*Official* England in Bangladesh

[Nate]

Haha, most ridiculous scorecard.

 

[Sir Alex]

Dire KP goes this time Mohd Ashrafu. Now now, if Ashraful make it to the Bangla team due a FFS 30 runs, I am quitting watchign Bangla cricket.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I am wondering why we don't have any other options within the top six.

Carberry-Cook-Trott-Pietersen-Collingwood-Bell appears to be Plan A, B and C, making it nigh on impossible to select two spinners unless you bin Carberry, bat Prior at six, Broad and Swann seven and eight, then Bresnan, Tredwell and (on fitness) Finn.

It might be a "specialist" batsman short, but it does have a strong lower middle order who can all bat - FC averages of 25 (Broad), 27 (Swann), 27 (Bresnan) and 23 (Tredwell).

 

[GIMH]

Nice figures for Cook & Carberry

 

[King Pietersen]

I am wondering why we don't have any other options within the top six.

Carberry-Cook-Trott-Pietersen-Collingwood-Bell appears to be Plan A, B and C, making it nigh on impossible to select two spinners unless you bin Carberry, bat Prior at six, Broad and Swann seven and eight, then Bresnan, Tredwell and (on fitness) Finn.

It might be a "specialist" batsman short, but it does have a strong lower middle order who can all bat - FC averages of 25 (Broad), 27 (Swann), 27 (Bresnan) and 23 (Tredwell).

Or bin Carberry as you said, open with Trott, bat Wright at 7, with Broad, Swann, Tredwell and Onions to follow, should Broad and Onions be fit. If they're not fit, then I'd go Bresnan and Finn in their place. I personally think we should give Luke Wright a game. He put up the results last season in FC cricket, seems to have a good work ethic and is always improving. I'd like to see how he goes. Bresnan went wicketless in the warm-up game, so I say give Wright a go.

Really starting to get worried about KP's form now though. I thought he'd turned a corner after that innings against Pakistan in the T20's, but he's done nothing since. If he fails to make any significant runs in the Test series, then things will become even more worrying. Just praying he makes a big score in the 1st Test now.

 

[Sir Alex]

From Cricinfo

The Bangladesh selectors have named a 14-man squad which includes the centurion from the warm-up match, Raqibul Hasan, as well as no fewer than three left-arm spinners - the captain Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Enamul Haque Jr - in response to Kevin Pietersen's much-publicised problems against that style of bowling.

No sir, England is not Kevin pietersen alone. Fact is Bangladesh has only slas and the odd OBs.

 

[Pothas]

Or bin Carberry as you said, open with Trott, bat Wright at 7, with Broad, Swann, Tredwell and Onions to follow, should Broad and Onions be fit. If they're not fit, then I'd go Bresnan and Finn in their place. I personally think we should give Luke Wright a game. He put up the results last season in FC cricket, seems to have a good work ethic and is always improving. I'd like to see how he goes. Bresnan went wicketless in the warm-up game, so I say give Wright a go.

Wright is not a real cricketer.

He really is pointless in test matches, how many people really believe he is going to get many runs in international cricket? and he certainly is not going to get any wickets.

Would rather have Bresnan which is saying something.

 

[GIMH]

Wright will average over 65 with the bat, why so negative

 

[grecian]

Onions definitely out, have a bad feeling about this. Our seam attack is going to be just yeuch.

 

[King Pietersen]

Yeah, it's not going to be a pretty attack that's for sure. Lucky we're playing Bangladesh really. Have to say though, it would be good to get a look at Finn. Much rather see him given a go in place of Bresnan or Shahzad, was the pick of the seamers in the Warm-up game.

As for Luke Wright, there's just something about him that I like, and I think he could be a success if he's stuck with. From all reports, he batted very well last season for Sussex, playing a completely different game to the one we're used to seeing from him in International limited overs cricket. He doesn't simply slog in FC cricket like he does in T20, he wouldn't have averaged 49 last season playing like that. The England camp clearly like him too. He has a good work ethic, is always looking to improve and is a very handy all-round cricketer, and AFAIC a better option than Bresnan.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I honestly don't really get the people that are bashing Bresnan. Fair enough if he underperforms over a period of time, but he's done pretty decently in the ODI's since he's returned and could do a job in the tests. He's nippy enough, reasonably good control and hits the bat quite hard.

 

[S Chanderpaul]

Yeah, it's not going to be a pretty attack that's for sure. Lucky we're playing Bangladesh really. Have to say though, it would be good to get a look at Finn. Much rather see him given a go in place of Bresnan or Shahzad, was the pick of the seamers in the Warm-up game.

As for Luke Wright, there's just something about him that I like, and I think he could be a success if he's stuck with. From all reports, he batted very well last season for Sussex, playing a completely different game to the one we're used to seeing from him in International limited overs cricket. He doesn't simply slog in FC cricket like he does in T20, he wouldn't have averaged 49 last season playing like that. The England camp clearly like him too. He has a good work ethic, is always looking to improve and is a very handy all-round cricketer, and AFAIC a better option than Bresnan.

