**Official** West Indies in England 2012

[AndyZaltzHair]

So all the hypes about Gabriel clocking more speed than Edwards, Roach on consistent basis was nothing but much hyped?

 

[GIMH]

One things for sure, Strauss will be out in the first five overs tomorrow

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Why comparing two completely different sorts of player? Everything about them is different.

 

[tooextracool]

And Gayle and Sarwan.

Gayle
Barath
Sarwan
Bravo
Chanderpaul
Deonarine/Samuels/Pollard
Ramdin
Sammy/Edwards
Narine
Rampaul
Roach

Don't think Gayle would have made too much difference. For one thing, I don't think even in prime form he'd be able to buy a run against Anderson in England and to some extent we saw this the last time the Windies toured. In addition to that, I suspect from having seen Gayle in the IPL over the past couple of years that his technique has transformed, which in test match terms has deteriorated, but obviously has helped him become a superior investment in t20. He's played 1 FC game since his last test 1.5 years ago and given what happened with Sehwag in England last year, I think I'd wager my bets on Kieran Powell, Braithwaite et al over Chris Gayle.

Sarwan on the other is another story, and it is perhaps particularly frustrating that he is scoring bucket loads of runs while literally driving distance away from his teammates.

Also, what is the deal with Deonarine? Is he not with the group yet?

 

[tooextracool]

So all the hypes about Gabriel clocking more speed than Edwards, Roach on consistent basis was nothing but much hyped?

The hype was true because he was the fastest bowler on show at least in the morning. The problem is that he doesn't look like taking test scalps, nor is that likely to change as long as he bowls with that bowling action.

 

[social]

Some real crap is sprouted on here

Strauss is a very good player and nothing less

You dont score 20-odd test centuries unless you can play

Having said that, I wont be surprised if both he and Cook are under extreme media pressure (no back ups so that wont matter) by the time SA leave

 

[tooextracool]

One things for sure, Strauss will be out in the first five overs tomorrow

Hah yeah, you'd think he pushes a reset button every day. Can look a million dollars for a whole day, then comes back the next day and you'd never know he had 100+ to his name.

 

[Viscount Tom]

Can somebody PLEASE tell me how Nick Knight has worked his way into the commentary box for Home Tests?? RIDICULOUS!!

https://twitter.com/kevinpp24/statuses/203556302767656960

KP echoes the views of many a member of CWeb.

 

[Furball]

Hah yeah, you'd think he pushes a reset button every day. Can look a million dollars for a whole day, then comes back the next day and you'd never know he had 100+ to his name.

His innings in 2009 against Australia at Lord's ended up being such a disappointment, one of the best innings I've seen on day 1 in terms of judgement, knowing exactly when to play and when to leave, had dreamt up all sorts of scenarios where he ended up with a massive score and he got dismissed almost straight away on day 2.

 

[superkingdave]

https://twitter.com/kevinpp24/statuses/203556302767656960

KP echoes the views of many a member of CWeb.

haha yeah, KP has posted about Knight before. Wholeheartedly agree, he is a joke, i think it was last year he commented to Warne that Knight was 'stealing a living' and then said he puts it on mute when Cork was talking as he was 'as bad as Knight'

 

[MW1304]

Who on earth started comparing Watson with Strauss? When Shane has 20 Test centuries at 40 odd then you can have a discussion. They are not even comparable.

As for talking about semantics by saying that when Strauss faced Australia's openers, Watson faced England's, how about some of the great bowlers Strauss has faced, and scored hundreds against? Glenn McGrath perhaps? Ridiculous.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Well what can i say about that garbage? i switched off just before lunch, couldn't take anymore, the top and bottom of it is we're just not good enough, when you couple that with us being stuck with an utterly pathetic coach and captain then it's a recipe for disaster!!,

I knew we would be punished for playing four seamers but the coach and selectors are so desperate to keep Sammy in the team that they digressed any sort of variaty in the attack in order to keep the status quo , and it's those sort of stupid decisions that are killing us right now,

The batting is brittle and the bowling is a joke, they keep Fidel Edwards in the fecking team as if he was Dale Steyn but the man has been poor in his last two series, and now he's struggling again, Sammy of course will take one or two wickets if we're lucky and that's it, nothing else from him so all the pressure gets put on Roach's shoulders and quite frankly that kid is up and down, that's why we were so bad yesterday,

Gabriel did ok but he's not the same kid i saw a year ago, he's been hitting the weights too much which has taken away some of his pace, he can move the ball too but he just hasn't shown it here, which is a shame because he'll probably get dumped after this series,

The fact is in order to compete we need our best players on the park and a BETTER COACH, imo this is our strongest team...

