*Official* England in West Indies

[Richard]

I dont think Rashid should have been picked. Erratic selection is not the key to success. But whoever else was picked, there would be noone waving the "Should have picked Amjad" flag.

Just would not have happened.

Really?

I think Rashid should not even have been in the squad and I think that Amjad was called-up as a replacement is a rank joke along the lines of Plunkett, Mahmood and plenty others in the last 3-4 years.

However, this game, the choice was between Rashid and Amjad. Thus, whichever one failed, there'd almost certainly have been some people, somewhere (probably who didn't know much about cricket) saying the other one should've played.

 

[Richard]

Nash may have had it relatively easy in his test career so far but he does look a pretty decent player. Not too sure myself how someone with such a solid looking technique and good composure averages only 31 in FC cricket.

Just a late developer, it seems.

Was a very moderate player for a long time (not helped by not having massive numbers of chances what with Jimmy Maher, Clint Perren, Stuart Law, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Lee Carseldine etc. ahead of him) but got better after going to WI and deservedly got his Test chance.

Anyway, he's finally gone there.

 

[Uppercut]

I think they got the big decision right in picking five bowlers here. They also got picking the two main spinners right. The fifth bowler was never going to make a great difference, but Amjad was probably the right shout because he gave them something they didn't already have.

That's out of the squad of course, as i said before I'd have gone for Kabir Ali out of everyone.

 

[garage flower]

Daren Ganga? Averages even less.. Very composed and correct, never scores many runs

Think Ganga averages a fair bit more in first class cricket. His problem is that, for whatever reason, he can't handle the step up, whereas indications are that Nash most certainly can. Greater mental fortitude perhaps?

 

[Richard]

Nash clearly has what Ganga lacks (ie, temperament for Test cricket), but equally for a long time Ganga had what Nash lacked (ie, the basic physical batting ability).

If you put Nash in a Test team 2 years ago, never mind 4 or 5, he'd have failed completely. Nash has gotten a lot better in a very short space of time.

 

[Prince EWS]

Just a late developer, it seems.

Was a very moderate player for a long time (not helped by not having massive numbers of chances what with Jimmy Maher, Clint Perren, Stuart Law, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Lee Carseldine etc. ahead of him) but got better after going to WI and deservedly got his Test chance.

Anyway, he's finally gone there.

He was always a better player than his First Class average for Queensland indicated. He's a great example of how you can fail to see the best of a player if you don't give him an extended run and put him under the pressure of playing for his place every time he's at the crease. I also think it shows that sometimes good players just don't produce what they should for little fault of their own when they go up a level, for whatever reason, and that this doesn't neccessarily just mean they aren't good enough or can't take the step up.

Obviously he's improved a fair bit since he left Queensland as well, but not really as much as you'd think.

 

[Richard]

Chanderpaul given out and asks for referral.

 

[GIMH]

Graeme Swann finally takes that middle order wicket I promised you all

oh hang on, it was Broad, d'oh

 

[Richard]

He was always a better player than his First Class average for Queensland indicated. He's a great example of how you can fail to see the best of a player if you don't give him an extended run and put him under the pressure of playing for his place every time he's at the crease. I also think it shows that sometimes good players just don't produce what they should for little fault of their own when they go up a level, for whatever reason, and that this doesn't neccessarily just mean they aren't good enough or can't take the step up.

Obviously he's improved a fair bit since he left Queensland as well, but not really as much as you'd think.

I guess WI are just very lucky Qld had a strong side for most of Nash's career.

As most indications seem, then, that had they had a weaker side and had Nash got a good run, he'd have grabbed a place in Qld's team, and thus clearly Nash would not have gone to Jamaica.

And in other news, Chanderpaul surely should be out there.

 

[Richard]

Graeme Swann finally takes that middle order wicket I promised you all

oh hang on, it was Broad, d'oh

He almost had one there, but the decision has been changed.

Another baffling referral.

 

[Prince EWS]

Think Ganga averages a fair bit more in first class cricket. His problem is that, for whatever reason, he can't handle the step up, whereas indications are that Nash most certainly can. Greater mental fortitude perhaps?

Well one could argue that Nash failed to take the step up from Brisbane First Grade cricket to Australian First Class cricket. I'm telling you now, it's not because he wasn't technically equipped either.

As I said in my last post, sometimes it just doesn't work out for certain players in certain environments, for whatever reason. It's perhaps a little bit hard to argue with the Ganga situation specifically given not only the number of chances he was given but the faith he was shown to be given an extended run each time, but I don't think you can just put it all down to mental fortitude.

 

[GIMH]

Goddamn, if Chanders had been out there we might still have had a feint hope

 

[sammy2]

atherton has no damn shame ... Freaking thief, no wonder Eng will get beaten and it's clear the ball is missing the bat.

 

[Uppercut]

I guess WI are just very lucky Qld had a strong side for most of Nash's career.

As most indications seem, then, that had they had a weaker side and had Nash got a good run, he'd have grabbed a place in Qld's team, and thus clearly Nash would not have gone to Jamaica.

Don't know whether that's true. Correct me if i'm wrong but didn't Nash simply go to watch some cricket there at the 2007 world cup and love it so much he decided to stay?

 

[sammy2]

He almost had one there, but the decision has been changed.

Another baffling referral.

you saw the fuking ball touch the bat ?

 

[Richard]

Goddamn, if Chanders had been out there we might still have had a feint hope

I think we might have still had a real hope TBH, not a pretend one.

 

[Richard]

<filter-avoidance>

Is this latest filter avoidance enough to ban this idiot?

 

[roseboy64]

No problem with that decision there.

 

[roseboy64]

you saw the fuking ball touch the bat ?

Don't try avoiding the filter.

 

[roseboy64]

Don't know whether that's true. Correct me if i'm wrong but didn't Nash simply go to watch some cricket there at the 2007 world cup and love it so much he decided to stay?

Yeah came over for the World Cup and talked to some people and decided to move.