Onions is blatantly better than Anderson.
Anderson averages 35 ffs and still averages well over 30 in recent times when he's supposed to have gotten better. Onions averages 31 despite being unlucky, ****ed about by the captain and the selectors as well as having just played 6 Tests against SA and Australia - the best players of seam bowling.
Apart from that being blatantly obvious Onions comprehensively outbowls Anderson virtually every Test and looks a much better bowler.
Blackwell should be in the squad. England should have 3 spin options in Bangladesh. Swann, obviously. Rashid and Blackwell. Blackwell's recent record and variety easily elevates him above other mid-career plodders like Tredwell.
Oh and I have no credibility because I've correctly said Davies is the same pace as McGrath in his late years and Fraser? Yea because you disproved that with what exactly? Oh right so I've no credibility because aussie's fabled memory says otherwise.
Anderson HAS gotten better, their isn't any "supposedly" about that. Since Anderson has held down a regular place vs IND 07 he has averaged
33.31. Yes this not fantastic, but Anderson has clearly been improving & maturing as a bowler in every test since IND 07 although it has been slow progress. He still needs to add reverse-swing to his repotoire (signs of which i saw vs WI @ Trinidad 09) which will aid him him becoming a better bowler on flat surfaces. Onion on the other hand when it is flat has looked GUN BARREL STRAIGHT!!! - he has showed no signs in his 6 tests to date that suggests he would be effective in non bowler friendly condtions
I'm willing to give you that in those same bowler friendly conditions in recent series vs AUS & SA (mainly vs AUS). That both Anderson & Onions have looked almost on par in seaming/swinging conditions - but IMO Anderson has better control of the swinging ball ATM than Onions. But that is fairly subjective since some could equally argue that they are the same when its swinging, that i just my analysis on them ATS.
But overall to question whether Anderson has not improved in the last 2.5 years is not just crap, but its shows a lack of appreciation for Anderson's improvement.
Onions 6 early tests decent of solid bowling can't match up to 2.5 years of improvement of Anderson. Since you nor anyone can say for sure whether he will maintain that level of test match bowling (for ENG sake given our lack of stocks i hope he does) over a a similar period of time or whether his lack of variety may hurt him in future test matches.
Finally you say Onions has outbowled Anderson in EVERY TEST???
. I'm willing to give you they where close to comparable in the Ashes. But when it comes to the South African tour i dont even need to try to defend their stats by trying to suggest who bowled better. Thats stats says it all:
Anderson - 16 wickets @ 34.25 (with Anderson going wicketless in the last test)
Onions - 8 wickets @ 45.75
Explain how Onions was better then??? (Although i will be fair in saying Onions bowled better than that average suggested).
Now for Blackwell. Why
should Blackwell be on tour?. Why
should ENG have 3-spinners on a tour to Bangladesh?
Swann is the ONLY spinner needed for BANG. This is not a tour to IND/PAK/SRI, have you not been following the current India tour to BANG??. Does it look like the BANG batsmen are struggling againts spin??
Ian Blackwell is a joke & is NOT test quality. His FC performances is irrelevant because since he last played for ENG in 2005/06 the standard of county cricket has not improved to any level where one can take his FC record seriously. Just because the selectors made the foolish error to pick Tredwell in the test squad, doesn't justify picking a joker like Blackwell.
You dont even have to go on my opinion, the selectors CLEARLY dont have Blackwell on their radar so i can lay this one to rest.
If England can't take 20 Bangladesh wickets with a 4-man attack of Onions/Sidebottom/Broad/Swann, then something is really wrong. So this argument for Blackwell inclusion & for including 3-spinners falls flat on its face...
Finally no you have
incorrectly stated that Davies is of the same pace now like McGrath was in the last days of his international career in Ashes 06/07 & WC 2007 & Fraser vs WI, SA & Ashes 98/99.
I am not basing my argument solely on memory i as a cricket fantatic have video tapes of it them bowling in their last days in international cricket which i can prove my point - of that i am certain. But of course i can't show video here on CW, so yes ATM it is basically my word againts yours..
Finally again stop avoding the question. May i have in detail where & when you have seen Mark Davies bowled over the years??. Since to date NO ONE else has had to prove like me in detail where they themselves have seen Davies bowl...
