***Official*** West Indies in England (Pointless 2 T20 series for Sky's benefit)

[Cabinet96]

Hales
Kieswetter
Bopara
Stokes
Bairstow
Buttler
Patel/Borthwick/Briggs
Bresnan
Swann
Finn
Dernbach

That would be my team. I would go with Patel due to batting ability although it would be nice to give Briggs ago.

 

[MW1304]

Mathurin replaces withdrawn Nurse for T20s | West Indies Cricket Board

As far as I can work out, this is of no importance whatsoever.

Thank you, thank you

I'm mathurin myself that there is a point to this series.

 

[MW1304]

That would be my team. I would go with Patel due to batting ability although it would be nice to give Briggs ago.

I'd be pretty disappointed if the batting ability of 9-11 was relevant in this series.

 

[Jacknife]

Batting order pretty much picks itself there, either Finn or Anderson will replace Broad and then the second spinner is the role that's really up for debate.

Hales
Kieswetter
Bopara
Stokes
Bairstow
Buttler
Patel/Borthwick/Briggs
Bresnan
Swann
Finn
Dernbach

I'm close to running out of patience with Dernbach, but he makes a lot more sense in T20 and I can see what value he adds if he gets his job right. So they may as well continue his probation for now. I've no real desire to see Jimmy's line and length clattered in a T20 again, and he deserves a rest just as much as KP. I'd rather have more of a look at Finn.

None of those extra spin options really fill me with much confidence, but Briggs is probably the only one who's genuinely impressed me as a bowler before now. Even then, that was only in domestic T20, which is hardly the best indicator you can get for judging bowling merits, and he'd weaken the tail.

Agree with you, I wouldn't play Jimmy ,let him rest and give Finn another go.
The rest pick themselves but I'd quite like to have a look at Briggs but it would mean leaving Patel out and having a tale of Dernbach, Finn & Briggs which shouldn't really matter in these matches but is it worth it.
I hope we actually see something from Hales & Stokes during these matches because the standard to say the least won't be any higher than County stuff.

 

[Cabinet96]

I'd be pretty disappointed if the batting ability of 9-11 was relevant in this series.

Patel would be 7 but I see your point. England won the world T20 with Luke Wright at 6 and Tim Bresnan at 6 so that proves you don't have to fill the team with specialist batsmen to be successful. Having said that Australia had Cameron White at 6 (in form) and Michael Hussey at 7.

 

[Furball]

Specialist bowling is much more important in T20s than it is in ODIs.

 

[Howe_zat]

Specialist bowling is much more important in T20s than it is in ODIs.

Agree, but in a T20 a "specialist" isn't necessarily a better bowler. Mike Yardy for example can be very effective in a T20 because he can do a specialist job - in the 2010 WT20 that was to bowl in partnership with Swann for four overs and be hard to score off. In ODIs he's still that specialist, and so his inability to do it for longer spells was exposed.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Agree, but in a T20 a "specialist" isn't necessarily a better bowler. Mike Yardy for example can be very effective in a T20 because he can do a specialist job - in the 2010 WT20 that was to bowl in partnership with Swann for four overs and be hard to score off. In ODIs he's still that specialist, and so his inability to do it for longer spells was exposed.

Not exactly. He was very economical up until the Ashes trouncing and World Cup when he had issues. So there's not really enough games to decide either way.

 

[Furball]

Agree, but in a T20 a "specialist" isn't necessarily a better bowler. Mike Yardy for example can be very effective in a T20 because he can do a specialist job - in the 2010 WT20 that was to bowl in partnership with Swann for four overs and be hard to score off. In ODIs he's still that specialist, and so his inability to do it for longer spells was exposed.

Yardy's lack of wicket taking ability in ODIs was his problem.

 

[Pothas]

One never really saw Yardy as a long term option though, was always one of those strange English creations of a county batsman that bowls 'spin' in international cricket although he could probably still do a decent job in twenty20. Fear dear old Samit is the latest of these although undoubtedly more talented than Yardy.

Briggs is a proper bowler and while he has a lot to learn in the longer form of the game he has recorded two outstanding twenty20 series and deserves a chance in the side, think you can easily afford to play 5 specialist bowlers with Bresnan batting at 7 in a twenty20 side. The only thing I really fear for him is overexposure to the shortest form which naturally fits his bowling style may mean he never develops in the longer form which would be a real shame. It is up to Hampshire and England to ensure this does not happen.

 

[shivfan]

If the Windies selectors stopped playing politics, they would admit that the best West Indies 20/20 side will have a majority of Trinidadians on it. If they ever resolve the disciplinary issues with Gayle and Benn, these would be my first and second XIs:

First XI
1) Chris Gayle
2) Adrian Barath
3) Lendl Simmons
4) Darren Bravo
5) Dwayne Bravo
6) Kieron Pollard
7) Denesh Ramdin
8) Andre Russell
9) Ravi Rampaul
10) Dev Bishoo
11) Samuel Badree (why is he ignored by WI selectors?)

Second XI
1) Danza Hyatt
2) Johnson Charles
3) Andre Fletcher
4) Marlon Samuels
5) Dwayne Smith
6) Chris Barnwell
7) Darren Sammy
8) Sherwin Ganga
9) Kemar Roach/Fidel Edwards
10) Suleimann Benn
11) Sunil Narine

In effect, the first Xi are currently in India, and most of the players in England now are second XI 20/20 players...

 

[superkingdave]

Looks nice at the oval. Would have preferred gash weather for this series and better weather for the indian series but

 

[Scaly piscine]

Ravi Bopara gets *yet another* chance, this time he can have a go at getting his T20I strike rate above 100.

Wish for once England would bat first.

 

[Furball]

Ravi Bopara gets *yet another* chance, this time he can have a go at getting his T20I strike rate above 100.

Wish for once England would bat first.

In fairness to Bopara, he did finish the Indian series very well, and with the amount of youngsters that have been thrown in for this series we need a couple of players with experience in the batting lineup.

 

[Scaly piscine]

In fairness to Bopara, he did finish the Indian series very well, and with the amount of youngsters that have been thrown in for this series we need a couple of players with experience in the batting lineup.

Not when they're as atrocious as Ravi. Experience in T20 is somewhat counter-intuitive anyway, a lot of the young players will be better adapted and in a way more experienced in the format than a lot of the more well known England players. Playing a West Indies B side too, I don't think conventional experience here is going to matter that much.

 

[Furball]

Not when they're as atrocious as Ravi. Experience in T20 is somewhat counter-intuitive anyway, a lot of the young players will be better adapted and in a way more experienced in the format than a lot of the more well known England players. Playing a West Indies B side too, I don't think conventional experience here is going to matter that much.

True...I reckon you can just about justify Bopara's place in the side. It's a fairly meaningless series anyway, if he stays in form before the series in India then it's a bonus.

 

[TT Boy]

Windies side is truly scary.

 

[The_roc]

Looks like the fat boy keeps his place. Is he living on borrowed time?

 

[Howe_zat]

So what do we know of Johnson Charles? Anything at all?

Other than his first and last name being the wrong way round.

 

[Furball]

So what do we know of Johnson Charles? Anything at all?

Other than his first and last name being the wrong way round.

Just clicked on his cricinfo profile - his record is utterly crap.