Onto 2015

[uvelocity]

australian opener arun finch has been stood down after punching english coach, the king of spain in a london nightspot

 

[morgieb]

Noted Australian off-spinner Xavier Doherty gets a surprise recall following Haddin's disappearance.

 

[uvelocity]

to be replaced by dermo abbott, after his golden summer being pushed up the order at the insistence of mark waugh. in fact he was pushed so far up the order he actually batted 10 for victoria one week

 

[ajdude]

Can someone make an 'Imaginary cricketweb memories circa 2015' thread in the testing forum? Would be a quality exercise for our creativity IMO and would help us all come together as one.

 

[steds]

Back Yorkshire to get relegated this year as the entire team is **** and French

Fixed

 

[andyc]

Looking at the squad

Still in the side:
Cook, Root, Bell, Broad

Maybes:
Pietersen, Stokes, Bresnan, Finn, Anderson, Ballance, Prior, Bairstow

Nots:
Trott, Carberry, Swann, Tremlett, Rankin

Reckon Carbs hasn't been that bad, and he certainly looks like he wants to be there a bit more than many others. Currently your highest scorer too, so I'd say he's definitely worthy of a 'maybe' at least.

 

[GIMH]

Reckon Carbs hasn't been that bad, and he certainly looks like he wants to be there a bit more than many others. Currently your highest scorer too, so I'd say he's definitely worthy of a 'maybe' at least.

More of an age thing than performance with him

 

[andyc]

Meh, furry muff then.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Will Ben Stokes retain his place after copying Flintoff with his drunken pedalo incident during the world cup?

 

[morgieb]

To copy GIMH, here's my opinion of the likely squad:

Still in the side:
Warner, Smith

Maybes:
Watson, Clarke, Bailey, Siddle, Lyon, Johnson, Harris

Nots:
Rogers, Haddin

 

[flibbertyjibber]

To copy GIMH, here's my opinion of the likely squad:

Still in the side:
Warner, Smith

Maybes:
Watson, Clarke, Bailey, Siddle, Lyon, Johnson, Harris

Nots:
Rogers, Haddin

As well as Australia have played it is hard to see many of this side still being around for the Aussie summer following the next ashes due to age. Could be hard to predict your side as most of the bowlers in this side are over 30 and the kids are crocks.

Think we may well have a fascinating series in 2015 with both sides vastly different to this current series.

 

[wpdavid]

As well as Australia have played it is hard to see many of this side still being around for the Aussie summer following the next ashes due to age. Could be hard to predict your side as most of the bowlers in this side are over 30 and the kids are crocks.

Think we may well have a fascinating series in 2015 with both sides vastly different to this current series.

It's only 18 months away though, so most of the Australians may still be around. Fair point about their quicks, but they do seem to have quite a few young quicks, so you'd think one or two of them should be fit.

I think England will look very different though. This lot have struggled for most of the last two years when there's a serious challenge, the one exception being the India tour. Not an easy job for whoever's in charge over the next 12 months.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

It's only 18 months away though, so most of the Australians may still be around. Fair point about their quicks, but they do seem to have quite a few young quicks, so you'd think one or two of them should be fit.

I think England will look very different though. This lot have struggled for most of the last two years when there's a serious challenge, the one exception being the India tour. Not an easy job for whoever's in charge over the next 12 months.

May well see changes all over. Out with the Essex mafia and in with Giles, Thorpe and maybe a new captain as his form has suffered and he is hardly inspiring in the field. He can hopefully go back to being a run machine. I know I have joked about half the Yorkshire team being in the side but it is a possibility with so many places potentially up for grabs with the old guard.

Just hope we don't do what we did in the 80's and keep picking the old guard as soon as a new player fails for a game or two as that gets you nowhere.

 

[wpdavid]

May well see changes all over. Out with the Essex mafia and in with Giles, Thorpe and maybe a new captain as his form has suffered and he is hardly inspiring in the field. He can hopefully go back to being a run machine. I know I have joked about half the Yorkshire team being in the side but it is a possibility with so many places potentially up for grabs with the old guard.

Just hope we don't do what we did in the 80's and keep picking the old guard as soon as a new player fails for a game or two as that gets you nowhere.

Sure - I remember the 1980s all too well and it wasn't a pretty time. And you may not be wrong about having lots of Tykes in the side, although I hope they don't throw Lees in too soon. Shame about Flower after the wonderful job he did for 2 years or so, but he's getting no-where with these guys now, and he's probably had enough of them. Gooch, as I've said before, tends to offer diminsihing returns once he's been in charge for any length of time. Choosing a new team manager won't be easy, actually. Maybe you're right about Giles. Massive over-achiever as a player, and might do the same as a manager. He's certainly done well at Warwickshsire.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Or, it's only since Giles has become involved that England seem to have gone backwards...

 

[theegyptian]

Well Giles isn't really involved with the test team and England did reach the champions trophy final under Giles. Although I'm indifferent on the whole Giles/Flower debate


In answer to wpdavid, I don't think they're going to go anywhere near picking Lees any time soon. He's definitely been picked out like Foakes and Root before him as someone with the talent and mental processes to prosper but he wasn't even playing for yorkshire at the end of the season for a period. Root got brought into the England team too soon (not that he hasn't done badly) and surely they'll let Lees develop his game somewhat. Even Root had played a lot more cricket that lees currently has.

 

[91Jmay]

Although I love Giles and he was brilliant for us, he is cut from exactly the shame cloth as Flower. Would be no change in selection criteria and playing style.

 

[wpdavid]

Although I love Giles and he was brilliant for us, he is cut from exactly the shame cloth as Flower. Would be no change in selection criteria and playing style.

Does that matter at all? Attitude and personnel are the issues afaics.

 

[GIMH]

I'm not sure attitude is an issue, save maybe KP

 

[91Jmay]

Well if it isn't an attitude thing, whats the point in sacking Flower? We realistically aren't going to be making great swathing changes to the team. The guys who are behind just aren't good enough save for a couple (still maintain James Taylor will score runs at test level when he gets the chance). Whats the point having a new guy coming in saying the same stuff Flower did? Especially as most of the squad already know him well from LO scene.