*Official* England in West Indies

[Richard]

Only if he's bowling like he did for the 12 month period after his reselection - then I agree wholeheartedly. We saw a half-fit, out-of-form Sidey against the Saffers, and it wasn't pretty.

Oh absolutely - but I tend to make presumptions of bowlers having a decent level of fitness, and if they don't, they should never play.

Mostly applies to batsmen too.

 

[Penguinissimo]

I believe you may mean "I'm a poet and I just don't know it" my dear man.

Now I'm not sure which of us is being ironic...

 

[Richard]

Some predictions now, hoping Windies can cause England a lot more trouble than they would have thought with Bravo coming back and a re-energised Gayle and Edwards, also a good find in Nash and Chanders being as strong as ever. If Sarwan fires along with all others mentioned then this series could get quite close.

If England don't beat West Indies comfortably those who've been looking ahead to The Ashes (ie, thinking England have a chance of winning the series) for the last nearly-2-years will look very foolish ind33d.

Nonetheless, a team with Gayle, Chanderpaul, possibly Nash, possibly Sarwan, Bravo, possibly Sammy, Taylor and a decent wicketkeeper (even if he can't bat) is far from a pushover proposition.

 

[Richard]

Now I'm not sure which of us is being ironic...

Haha, both, I hope. However, I just cannot abide people passing-up the excuse to use that catchphrase, oh no sirrreee.

 

[Uppercut]

If England don't beat West Indies comfortably those who've been looking ahead to The Ashes (ie, thinking England have a chance of winning the series) for the last nearly-2-years will look very foolish ind33d.

Nonetheless, a team with Gayle, Chanderpaul, possibly Nash, possibly Sarwan, Bravo, possibly Sammy, Taylor and a decent wicketkeeper (even if he can't bat) is far from a pushover proposition.

WI won a test against SA only a year ago, and they've improved a lot even in that time. England were one Monty-induced choke away from failing to beat New Zealand at home, and went one down to them away.

Still can't see anything other than an England win here though. Would put my entire student loan on it. If i was an idiot.

 

[Penguinissimo]

Still can't see anything other than an England win here though. Would put my entire student loan on it. If i was an idiot.

You're a brave, brave man.

 

[Jigga988]

I am not sure it will be a roll over, however, i am pretty sure Windies bowlers will not take 20 wickets every match coos the pitches are too flat. One thing i am quite sure of is that Chanders will be unremovable and Pietersen will probobly be the same.

 

[Richard]

Are the pitches really too flat? At least 1 game out of 4 is at a new stadium, thought it might've been 2.

 

[Jigga988]

and you think new stadium's mean less flatter pitches.... have you not seen the past series' against Sri Lanka and the Aussies, pitches were dosile and dead. They cut off all the grass and roll it to death.

 

[Richard]

New stadia in my experience tends to mean you can't really know what the pitch'll play like, but if there's a pattern it tends to be being difficult for batting on.

 

[Furball]

Predictions:

Chanderpaul to average c. 3,000,000

 

[FBU]

The squad to be announced on Monday.

I have a feeling the it might be

Cook, Strauss, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior, Swann, Sidebottom, Harmison, Anderson, Broad, Ambrose, Rashid, Shah

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The squad to be announced on Monday.

I have a feeling the it might be

Cook, Strauss, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior, Swann, Sidebottom, Harmison, Anderson, Broad, Ambrose, Rashid, Shah

Cant see them dropping Monty for Rashid. The team did fairly ok in India so i doubt they'll want to make many changes to the squad. Its more than good enough to beat the WIs.

 

[Richard]

The squad to be announced on Monday.

I have a feeling the it might be

Cook, Strauss, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior, Swann, Sidebottom, Harmison, Anderson, Broad, Ambrose, Rashid, Shah

I do so hope they don't pick Rashid - WI might be bad, often, but as long as they don't pick Runako Morton they're still comfortably better at batting than most county sides. All county sides if you deduct internationals, probably. And given Rashid still can't do much more than OK-ish against county players, he shouldn't do that well against WI.

That apart, even if Rashid does no more than moderately well everyone will be raving about how good a start that is for a young wristspinner so therefore how he must stay in the team. Which obviously would be a disaster with Australia just around the corner.

What's more, England should be able to beat WI without novice wristspinner-batsmen.

TBH you can probably go to WI with 1 spinner in the squad, Bourda and Queen's Park Oval were always spin-friendly-ish but rarely so much that you wanted 2 spinners in the side and I don't think Tests are even played at Bourda any more.

And clearly Swann should be the first spinner in any Test squad right now. And I wasn't remotely expecting him to do all that well in India - well bowled fella.

 

[odeprag]

I didn't see much of Swann. How did he go after the first day of the first test ?

 

[Pothas]

I am slightly surprised at the number of people who seem to want Rob Key in the squad. I’m not saying that he is a bad player and is probably more than capable of scoring runs against the West Indies. Indeed I was at Lords when he scored his double hundred against them. However he had a poor season last year for Kent and as far as I am concerned did very little in his 15 tests to prove that he can make it as the highest level. I can therefore see no reason for is inclusion over Shah or Vaughan.

 

[Athlai]

Expecting West Indies to steal one here. Nash will stick around for either a Chanderpaul/Sarwan or Gayle special and the West Indian quicks will embarrass the Pom's in one match.

English attack isn't at its best besides a few key components. Expect Chanderpaul to get out once in the series.

 

[Uppercut]

Expecting West Indies to steal one here. Nash will stick around for either a Chanderpaul/Sarwan or Gayle special and the West Indian quicks will embarrass the Pom's in one match.

English attack isn't at its best besides a few key components. Expect Chanderpaul to get out once in the series.

Nah, have you seen the amount of full tosses Harmison and Monty bowl? Chanderpaul's ****ed.

 

[_Ed_]

Expect Chanderpaul to get out once in the series.

But Patel doesn't play for England.

 

[Athlai]

But Patel doesn't play for England.

Gun