Slagging him off is the cool thing to do though and that is what the sheep will do.

He averaged nearly 50 with the bat and 33 with the ball in Division One last season when pretty much the rest of his team failed. One of his tons was up at the Riverside against Durham which is hard for top batsman nevermind average ones, so there must be something about him.

 

[GIMH]

Trott set to open with Cook apparently

England face selection quandary ahead of first Test | Cricket News | Bangladesh v England 2009/10 | Cricinfo.com

NFI what the XI will be. Bell back at first drop though no doubt

 

[King Pietersen]

I honestly don't really get the people that are bashing Bresnan. Fair enough if he underperforms over a period of time, but he's done pretty decently in the ODI's since he's returned and could do a job in the tests. He's nippy enough, reasonably good control and hits the bat quite hard.

I'm not bashing Bresnan, he's done a good job in ODi's. I would just much prefer to see Luke Wright batting 7 as an all-rounder. Bresnan's done nothing to warrant an inclusion in the Test squad in FC cricket. Made just 1 half century with the bat last season and then took 32 wickets at 36.50. For a swing bowler that plays half his games at Headingley, that's just not good enough. Wright made 3 FC centuries as well as 3 half centuries, averaging 49.00 with the bat. He also took 22 wickets at 34.72 with 2 5fers, 2 more than Bresnan took. I'm just struggling to see how Bresnan deserves to be in the side ahead of Wright, he's done nothing with the red ball.

Slagging him off is the cool thing to do though and that is what the sheep will do.

He averaged nearly 50 with the bat and 33 with the ball in Division One last season when pretty much the rest of his team failed. One of his tons was up at the Riverside against Durham which is hard for top batsman nevermind average ones, so there must be something about him.

Totally agree.

Trott set to open with Cook apparently

England face selection quandary ahead of first Test | Cricket News | Bangladesh v England 2009/10 | Cricinfo.com

NFI what the XI will be. Bell back at first drop though no doubt

Pietersen should bat 3. No way Bell should be moved back up to 3. His runs have come at 5 and 6, and he needs to stay there. I like Trott opening too, as it gives us the chance to play an all-rounder at 7, which gives this pretty dire attack a much needed 5th option. I think it's a good idea. Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Wright, Broad, Swann, Tredwell and Finn looks a decent enough side AFAIC, decent enough to beat Bangladesh anyway.

 

[GIMH]

Stick Broad at 3, get his confidence with the bat back

 

[four_or_six]

Stick Broad at 3, get his confidence with the bat back

Swanny at 3, tbh. Would probably emulate Gillespie, only off about 100 balls.

 

[GIMH]

Swann's better down the order in the Gilchrist role, except in future years cricket-writers will state that Gilchrist played the Swanneh role

 

[Pup Clarke]

I'm not bashing Bresnan, he's done a good job in ODi's. I would just much prefer to see Luke Wright batting 7 as an all-rounder. Bresnan's done nothing to warrant an inclusion in the Test squad in FC cricket. Made just 1 half century with the bat last season and then took 32 wickets at 36.50. For a swing bowler that plays half his games at Headingley, that's just not good enough. Wright made 3 FC centuries as well as 3 half centuries, averaging 49.00 with the bat. He also took 22 wickets at 34.72 with 2 5fers, 2 more than Bresnan took. I'm just struggling to see how Bresnan deserves to be in the side ahead of Wright, he's done nothing with the red ball.

There are some things that stats really don't tell. Bresnan actually looks like a proper bowler, Wright meanwhile to me looks a useful part-timer who could be handy at breaking partnerships but not that much else. I wouldn't put so much weight into being in favour of Wright after one good season with the bat and one okish season with the ball.

 

[Pothas]

Slagging him off is the cool thing to do though and that is what the sheep will do.

He averaged nearly 50 with the bat and 33 with the ball in Division One last season when pretty much the rest of his team failed. One of of his tons was up at the Riverside against Durham which is hard for top batsman nevermind average ones, so there must be something about him.

Just an example because they fulfill somewhat similar roles, in 2005 Dimitri Mascarenhas averaged 49 with the bat and 23 with the ball, now no one and quite rightly so was arguing that he should be in the test side.

I will freely admit that Wright is a not a bad county batsman, certainly better than the likes of Dimi but he really does not look like he will ever be truly interntational class, maybe he could do a decent job at number 7 (like flintoff) but he will certainly never be a big enough threat with the ball to justify playing that role in the side.

 

[Pothas]

There are some things that stats really don't tell. Bresnan actually looks like a proper bowler, Wright meanwhile to me looks a useful part-timer who could be handy at breaking partnerships but not that much else. I wouldn't put so much weight into being in favour of Wright after one good season with the bat and one okish season with the ball.

Bresnan certainly a bettter option, he is a proper bowler just a very mediocre one.