Gayle= 41 average
Barath= 23 average
Edwards= 50 average
Darren Bravo= 50 average
Chanderpaul= 50 average
Sarwan= 40 average
Ramdin (wk)
Taylor
Narine
Rampaul
Roach


Things have got so bad i'll even accept the return of Sarwan now!!.. (don't tell my fellow WI fans though LOL) , when you have five of your top six averaging in the 40s that's bound to make a difference!!, then we have Taylor who is apparantly back training again, we desperately need him back imo because quite frankly he's the best pacer in the caribbean, FULL STOP, he's also a far better batter than Sammy aswell,

Lastly Narine is the key imo, he just gives the fans and the whole team hope, we know when he's on the pitch anything is possible, we believe in Narine we have a genius in our hands, so i can't wait to see what he does when we unleash him on NZ later this year.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well it makes you chuckle seeing Nash and Sarwan playing county cricket and getting big scores when there are players who look very ordinary in the test side. As for Gayle well we don't even need to go over that balls up again.

If the West Indies had their best 11 on the field and were getting thrashed everyone would accept it but the fact that you could make four or five changes to this side and dramatically improve it makes you wonder what the hell the board and Gibson are doing.

As for Sammy, it isn't his fault he has been dealt these cards, he isn't doing as bad a job as some make out under the circumstances even if most agree he isn't worth his place in the side. Blame the numpties above him for what is going on. Lets hope it is all resolved sooner rather than later if only for Michael Holding's blood pressure.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

haha yeah, KP has posted about Knight before. Wholeheartedly agree, he is a joke, i think it was last year he commented to Warne that Knight was 'stealing a living' and then said he puts it on mute when Cork was talking as he was 'as bad as Knight'

Unbelievable isn't it. Then again he is better than Willis and Allott but only just. Good to see Ian Ward getting more air time, looks the natural successor to Gower as linkman for any series he doesn't cover.

 

[Manee]

So all the hypes about Gabriel clocking more speed than Edwards, Roach on consistent basis was nothing but much hyped?

He is a quick one but very raw, indeed.

 

[Viscount Tom]

Gayle= 41 average- Isn't that good and prefers getting the money of the IPL to playing hor Windies
Barath= 23 average
Edwards= 50 average- See Below
Darren Bravo= 50 average- made mostly against Bangladesh and India
Chanderpaul= 50 average
Sarwan= 40 average
Ramdin (wk)
Taylor- even if he's now training again the guy hasn't played in a year.
Narine- IPL
Rampaul- Injured
Roach

You seem to have also ignored the fact that Sammy was bowling better than the rest of his team quite easily.

The pitch is flat the bowlers are going to struggle against England's batting line up in their home conditions.

 

[Manee]

haha yeah, KP has posted about Knight before. Wholeheartedly agree, he is a joke, i think it was last year he commented to Warne that Knight was 'stealing a living' and then said he puts it on mute when Cork was talking as he was 'as bad as Knight'

I didn't know he was so bad. Don't really pay much attention to who is commentating, unless it is Danny Morrison, itbt. What makes him so bad?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I didn't know he was so bad. Don't really pay much attention to who is commentating, unless it is Danny Morrison, itbt. What makes him so bad?

Has the same droning tone all the time, not quite as bad as Willis who makes you suicidal but having played the game he just states the bleeding obvious. I bet most of us on here would be more insightful.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Holding not happy again this morning. Heh.

I agree with him that Sarwan should be playing at the least. Gayle perhaps not.

 

[MW1304]

Tbh I don't think he says anything particularly bad, or is any less insightful than some of the other commentators, but he has so many annoying idiosyncrasies that you become horribly infuriated whilst listening to him (or watching him).