**Official** West Indies in England 2012

[Stumpcam]

Interesting little difference of opinion on twitter:

Jonathan Agnew tweeted: "At risk of repeating myself, who will buy advance tickets for final Test/ODI of a series when there is a good chance you won't see 1st team?"

Stuart Broad contered with:"Would you prefer players careers to finish early through injury by playing every game put in the schedule by people in suits?"

Agnew then responded that there is too much cricket, but what we want as fans is plenty of quality cricket isn't it? It was interesting yesterday that a lot of the WI fans left The Oval early yesterday once it became clear that England were going to cruise to victory. So what many fans want is their team to win, not necessarily just to watch cricket for purely a love of the game.

I think it's a good thing that the England team isn't a closed shop, and that the coaches are keen to introduce youth when they can to give the new guys some valuable experience.

 

[uvelocity]

the best games ever were australia vs australia a

 

[benchmark00]

Agnew then responded that there is too much cricket, but what we want as fans is plenty of quality cricket isn't it? It was interesting yesterday that a lot of the WI fans left The Oval early yesterday once it became clear that England were going to cruise to victory. So what many fans want is their team to win, not necessarily just to watch cricket for purely a love of the game.

Nah look this is horse ****.

It's true people much prefer to see their team win no matter who is playing, but they'd still rather see the best players play.

When you go to the cricket you usually have to purchase the ticket weeks in advance, and at that time you pay (which can be quite expensive) with the assumption you're going to see close to the best possible players out there.

If you have an Australian A vs England A match but just label it as Australia vs England the value of the ticket will be less than if you have proper Australia vs England. But you still expect the fans to pay the full price just because they get a chance to see their 'team' win?

I can't count how many times I've been to the cricket when a top name player from the opposition (or even for Australia) has pulled out and I've been devo because I'm looking forward to seeing them play so much.

 

[grecian]

Interesting little difference of opinion on twitter:

Jonathan Agnew tweeted: "At risk of repeating myself, who will buy advance tickets for final Test/ODI of a series when there is a good chance you won't see 1st team?"

Stuart Broad contered with:"Would you prefer players careers to finish early through injury by playing every game put in the schedule by people in suits?"

Agnew then responded that there is too much cricket, but what we want as fans is plenty of quality cricket isn't it? It was interesting yesterday that a lot of the WI fans left The Oval early yesterday once it became clear that England were going to cruise to victory. So what many fans want is their team to win, not necessarily just to watch cricket for purely a love of the game.

I think it's a good thing that the England team isn't a closed shop, and that the coaches are keen to introduce youth when they can to give the new guys some valuable experience.

I'm not keen on resting for Tests because they matter. ODIs though are a different matter, it's interesting to see fresh blood, and yes think the bowlers should be a bit molly-coddled with more important matches to come.

 

[benchmark00]

the best games ever were australia vs australia a

That's because at that time the second best team on the planet were Australia A

 

[Jono]

I was devo last time I went to a North Melbourne game and there were no top players playing.

North didn't have any injuries or anything, they just had no top players.

 

[benchmark00]

I was devo last time I went to a North Melbourne game and there were no top players playing.

North didn't have any injuries or anything, they just had no top players.

 

[Prince EWS]

I was devo last time I went to a North Melbourne game and there were no top players playing.

North didn't have any injuries or anything, they just had no top players.

Surely there were some on the opposition though.

Or was it North v Richmond?

 

[benchmark00]

I'm not keen on resting for Tests because they matter. ODIs though are a different matter, it's interesting to see fresh blood, and yes think the bowlers should be a bit molly-coddled with more important matches to come.

It's interesting though, because is a bowlers work rate over a three match ODI series going to be that much bigger than their work rate over a test match?

Don't get me wrong, I see the need to do it some times. I just don't like it as a spectator.

 

[uvelocity]

That's because at that time the second best team on the planet were Australia A

nah australia was 2nd best

 

[Jono]

Surely there were some on the opposition though.

Or was it North v Richmond?

See this was the perfect come back, but for Benchy to say it he'd have to torpedo North to take down Richmond. He wasn't willing to do it

 

[grecian]

It's interesting though, because is a bowlers work rate over a three match ODI series going to be that much bigger than their work rate over a test match?

Don't get me wrong, I see the need to do it some times. I just don't like it as a spectator.

Crap weather forecast, so this may all be epidemic.

Well, in the end, I think, for England ATM in ODIs, there's much more a problem with knowing whether anyone is any good other than the main bowlers. In Test's obviously we know Onions, Tremlett, Panesar and Finn can bowl. So in this situation we need to look at other options more. Personally, I think you buy a ticket for the last match in a series your taking a risk that it could be a thrilling conclusion or a dead rubber, with fresh faces running out.

If I'd bought a ticket to this match, I don't think I'd be that disappointed, as I've seen the England players a number of times, and would like to see Woakes, and perhaps Meaker. Seeing Tredwell, Patel, and Bopara roll there arm over for lots of overs may not please me though.

I think it's much more annoying if the oppo don't play their best players, because it maybe one of the few times you've seen them. Yet it's still understandable.

 

[Furball]

C'mon GF there is no way you can't have doubt there. You can think it's out, and as I said it probably did hit the pad first. Not beyond doubt though, even more so live. If he had no doubt he's blind.

Of course there's doubt, I'm 99% certain it's pad first after seeing the slowmos.

However, that's not the point. The only person's opinion that matters is the umpire's, and for him to give it out then it means that there couldn't have been doubt in his mind.

I've no idea why there's a lot of moaning about the Gayle decision when all the evidence points towards it being the correct decision.

 

[Furball]

Bell (no idea why anyone likes this ****) admitted cheating and not for the first time

Tell me where I'm wrong

How is staying in when the umpire hasn't given you out cheating?

Take your time on this one.

 

[uvelocity]

However, that's not the point. The only person's opinion that matters is the umpire's, and for him to give it out then it means that there couldn't have been doubt in his mind.

how do you come to this conclusion?

 

[Cabinet96]

I think it's much more annoying if the oppo don't play their best players, because it maybe one of the few times you've seen them.

Yeah AWTA. I'd be devastated if, when I go to one of the England v South Africa tests, Steyn or Phillander are out injured. Simply because I've never seen them bowl in a test match, and likely won't get the chance for at least another 5 years. I have seen, and will get the chance to in the future, many England players.

 

[Viscount Tom]

Even so with England's level of depth in quality bowling I'm not too disappointed with who we've brought in.

But a Headingley game without a local lad seems a tad silly.

 

[Cabinet96]

how do you come to this conclusion?

Because an international umpire wouldn't give a batsmen out when he's unsure and using guesswork.

 

[uvelocity]

what if he thought on the balance of probability it was more likely that the ball hit pad first? Is that not an option? Perhaps he was 99% sure?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

It's interesting though, because is a bowlers work rate over a three match ODI series going to be that much bigger than their work rate over a test match?

Don't get me wrong, I see the need to do it some times. I just don't like it as a spectator.

Well Darren Gough has said many times that he was more tired at the end of a one day international than a day of test cricket when he had bowled 20-25 overs. His reasoning being that for every delivery in the one day game you are giving maximum effort as every run counts yet in a test match you have plans where you don't need to be 100% all the time so mentally it isn't as tiring.

It would be interesting to hear what current players say about the strains on the body/mind of each different form of the game.

For me i'd be happy to rest players in one day series and give players like Woakes and Dernbach games (obviously current circumstances may rule out Dernbach) as well as batsmen like Taylor and Butler.