Flintoff for the Ashes?

[Top_Cat]

tbh, reckon Broad's got the requisite batting style to do well in OZ. Stands tall at the crease, spanks anything short outside off. Wouldn't surprise me to see him do well on an even, bouncy deck like the 'Gabba.

 

[Woodster]

tbh, reckon Broad's got the requisite batting style to do well in OZ. Stands tall at the crease, spanks anything short outside off. Wouldn't surprise me to see him do well on an even, bouncy deck like the 'Gabba.

Personally i've never been a big fan of Broad the batsman. Yes he is capable of some elegant strokes through the offside, front and back foot, and yes perhaps on a bouncy deck he can get on top of the bounce and caress the ball through the cover region, however, I do think he's too loose to be seriously considered as a number 7, one or two places lower in the order and I think he can play a few cameos to boost the score.

He should be allowed to play his shots down the order without any pressure on him scoring consistent runs and the added pressure that comes with batting at number 7.

 

[zaremba]

Personally i've never been a big fan of Broad the batsman. Yes he is capable of some elegant strokes through the offside, front and back foot, and yes perhaps on a bouncy deck he can get on top of the bounce and caress the ball through the cover region, however, I do think he's too loose to be seriously considered as a number 7, one or two places lower in the order and I think he can play a few cameos to boost the score.

He should be allowed to play his shots down the order without any pressure on him scoring consistent runs and the added pressure that comes with batting at number 7.

Spot on.

Particularly now that his form with the bat has dipped, he's a competent 8 or a good 9. If he bats at 7 (especially with Prior a place too high at 6) he'd be out of his depth.

And all this matters because our tail end batting is such an important strength, as we saw last summer. Bat StuBro at 7 and you transform a strength into a weakness.

 

[Furball]

On form I'd probably consider James Anderson for the number 7 spot over Stuart Broad, his batting has seriously regressed over the past 2 years.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Although I am a huge Flintoff fan..and one of the few players who the Australians are genuinely scared of, there is really no point if he is not fit. English bowlers are doing a decent job. yes they would greatly benefit from someone with the extra yard of pace and bounce on Australian pitches because I doubt the likes of Anderson and Broad will get much swing but if Flintoff is not fully fit, its not like he will be able to bowl 90+ consistently.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Think Rashid is quietly being lined up as a number 7 for England over in Australia. They're just letting him get a full season for Yorkshi*e under his belt without being mucked about. He's been very good so far statistically.

 

[Jarquis]

Yeah, everytime I check the scorecards he seems to be taking wickets. Batting hasn't been quite so consistent I'd wager.

Seems as though I was wrong, averaging nearly 50 despite only having a HS of 65 IIRC. That's pretty consistent I guess

 

[BoyBrumby]

Can't see it, myself. No way we're playing two spinners in Oz and no way Swanneh's not playing either.

 

[Faisal1985]

Why bring him back when he clearly chose to milk the cow instead of rendering his services to his country. He is one of my favorite players, but he lost my respect for him when he chose to go and play as a free agent.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Can't see it, myself. No way we're playing two spinners in Oz and no way Swanneh's not playing either.

There's usually one or two spin tracks in Oz.

Also who else is good enough to bat at 7? Nobody. Can they get away with four bowlers when one of them will inevitably be the 4-5 runs an over and sweet FA threat Jimmy Anderson? No way.

 

[BoyBrumby]

There's usually one or two spin tracks in Oz.

Also who else is good enough to bat at 7? Nobody. Can they get away with four bowlers when one of them will inevitably be the 4-5 runs an over and sweet FA threat Jimmy Anderson? No way.

I'm only going by the figures I've seen on cricinfo, but Oz seems a bit of a spinner's graveyard just now. Most of the myriad twirlers who've got a go of late have FC averages close to or actually over 40. Well, O'Keefe doesn't tbf, but has played about a game and a half in his entire career so far.

 

[Goughy]

There's usually one or two spin tracks in Oz.

Also who else is good enough to bat at 7? Nobody. Can they get away with four bowlers when one of them will inevitably be the 4-5 runs an over and sweet FA threat Jimmy Anderson? No way.

He bats below Bresnan for Yorkshire doesnt he?

 

[Top_Cat]

I'm only going by the figures I've seen on cricinfo, but Oz seems a bit of a spinner's graveyard just now. Most of the myriad twirlers who've got a go of late have FC averages close to or actually over 40. Well, O'Keefe doesn't tbf, but has played about a game and a half in his entire career so far.

Can't remember the last time a spinner was in the top Shield wicket-takers in a season, tbh, unless you count Colin Miller a few years ago (bowled a combo of medium pace and spin that season.

 

[pasag]

and one of the few players who the Australians are genuinely scared of

Not in Australia.

 

[Scaly piscine]

He bats below Bresnan for Yorkshire doesnt he?

Yea but Yorkshi*e were probably nursing him in as much as England. Bresnan's FC batting average is nigh on 10 less than Rashid's.

Can anyone seriously see someone like Bresnan doing better than Rashid in Australia? He'll just be complete fodder over there.

 

[Woodster]

This season will undoubtedly be doing a Rashid a world of good. He has managed 323 overs in CC so far, picking up 38 wickets at 28.26, throw in his 437 runs at 43.70, and you have a pretty impressive all-round season, stats-wise, so far. Obviously benefitted from just concentrating on playing for Yorkshire.

I'm not sure, however, that he will be the one they will go for in the number 7 spot this winter. Maybe long-term, but I'd expect him to play in the Pakistan series prior to the Oz trip if that was to be the case.

 

[Prince EWS]

This season will undoubtedly be doing a Rashid a world of good. He has managed 323 overs in CC so far, picking up 38 wickets at 28.26, throw in his 437 runs at 43.70, and you have a pretty impressive all-round season, stats-wise, so far. Obviously benefitted from just concentrating on playing for Yorkshire.

I'm not sure, however, that he will be the one they will go for in the number 7 spot this winter. Maybe long-term, but I'd expect him to play in the Pakistan series prior to the Oz trip if that was to be the case.

Yeah England aren't going to debut a player for the Ashes unless something goes wrong.

 

[Bruce Campbell]

Is he in form ??

 

[Woodster]

Yeah England aren't going to debut a player for the Ashes unless something goes wrong.

Especially not one they've been exceptionally cautious about using so far.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I think at the very least he'll tour and they'll have a look at him in the FC games. I think it would be of greater benefit to Rashid to keep playing country cricket rather than play in the Pakistan Test series, although he may play in that anyway.