***Official*** India in England 2014

[wpdavid]

I dont know what you are talking about.

It was, I think, your reference to Broad as 'androgynous'. And the Spiders from Mars being fronted by the even more androgynous David Bowie.

 

[wpdavid]

Replace Broad & Stokes with Jordan & Woakes

If they had another fast bowling option, I'd punt Anderson as well

The English bowling on Day 1 at Lords and at Headingley for long periods was deplorable so someone should pay

The lack of options is truly frightening. I had a look at the FC averages yesterday, and there really isn't anyone outside of the squad who's worth a punt. Woakes' figures were better than I'd expected, so I have no problem with him playing at 8 on Sunday. But you're dead right that the real problem is our openers. And looking at the county stats, you're just scratching your head to see where the next cab off the ranks is coming from. Ditto the spinners, of course. It's been said elsewhere, but whoever thought the current domestic set-up to be a good idea needs to be given a pistol and told to take a walk in the woods. The last few years have seen way too much emphasis on 2020, with far too much of the county games crammed into the first couple of months. The you factor in the dead-as-doorpost county pitches which do nothing to encourage penetrative bowling. Surprise surprise, the cupboard is completely bare in terms of quicks and spinners.

Returning to a previous discussion, the lack of even remotely viable alternatives to Anderson & Broad is one reason why I think we're in an even worse position than during the 1990's. Not saying we were world beaters of course, but once Gough, Caddick, Headley and Cork had emerged, and as long as Fraser was fit, and on the occasions when Malcolm's radar wasn't up the spout and De Freitas was in some sort of form, at least we had respectable options. The one exception being the 1993 Ashes, I suppose.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Nah the problem is that all the quicks and spinners are ****, good spinners like Jeetan Patel and Jeetan Patel are doing fine.

 

[Flem274*]

Jeets fast becoming the most overrated cricketer in England.

 

[King Pietersen]

TBH there's a thread for that, I only answered on a mistake.

Regime-change would have to happen, but it could be close if the results keep going as they happen, and he's not in a position to take advantage. Personally I just don't see why he's not playing County Cricket, surely time at the crease could only help his dire form in T20.

Anyway the point is there are people saying he should be picked right away, I think most with a modicum of cricket-intelligence would say that's not really possible.

You know I could see him playing T20 for England again, very different set-up.

He looked good against Somerset tbf, best I've seen him time the ball for a long time. Reckon he put a lot of hard work in for the MCC game. Looked in handy knick in that game too.

KP blasting County attacks in the Championship would prove nothing about his form, or his ability, but it'd be a massive signal of intent to the selectors that he does want his spot back. He might have been told that it's not going to happen, but if he was going to change their minds, the best way would have been to smash a few big hundreds in the FC stuff. If he does actually want his spot back, which is what he's saying, jetting off to the Caribbean to play more pointless T20 is not the way to do it.

 

[harsh.ag]

I honestly can't wait for Kohli vs Johnson. It has the potential to be an epic of this era

 

[ohnoitsyou]

He's shown that he is the best spinner in England by a considerable margin tbf. Whether jeets is good or not, the point is the system in England allows him to be successful, so theres no reason for the english boys not being so. There's definitely something wrong with your system. When England came to NZ, Woakes looked like he was about a year or two off being test class, while Finn had all the tools and just needed more times in the nets and Onions was tearing up the county championship etc. etc. The pitches should be nearly irrelevant, its England with a Duke and Jesse Ryder is taking wickets by the bag ffs.

 

[harsh.ag]

Oh, the look on the faces of Aussies when Ishant out-bounces the return-to-crap-mode Johnson. Make that happen, o mighty deity.

On second thoughts, OMD, I can't bear to see the awesomeness of Johnson go away from cricket. Don't make it happen. But grant Kohli & Pujara some xtra mojo.

