MoxPearl
State Vice-Captain
People seem to always forget we have been ranked near the top of the ODI rankings for quite awhile now....I believe there is not much of a gap between the two sides (if there is one at all)
People seem to always forget we have been ranked near the top of the ODI rankings for quite awhile now....I believe there is not much of a gap between the two sides (if there is one at all)
I had high hopes for Bell at the end of the Indian series, just after he'd scored his maiden century and was averaging almost 40. He hasn't lived up to my expectations since then, and I feel his form is poor enough to warrant him being dropped. Unless he makes a score of note in the next game, then I'd like to see somebody else bat #3. Unfortuantely by that time it will probably be too late for England.Obviously if you don't perform for a long while you should be dropped, but I'd be more concerned if he's done nothing in the ODI arena at the end of his next series. Give him a bit longer to get back in form.
Wright was just another name that could be chucked into the mix, I'm not actively advocating his selection. As you say, Shah would be better, was would Bopara, but I reckon Wright would score more quickly, and maybe more than Bell has been of late.Based on what? He has hardly set the world on fire in T20's where he has to be attacking, so what makes you think he'll do the job in ODI's? Having Shah at 3 would be a better option than using Wright, if you were to drop Bell.
Bopara's simply a beneficiary (or non-beneficiary, given all the supposed beneficiaries have had a wretched time) of the sort of nonsense that's benefited, amongst others, Ian Blackwell, Owais Shah, Matthew Prior, Alex Wharf, Geraint Jones, Jamie Troughton and Robert Key - ie, a combination of one-season-wonderness and game-form-muddling.Bopara remains one of the most hideously poor players ever to grace international cricket since, well, Saj Mahmood? One would reckon England have some sort of quota of cricketers of Asian extraction going on, so why not at least pick a fellow who can impress, ie Mascarenhas?
No not at the expense of Fulton. Sinclair fine, that would be a fair argument but Fulton has shown in his time:Sziasztok! Unicum! Margitsziget!
I haven't seen Jesse Ryder play before and he looks really good, quite similar to other Kiwi batsmen in that he is mainly an eye player, but what an eye he has. He should definately play in the test side, maybe at the expense of Fulton. Then we will see if his technique can stand up to it.
Ross Taylor concerns me because as a lot of people have highlighted, he continually plays across the line far too often. He could really use some time in County Cricket, however, he has a two-match ban for excessive sledging in the Norfolk League to serve before he could play in England (one of my housemates played with him a few years back, Gareth Hopkins has also played at the club). However in these two young players we have some great talent to refine. Bracewell isn't the person to do it, but maybe John Wright could.
Bopara's test & noneday selection need to be viewed separately. It's previously been said by a few of us that his selection for the tests in SL, when he leapfrogged Shah on the basis of nothing remotely substantial was sheer madness of the kind I thought we'd kissed goodbye to about 10 years ago.Bopara's simply a beneficiary (or non-beneficiary, given all the supposed beneficiaries have had a wretched time) of the sort of nonsense that's benefited, amongst others, Ian Blackwell, Owais Shah, Matthew Prior, Alex Wharf, Geraint Jones, Jamie Troughton and Robert Key - ie, a combination of one-season-wonderness and game-form-muddling.
Plus the "he's young, he's got potential, he WILL get better even though he's done roughly nothing in his career so far" nonsense that's seen us have the likes of Plunkett and the even worse Loudon and Bresnan.
Sorry to be ungrateful, but no thank you.Highlights of yesterdays match. I pretty much included every boundary of McCullum and Ryder
True, but I can't help but think that this is also playing a part in his selection:The oneday side is another matter though. He has played two significant innings when nearly all around him were failing horribly, one of which won a game which we should have lost by a mile, and the other came closer to doing the same than anyone could reasonably expected. That's why he's still playing, even if his current form isn't pretty, and even if his running out of Cook was as stupid a piece of cricket as you could wish to see.
Yeah, maybe.True, but I can't help but think that this is also playing a part in his selection:
MEK Hussey b Bopara 6
"Children" by Robert Miles at the start right? Great song choice if so. Love that track.Highlights of yesterdays match. I pretty much included every boundary of McCullum and Ryder
good man.Highlights of yesterdays match. I pretty much included every boundary of McCullum and Ryder
The thing is, those type of innings Bopara played, while superlative, are very, very atypical of the innings required in the one-day game. It's remarkable that Bopara has had the chance to play two of that nature in such a short time. When it comes to playing the innings more typically required, especially from a number-seven batsman, he's come-up short a fair few times, and there's no indication of that changing any time soon for mine. So I think his being selected at seven is stupid, and at three would be questionable.Bopara's test & noneday selection need to be viewed separately. It's previously been said by a few of us that his selection for the tests in SL, when he leapfrogged Shah on the basis of nothing remotely substantial was sheer madness of the kind I thought we'd kissed goodbye to about 10 years ago.
The oneday side is another matter though. He has played two significant innings when nearly all around him were failing horribly, one of which won a game which we should have lost by a mile, and the other came closer to doing the same than anyone could reasonably expected. That's why he's still playing, even if his current form isn't pretty, and even if his running out of Cook was as stupid a piece of cricket as you could wish to see.
Maybe not, but there have always been, even if only to two or three, a list of players who should be in the ODI side ahead of said hunches. It gets a little tedious seeing hunch after hunch be preferred to the small amount of proven quality there is.As for his inital selection, we all know that you'd struggle to name an XI based on outstanding domestic List A form, so there's always going to be hunches. Bopara was certainly no worse a pick than the guys you've mentioned, and we could all add to that list fairly easily.
Well safe to say Hingston was joking a little more than I was on the occasion when I was stupid enough to mention the matter... but I was sorely tempted to name the whole lot who've played the last 7 years, as I so often have done before.Admirable restraint on your part, btw, to the previous post. Given the cast of mediocre cricketers of all hues who have played for England's one day side , I shudder to think why anyone would want to bring race into this. 'Hideous' indeed.
Online this late on your birthday Jack?Geez there was some clean hitting there.