Road to the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia

[Bijed]

I struggle to see how England will even win a Test with no Stokes. He adds so much to your team.

Honestly that's a bit of an overstatement. We won't be able to win a Test anyway because we have three giant holes in our batting line up.

Hopefully it doesn't come to this.

Yeah, I didn't fancy our chances whatsoever anyway, but if Stokes doesn't go we are well and truly stuffed

 

[howardj]

Kris in the comments section on the Herald Sun website...on Australia's all-rounder woes haha

The comments from average punters on Newspaper sites are staggering.



Kris 11 hours ago
Two left field options:

Pick Wade or Nevill at 6. Then you can stack the tail with bowlers who bat very well; Cummins, Starc and Agar. That would leave Lyon and Hazelwood at 10 & 11, who are both probably 9 level batsmen.

The other option is to pick another specialist batsman at 6. Let Hanscomb take the gloves for an hour a day whilst Wade sends down some overs as the second change bowler.

 

[Starfighter]

Can't Maxwell just chuck down eight overs of filth? Or Cartwright? There's some silly people out there.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Kris in the comments section on the Herald Sun website...on Australia's all-rounder woes haha

The comments from average punters on Newspaper sites are staggering.



Kris 11 hours ago
Two left field options:

Pick Wade or Nevill at 6. Then you can stack the tail with bowlers who bat very well; Cummins, Starc and Agar. That would leave Lyon and Hazelwood at 10 & 11, who are both probably 9 level batsmen.

The other option is to pick another specialist batsman at 6. Let Hanscomb take the gloves for an hour a day whilst Wade sends down some overs as the second change bowler.

lol. a few issues there. Haze and Lyon are no. 10s at best.

And that's a novel solution to having a keeper who doesn't make any runs . . . promote him in the order! And drop a batsman!

Daily Mirror (lol ) seems to think there is no chance Stokes goes to Aus now. Either going to be injured or dealing with police charges/ ban from the ecb.

Ben Stokes facing potential Ashes axe after Bristol brawl leaves his Australia tour in doubt - Mirror Online

That's garbage. Stokes has to play. Trust me, they will find a way to get him there.

 

[stephen]

Reading newspaper comments is possibly the worst thing you can do for your mental health and sanity. Remembering that these people all get to vote. *shudder*

 

[Dan]

Stokes to get denied a visa imo.

 

[Dan]

I can only assume the Australian government will not allow Ben Stokes to enter the country. Is ronnie irani still around?

God ****ing dammit Spikey.

tbh the only guy in the English touring squad genuinely at risk of #PotatoPete and his Homeland Security banhammer is Moeenalitharan.

 

[Starfighter]

Reading newspaper comments is possibly the worst thing you can do for your mental health and sanity. Remembering that these people all get to vote. *shudder*

I only need to go as far as the politics threads here to get that feeling.

 

[FBU]

@Aggerscricket

Leaked again: Root, Cook, Stoneman, Malan, Ballance, Vince, Moeen, Crane, Foakes, Bairstow, Stokes, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Ball, Overton.

Last Ashes in Australia in the 5 Tests
Australia - used 11 players
England - used 18 players

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Now we know the squad there must be a slurping sound coming out of Australia with all the batsman licking their lips.

 

[mr_mister]

lol. a few issues there. Haze and Lyon are no. 10s at best.

And that's a novel solution to having a keeper who doesn't make any runs . . . promote him in the order! And drop a batsman!



That's garbage. Stokes has to play. Trust me, they will find a way to get him there.

But if you have all 4 of Agar, Cummins, Pattinson and Starc in there suddenly you've got a whole bunch of number 8s batting down to 10 and his theory kinda works

 

[Tangles]

With all the media around how bad England's batting options are will just have CA order pitches that look like highways. It was probably on order anyway but definitely now.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Stokes to get denied a visa imo.

Thought you had to be a criminal to get in?

 

[TheJediBrah]

With all the media around how bad England's batting options are will just have CA order pitches that look like highways. It was probably on order anyway but definitely now.

Wouldn't surprise me. They've already been doing that for the last few years to make sure Tests go the distance and, given Australia's already well-documented collapsability, if they are worried about England's batting as well then we should probably get prepared for some flat wickets

 

[Tangles]

Weather in Brisbane and the D/N test are the 2 chances for an even bat and ball contest.

 

[Gnske]

Not even the Austalian team getting nuked by Kim would make this an even contest.

 

[S.Kennedy]

It is a funny old game though. England were probably favourites until Australia discovered Handscomb and Renshaw, which stabilised their batting, and then had a decent fist of it in India. Remember Gatting's men in 1986-7?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

As has been the case for much of the last few years we are going in with an 8 man team of good players and need 6 or 7 to fire to give us a chance in any game. Nothing we didn't know before the summer started or the squad was announced, bit annoying they never found a player we can rely on this summer but we have what we have. I think expectations are low from our point of view so it may help the side a bit.

 

[harsh.ag]

Yeah, Renshaw and Handscomb put them over the edge. Also Khawaja in Australia can destroy you pretty much.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Also Khawaja in Australia can destroy you pretty much.

Yeah, not even another disaster in Asia will lead to them dropping him for a home series. Well it shouldn't but I don't think the selectors are in 2010/11 mode now.