and 180 balls. A little bit of time, but if you're a top Test side, that shouldn't be a problem. The batting isn't our problem in Test cricket atm, we have a very good top order with Cook, Ballance, Bell and Root all settled and playing well. I'd have liked to see KP in there, but I understand it from a cricketing viewpoint that it's hard to get him in. Our big problem in Tests is the bowling. We're far too reliant on Jimmy, Broad goes missing far too often, Stokes isn't good enough with the ball, nor is Jordan, Plunkett hasn't delivered, Woakes lacks penetration, Finn has been ruined, and there's not many guys in County Cricket shouting for a spot. I just wish Tymal Mills could keep himself fit, he's exactly the sort of bowler we need!

For a side where the batting isnt a problem I assume you didnt watch the last test match in Barbados?

 

[Dan2501]

1 bad batting performance doesn't make a bad team. In the last 12 months Root is averaging 94, Ballance 69, Cook 42 and Bell 36 with 11 hundreds between them. The batting is not the problem. Anderson has been exceptional in the last year, taking 54 wickets at 19.98, and Broad is doing okay averaging 27, but Moeen is the only other bowler averaging less than 30. Jordan averaging 35, Plunkett 34, Stokes 48 and Woakes 43. That 3rd seamer spot is really hurting us, we need to find a solution soon and I think we need to pick a proper bowler, instead of a bits-and-pieces "all-rounder", the blokes we've picked in that role haven't worked. The old system still works, 6 batsmen, a keeper and 4 bowlers. I think it's unlikely that we're going to beat Australia, but I'd suggest the Test team isn't really the problem, it's the One Day team.

 

[fundy]

1 bad batting performance doesn't make a bad team. In the last 12 months Root is averaging 94, Ballance 69, Cook 42 and Bell 36 with 11 hundreds between them. The batting is not the problem. Anderson has been exceptional in the last year, taking 54 wickets at 19.98, and Broad is doing okay averaging 27, but Moeen is the only other bowler averaging less than 30. Jordan averaging 35, Plunkett 34, Stokes 48 and Woakes 43. That 3rd seamer spot is really hurting us, we need to find a solution soon and I think we need to pick a proper bowler, instead of a bits-and-pieces "all-rounder", the blokes we've picked in that role haven't worked. The old system still works, 6 batsmen, a keeper and 4 bowlers. I think it's unlikely that we're going to beat Australia, but I'd suggest the Test team isn't really the problem, it's the One Day team.

Root is world class and our best player, Ballance looks the real deal, Bell and Cook not scored anywhere near heavy enough for their ability against India & SL at home and WI away in the last yr. Add in a revolving door for the other opener and an ability as a team to collapse in a session and Im not so sure the batting is "fine" especially against the 2 attacks its going to face this summer (Unless the typically money orientated ECB just prepare very flat pitches to try and ensure 5 days each time). Dont get me wrong, theres far bigger problems in the bowling where if you take out Andersen it looks worse than ordinary. As for ODI cricket, just lol, theyre ten years out of date as proved in the world cup.

 

[fundy]

I see the ECB are going to continue to lie and hope that everything just goes away. Be nice if they could just find someone with a backbone within their old boys network. Comments re Graves today just utterly embarassing if you listen to his radio interview and the paper article he collaborated on

Wont be seeing Hales in the test side now hes off to the IPL youd expect

 

[Dan2501]

Mike Brearley, arguably England's best cricket captain on Kevin Pietersen:

‘I’ve only spoken properly to him once, and that was on an internal flight in India,’ Brearley told me. ‘Kevin was polite, respectful, very knowledgeable about the game and I liked him very much.’

I waited for the ‘but’. It came, but not quite how I expected.

‘But friends of mine whose opinion I value tell me he can be a bit of a kn*b'.

Pause.

Then Brearley chuckled.

‘Frankly, though, if being a bit of a kn*b was the criteria for being banned from the team, I’d have had half an England side in the ‘80s!’

‘How would you handle him?’ I asked.

‘I’d do what I did with Ian Botham – tell him he’s the greatest player in the world. Maverick, mercurial players need to be constantly encouraged, not treated like unmanageable outcasts.’

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I see the ECB are going to continue to lie and hope that everything just goes away. Be nice if they could just find someone with a backbone within their old boys network. Comments re Graves today just utterly embarassing if you listen to his radio interview and the paper article he collaborated on

Wont be seeing Hales in the test side now hes off to the IPL youd expect

What had happened now ?