 

[91Jmay]

He's shown that he is the best spinner in England by a considerable margin tbf. Whether jeets is good or not, the point is the system in England allows him to be successful, so theres no reason for the english boys not being so. There's definitely something wrong with your system. When England came to NZ, Woakes looked like he was about a year or two off being test class, while Finn had all the tools and just needed more times in the nets and Onions was tearing up the county championship etc. etc. The pitches should be nearly irrelevant, its England with a Duke and Jesse Ryder is taking wickets by the bag ffs.

Div 2 wickets/runs are borderline irrelevant. Moeen dominates with ball and bat in that division so your premise is off there.

 

[social]

He looked good against Somerset tbf, best I've seen him time the ball for a long time. Reckon he put a lot of hard work in for the MCC game. Looked in handy knick in that game too.

KP blasting County attacks in the Championship would prove nothing about his form, or his ability, but it'd be a massive signal of intent to the selectors that he does want his spot back. He might have been told that it's not going to happen, but if he was going to change their minds, the best way would have been to smash a few big hundreds in the FC stuff. If he does actually want his spot back, which is what he's saying, jetting off to the Caribbean to play more pointless T20 is not the way to do it.

The 34-year-old told BT Sport: 'I'd love to play for England again but we might to have for a few things to change before that could possibly happen.

This has got nothing to do with form, talent, technique or confirmation that he can still score runs in an English backwater against very average bowlers

It's politics and I don't expect to see him back so let him go off and make his millions

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Div 2 wickets/runs are borderline irrelevant. Moeen dominates with ball and bat in that division so your premise is off there.

Its Jesse Ryder though...

 

[Blocky]

Its Jesse Ryder though...

Who has long been an effective bowler at first class level, capable of 125-130kmh an hour and capable of taking wickets at international level. Sure, he's not a open the bowling, take ten wickets in a match sort of guy but I'm never surprised to see a guy like him chip out two to three an innings.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Who has long been an effective bowler at first class level, capable of 125-130kmh an hour and capable of taking wickets at international level. Sure, he's not a open the bowling, take ten wickets in a match sort of guy but I'm never surprised to see a guy like him chip out two to three an innings.

I don't deny he's a decent bowler, but if our second rate seamers like Franklin post injury and Ryder can pick up bucketloads of wickets in second division, then theres no excuse for proper bowlers to do well in first division.

 

[hendrix]

Div 2 wickets/runs are borderline irrelevant. Moeen dominates with ball and bat in that division so your premise is off there.

Moeen is good. I don't know why people don't like his bowling.

 

[King Pietersen]

Agreed. 7 wickets at 38 is pretty good going, especially when people were saying he'd get smashed by India. Might as well stick with him for a while, and see if he can improve and become a decent Test bowler.

 

[grecian]

Moeen is good. I don't know why people don't like his bowling.

Yes, I'm really not sure what 91Jmay's point is. Moeen has done fine with bat and ball. So his runs and Wickets have meant something in Div2.

 

[social]

Moeen has done **** all with ball - little penetration or containment

I have no problem with him retaining a place in the side (and would probably promote him in the batting order) but let's not pretend that he should be anything more than a handy bowling option at this stage

 

[grecian]

Moeen has done **** all with ball - little penetration or containment

I have no problem with him retaining a place in the side (and would probably promote him in the batting order) but let's not pretend that he should be anything more than a handy bowling option at this stage

I disagree.

 

[grecian]

As much as Jeets is an incredibly solid overseas player, always there contributes in all forms, within every discipline. He's not exactly Ajmal with his record. It's not that different bowling-wise than Kerrigan has managed for years, until this season.

 

[Blocky]

As much as Jeets is an incredibly solid overseas player, always there contributes in all forms, within every discipline. He's not exactly Ajmal with his record. It's not that different bowling-wise than Kerrigan has managed for years, until this season.

Jeets should never be considered solid, did you see his last test match? The guy was running fifty metres to square leg everytime the ball got bowled at him - no guts, whatsoever.