Grizzly
Well-known member
He's been decent for a couple of years, and he is the kind of cricketer who seems to make things happen. The yard of pace he put on last year convinced me he might have an international future!
The Cricket Thread
- Thread starter fundy
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He's been decent for a couple of years, and he is the kind of cricketer who seems to make things happen. The yard of pace he put on last year convinced me he might have an international future!
sunshine
Well-known member
I admire your optimism but what do you base that statement on? Unless Malan and Root keep being allowed to bat instead of others, they could take places 1-6, and our bowlers find a way to stop the Aussies I'm seeing nothing in those first two games that suggest anything other than 5-0.
Throw me a crumb of comfort.
Oh ye of little faith.
2. There must be some rain forecast at some point. It does rain in Australia sometimes.
3. We took this [2nd] test match all the way to the final session. There must be hope we can last one session longer in the next 3 matches to scrape a backs to the wall draw.
Ha ha. I'm not sure my slice of humble pie is a very big piece ?. 3-0 down and scraped a draw in the 4th test in the scrapeiest fashion. Fair point though, it can't be 5-0 now.
Think England need a big performance in the last test if only to carry any sort shred of confidence going forward into the next test series. Really not sure Root can keep the captaincy. Seems out of nick, devoid of any tactical nous to change a game or to inspire
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
wish we had 5 others as out of nick as the guy whos just scored the 3rd highest test runs in a calendar year ever lol
But has he led from the front in this series and has he shown any leadership capabilities to change a game. Seems happy at times to let the game drift.
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
as posted time after time, who you replacing him with?
is he a good captain? no
is he pretty much the only current option? yes
thankless task scoring 50% of the runs and being expected to lead that rabble game after game
No idea who you replace him with but surely now is the time to change. Clearly, irrespective of his own contribution with the bat. there is a failing as a leader. Stokes as an option. He's done it a few time has he not? If Billings comes in with the gloves could he be a candidate going forward?
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
Stokes is an awful awful captain, not fit and likely to play little test cricket going forward as he plays more white ball cricket, think weve learnt the lesson with trying to give the star all rounder the captaincy too
Billings just lol. Not close to the first choice team, another white ball cricketer and about 5th choice keeper
Next summer test series, those assured of a place is probably Root, Andersen and Bairstow assuming Stokes probably not fit. Every other place in the side is or at least should be up for grabs
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fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
One outside option could be someone like Woakes at least for the home summer, assuming theyre happy to give it to a bowler, albeit little captaincy experience (as do most of them sadly)
D
Deleted member 15344
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Tom Abell ?
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
sunshine
Well-known member
Agree.
But it's even worse, because I don't think Anderson and Bairstow are assured of a place. Jimmy will be rotated, Jonny could well be dropped, and Benny is bound to get injured.
Interesting stat on BBC that Bairstow's century was the first time he had passed 60 for 37 innings. That's not top order material.
So Root is left as the only guaranteed pick, and therefore the only possible captain.
can't they get Mike Brearley out of retirement?
Grizzly
Well-known member
There are two ways of looking at it with Bairstow. His record over the last couple of years is undoubtedly somewhere between average and downright awful, and for a good portion of that time it looked like he had fallen into the Monty Panesar trap whereby he was not so much playing ten Test innings as the same Test innings ten times. On the other hand, he should never have had the gloves taken off him, and the way he has been treated by the selectors (in, out, in, out, 6,3,5,fill in with the gloves, 3, 6 ad nauseum) does go a long way to explain why there might have been issues. I've said for the last year that they need to give him a defined role, a guarantee of six to eight straight games in it come what may, but be clear that there will not then be further recalls.
Captainron
Big Hitting, South African Sweary Person
South Africa v India series is hitting up nicely. Think the Indians are ahead as they get to bowl last. Good contest though.
sunshine
Well-known member
He’s been messed around definitely. He needs to focus on his batting though, not keeping. Buttler showed he was a much better keeper than Bairstow, and there’s nothing great about Buttler’s keeping.
Mudball
Assistant Pro
Ross Taylor bows out of Test cricket with a wicket.... another one of cricket's nice guys...
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
Could be a fun morning session in SA tomorrow now, they looked almost home and dry until India got Elgar with a strangle down the leg side last ball tonight.
Still the Saffers to lose, albeit they do have previous............
Still the Saffers to lose, albeit they do have previous............
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Ireland bowling 27 wides in their ODI against the Windies ?
