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***Official*** English Domestic Season 2007

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
I'd not be happy, TBH. I've thought he had potential ever since I first saw him in 2001, but I'm never keen on picking someone for one summer's work, however good that was. As we saw with Geraint Jones after 2003 - he's done near nothing of note for Kent since then.
It is a judgement call more than performance call though obviously performances have to be there. While performances over more seasons can help in that the judgement call be made easier, there is no guarantee. On the flip side, if selectors are confident enough to make judgement calls based on 1 season regarding specific players, that is fair enough as well if they think the given player can pull it off. Many great players have been picked after on even before they finished 1 season. I do not have a problem with players being picked after just 1 season if the selectors so deem fit in cases.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
You're always guessing if you pick someone on 1 season, especially if there've been several average ones beforehand. Obviously, if you have the choice between that and someone who's never done anything of note, you pick the former, but if you have the choice between Ambrose and Pothas or even Foster, you're mad if you pick the short-term qualified candidate over the longer-term one.

Yes, you get lucky every now and then, but that doesn't mean you should try it.

IMO Pothas, if available and committed to the England cause, should be picked for the First Test this summer, and if not, Foster should.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
You're always guessing if you pick someone on 1 season, especially if there've been several average ones beforehand. Obviously, if you have the choice between that and someone who's never done anything of note, you pick the former, but if you have the choice between Ambrose and Pothas or even Foster, you're mad if you pick the short-term qualified candidate over the longer-term one.

Yes, you get lucky every now and then, but that doesn't mean you should try it.

IMO Pothas, if available and committed to the England cause, should be picked for the First Test this summer, and if not, Foster should.
I am not talking about Pothas or Ambrose or whoever but on the larger point you made. You are always guessing when you pick any one, even if you have seen him play 10 seasons. You have to have a level of confidence about picking any one and that can be reached even within a season. You may not even require a full season for the level to be reached.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Oh, certainly.

The point I was making is that you should always feel happier about someone the longer you've been seeing him perform well for.

If you feel equally confident of someone because of 8 games as you do of someone of 60 games, that's misjudgement on your behalf IMO. Because there are loads of players who look the million dollars over a short period of time. Yes, you might get it right sometimes, but it's always best to wait that little bit longer - if you can.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
If you feel equally confident of someone because of 8 games as you do of someone of 60 games, that's misjudgement on your behalf IMO. Because there are loads of players who look the million dollars over a short period of time. Yes, you might get it right sometimes, but it's always best to wait that little bit longer - if you can.
I was not saying regarding whether you will feel equally confident when you watch some one for 8 or 60 games. The point I was making is that you can never know for certainty who will succeed at the international level and who won't. The bolded part is where I disagree with you. I do not think you should wait longer if you feel some one is ready (provided there is space in the team of course).
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Haha. I've always felt it was a good thing we were forced to wait in the Pietersen case.

I'm probably not getting my point across well. I've felt very confident in Tim Ambrose's ability (and you could use loads of other examples too) since I first saw him - but I'd be a nutter if I was an England selector and I'd picked him at any point (and that includes now).

Because there were always better-qualified candidates. And that remains the case now.

It might be possible to have faith in the ability of 4 or 5 players to fill a certain role. But you're always best advised to pick the one who's got most in the way of actual performance for said role.
 

FBU

International Debutant
I would like a player to go on an Academy tour and be assessed away from home before playing for England.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
As soon as I believe strongly that a player can play at the international level, I should be bold enough to pick him. Obviously, if there are 2 players who fill me with around the same level of confidence, it is much better to give the more experienced player a chance. An example I can give in the extremist sense regarding my point is Akram. Imran saw him in one game and picked him. He did fairly well at the international level.
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
As soon as I believe strongly that a player can play at the international level, I should be bold enough to pick him. Obviously, if there are 2 players who fill me with around the same level of confidence, it is much better to give the more experienced player a chance. An example I can give in the extremist sense regarding my point is Akram. Imran saw him in one game and picked him. He did fairly well at the international level.
Exactly. The point is, it's never a case of picking someone - it's a case of picking 11 players from any number of candidates.

You shouldn't go not picking someone just because "he's not ready having not played enough", but such a thing should be one of the things you consider when assessing the credentials of candidates.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
Benning making an effort here.

His FC average in the past 2 years, shows promise. So will be interesting to see how his FC career pans out this season.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I seem to remember Benning tending to fill his boots on roads (I remember having a quick look at some highlights of him smashing 100 out of 600+ http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/surrey/engine/match/225081.html) and not doing much elsewhere. Hope he can score some significant runs in more challenging circumstances like today, making 36 is a bit meh. Still have him pencilled in as a ODI player to try out, batting at 6/7 in County Cricket is possibly too low to get a call-up as a batsman.
 
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Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
Yeah it is too early to say any thing about Benning regarding FC cricket.. Any ways, Lancashire need just 90 for victory.
 

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