Is this still about KP ?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Mike Brearley, arguably England's best cricket captain on Kevin Pietersen:

It's done - time for acceptance and to move on , don't become as bad as Piers Morgan all over Twitter - embarrassing

 

[fundy]

What had happened now ?

Is this still about KP ?

no its about senior management within the body that manages our national sport openly lieing and thinking they can get away with it. May sit ok with you but it doesnt with me

 

[Deleted member 15344]

no its about senior management within the body that manages our national sport openly lieing and thinking they can get away with it. May sit ok with you but it doesnt with me

What have they lied about ?

I normally let the senior management get on with it and concentrate on the games

Seem to have got more things right than wrong over the last decade in the test arena especially - T20 also - ODi the big downfall right now

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Still say we'll get found out by NZ and Australia and the ECB will face some tricky questions on their selection processes. It is still an old boys and school tie brigade and until someone is allowed to come in with carte blanche and make wholesale changes to the way the game is run we'll still going to have these issues

 

[fundy]

What have they lied about ?

I normally let the senior management get on with it and concentrate on the games

Graves gave a radio interview and a paper interview to the Telegraph a while back, hes claimed today to not have said several things that he clearly did (yes this is about KP, that shouldnt be relevant, it doesnt allow those who supposedly run English cricket to behave like this)

 

[fundy]

Still say we'll get found out by NZ and Australia and the ECB will face some tricky questions on their selection processes. It is still an old boys and school tie brigade and until someone is allowed to come in with carte blanche and make wholesale changes to the way the game is run we'll still going to have these issues

whos gonna ask the hard questions? all the journalists are in bed with the ECB "inside cricket" whilst the fans are being shafted from pillar to post

 

[ColchesterFC]

I thought that the most interesting quote from Colin Graves was that it would be the "coaches that pick the team". Considering they don't currently have a coach and they have just banned a player it would seem that the coach will get to pick the team as long as he only picks the players that the management approve of. Not sure how many top coaches would accept the job knowing that they don't have control of who they pick but that it will be their neck on the line if things don't go well.

 

[fundy]

I thought that the most interesting quote from Colin Graves was that it would be the "coaches that pick the team". Considering they don't currently have a coach and they have just banned a player it would seem that the coach will get to pick the team as long as he only picks the players that the management approve of. Not sure how many top coaches would accept the job knowing that they don't have control of who they pick but that it will be their neck on the line if things don't go well.

Its also already alienated the likes of Vaughan from the management job (he refused to be involved without full control) and looks like going the same way with Gillespie for the coaches job

 

[HomerJSimpson]

whos gonna ask the hard questions? all the journalists are in bed with the ECB "inside cricket" whilst the fans are being shafted from pillar to post

Not sure all the journos are in bed with the ECB though I concede many seem to have a cosy relationship and definitely agree it's the fans who'll get the rough end, watch three day capitulations. Mind you fans getting a raw deal isn't unique to cricket is it.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Graves gave a radio interview and a paper interview to the Telegraph a while back, hes claimed today to not have said several things that he clearly did (yes this is about KP, that shouldnt be relevant, it doesnt allow those who supposedly run English cricket to behave like this)

Graves has already shown himself to be an utter clown with his mouth

Cant see him lasting long - he is doing damage all on his own - slating the windies then the KP stuff - all down to him.

Hopefully the players will just blot him out

 

[ColchesterFC]

I apologise for the link being from the Daily Mail but it looks as though Broad is the latest one in trouble........

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cr...tml?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Graves has already shown himself to be an utter clown with his mouth

Cant see him lasting long - he is doing damage all on his own - slating the windies then the KP stuff - all down to him.

Hopefully the players will just blot him out

But the ECB appointed him in the first place and not the first time they've got it wrong. While its all jobs for the boys nothing will really change. The whole circus needs shaking up from top to bottom but that's never going to happen. Same with the FA

 

[Piece]

Lyth has a better average , more 50's and tons than Hales at the longer game

Was it death by cook cricket when he was pilling on the runs ? battering average well over 40 - 26 test tons - when he gets going he piles the runs on.

Cant understand this death by Cook stuff.

As a captain he is poor. He is reactive rather than proactive. Negative tactics for the most part and doesn't use his bowlers well. No spark, no initiative. That, to me, is death by Cook stuff.

He hasn't got going for a while with bat, apart from the recent ton in the Windies. Currently, he's a bit easy to get out. Pitch it up, outside off, get him driving and bingo...caught behind. When he was piling on the runs he was moving his feet. Hope he gets back to where he was a few years back.