Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Actually it's both the batting and the bowling that needs fixing. Find some people who can bat and something other than 132 km/h not-McGrath-accurate seam up for starters.
You don't want to fall for that old trickI told a girl that I might be slightly distracted due to watching the cricket. She came over anyway to watch with me. Put a ring on it?
We have about 5 players who are good enough currently .
Cook - Looks like he is done
Stoneman - Actually has looked halfway decent but not converted anything, and massively unconvinced still
Malan - Not sold but has played some great knocks.
Root - Top class
Bairstow - Bad run of form but still would consider him a very good Test player
Stokes - Class player, needs a run of games again but good knock 2nd dig
Ali - Not good enough
Woakes - Sadly not good enough with the ball
Overton - Looks like a nothing bowler
Broad - Last chance saloon territory, but only kept in the side by lack of options
Anderson - Still class but coming to the end.
We need 3 more seamers, an opener, a spinner and 1 other batsmen. Half a team, including most of the crucial positions. Team could free-fall in the next 18 months.
Absolutely. They'll probably pick him at home though and he won't do much on the pitches. The opposite issue to Moeen.Would like to see Leach. England need to test the spin bowling waters and he has put the numbers together for the while and done it with expectation at Somerset.
Was surprised Stokes wasn't as up until recently he was averaging 40 for a period of time but i guess his 250 has rolled off.You're never going to win cricket matches away from home when you only have the one batsman averaging above 40 in the past 24 months, who is Root, managing 1018 @ 42.41
Everybody else is middling 30's or worse.
you can talk about the bowling all you like, when the batsmen face a huge struggle just getting to 300 consistently you are absolutely never ever going to win away from home.
Anyway for the next test I'd like to see:
Cook
Stoneman
Root
Malan
Livingstone
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Wood
Broad
Anderson
Unless Stoneman gets runs next game (ie not a nice 50 and out) he'll be replaced by whoever is in form at the start of the next season. Hameed could barely hold a bat last summer and i don't like the idea of him being paired with Cook. We might get to 30/0 but it could take forever and still be inviting pressure.Ali has to go. Get a proper spinner. And because the options are so limited, wouldn't mind seeing Cook drop down the order and an opener like Hameed or whoever is in form join Stoneman.
Stoneman
Opening Bat
Malan
Root
Cook
Stokes
Bairstow +
Pacer
Spinner
Broad
Anderson
Plenty of question marks on the batting and spin bowling imo. Nothing that any other side in the world isn't facing atm, mind.England have got their problems, obviously, but this looked a bloody good New Zealand team from where I was sitting
How the hell has this not happened yet? I know bairstow apparently makes a fuss about keeping but has he seen how much better he looks in the odi side? Shouldn’t be a hard sell when foakes is averaging 40 odd in first class cricket.They could still try Bairstow as a full time batsman along with Foakes. Wouldn't be the worst call.