Ravi Bopara - another pretender?

[Craig]

Have been on the train through Yorkshire. Wish I had a decent camera back then as I could of taken some good photos of the countryside.

 

[wpdavid]

Back to Bopara. Since rejoining Essex he has, iirc, made an unbeaten half-century in a successful 4th innings runchase against Middx and is currently 101* against Surrey. A classic case of how the CC in its current format is doing nothing whatsoever to produce test cricketers or help selectors decide who should be playing.

 

[Craig]

Back to Bopara. Since rejoining Essex he has, iirc, made an unbeaten half-century in a successful 4th innings runchase against Middx and is currently 101* against Surrey. A classic case of how the CC in its current format is doing nothing whatsoever to produce test cricketers or help selectors decide who should be playing.

So how would you go about fixing things?

 

[wpdavid]

So how would you go about fixing things?

You've got to make sure that the best players are playing each other - clearly Ravi's recent knocks in the CC say nothing at all about his suitability or otherwise for test cricket. I've long been in favour of a regional system for the best with the rest playing for the counties. Obviously 2 divisions would have to go, but the incentive for individuals would be to play for the regions as a route to financial rewards and maybe international recognition.

There also neeeds to be a more co-ordinated approach to coaching the better players - way too many have appeared at test level with woeful gaps in their technique, which is ridiculous imo.

I'd also reduce the amount of 2020 - the group games don't need to be home & away.

 

[Uppercut]

There also neeeds to be a more co-ordinated approach to coaching the better players - way too many have appeared at test level with woeful gaps in their technique, which is ridiculous imo.

I don't honestly agree, if anything I think players are coached too much. There's too much focus on technique in the country and not enough on consistency and concentration for me.

The solution is cutting the number of counties. Really, that's what has to be done. It won't, and instead they'll just keep picking repatriated Irish and South African players.

 

[wpdavid]

The solution is cutting the number of counties. Really, that's what has to be done. It won't, and instead they'll just keep picking repatriated Irish and South African players.

They certainly won't vote themselves out of existance, nor should they be expected to. Hence the suggested regional level above county level for the 4-day games.

 

[Pup Clarke]

There's just far too much cricket IMHO. This doesn't leave alot of time for proper coaching on specific weaknesses with individual players. For example
Glamorgan played Middlesex in a Pro40 the other day, and the following day they were scheduled to play a 4 dayer. Where's the logic in that?

 

[sledger]

There's just far too much cricket IMHO. This doesn't leave alot of time for proper coaching on specific weaknesses with individual players. For example
Glamorgan played Middlesex in a Pro40 the other day, and the following day they were scheduled to play a 4 dayer. Where's the logic in that?

Yeah I agree with this, the packed international set up means that player development at the top level, particularly for England it seems, who seem to play almost continually, is pretty slack. Michael Holding touched on something the other day which I thought was a good point, which was there aren't nearly enough tour games to blood the young players in at the moment, and that in a tour, there are usually only one or maybe two matches played before the tests or one dayers begin. Can't help but feel players would do better if they had the opportunity to play a few matches like these, rather than be thrown into a test match immediately.

 

[King Pietersen]

Ravi update: 186* from 263 balls, 20 fours, 1 six. Top score after him in the innings, Pettini with 42. Good effort.

 

[wpdavid]

Ravi update: 186* from 263 balls, 20 fours, 1 six. Top score after him in the innings, Pettini with 42. Good effort.

Eventually dismissed for 201.

 

[tooextracool]

Ravi update: 186* from 263 balls, 20 fours, 1 six. Top score after him in the innings, Pettini with 42. Good effort.

England would be seriously kidding themselves if they have anyone better than Bopara in the domestic ranks at the moment. Think its best to back him as I don't think he's exactly been worked out or anything so I would take him to tour SA.