England players and selection discussion thread

[fredfertang]

I admire the balls of any IPL franchise who took a punt on a lad who doesn't even make Lancashire's T20 squad.

You can trace poor old Hameed's travails back to when Lancs gave him his first taste of the white ball stuff a year ago

 

[theegyptian]

meh, I wouldn't of made those decisions but the selector has to do what he think is best. I'll reserve judgement until there is something to actually judge.

Regarding Buttler there has always been a strong support of him being selected in the test team, regardless of first class performances, by former players and journalists - so smith hardly in the minority there.

Do like the irony of Vince finally doing something people have been asking of him and he gets dropped, having being selected and recalled without doing much to justify inclusion. He can't really complain in that respect having played 13 tests and averaged 24.9 but it does feel almost cruel given he didn't select himself in the first place (ie he could only do his best) - and yesterdays knock may have felt like a breakthrough to vince.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

Still Mark Wood? Blimey, gives me hope one day I might yet have a career for England if he's one of the best seamers.

Also, bowled out for 58 or whatever and getting hammered by the Aussies with the batting having major conversion/concentration problems and they try and sure that up with Buttler? The world has gone mad.

 

[Groundking]

meh, I wouldn't of made those decisions but the selector has to do what he think is best. I'll reserve judgement until there is something to actually judge.

Regarding Buttler there has always been a strong support of him being selected in the test team, regardless of first class performances, by former players and journalists - so smith hardly in the minority there.

Do like the irony of Vince finally doing something people have been asking of him and he gets dropped, having being selected and recalled without doing much to justify inclusion. He can't really complain in that respect having played 13 tests and averaged 24.9 but it does feel almost cruel given he didn't select himself in the first place (ie he could only do his best) - and yesterdays knock may have felt like a breakthrough to vince.

If Vince has any character about him he would get the bit between his teeth and absolutely annihilate the CC and force his way into the team if this really is his breakthrough.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I just find the Buttler decision bizarre, and what does it say about the championship? You have all these inform batsmen - Burns, Gubbins, Pope, Joe Clarke, Hildreth - and you select a batsman who is playing IPL? Bizarre!!

 

[Pothas]

Buttler is kind of different though, as I say you can still see the appeal. Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, it is such a tempting lineup. I don't think any of those guys you mention have really demanded selection yet, hope Clarke or someone does soon. Stoneman keeping his spot bugs me a lot more and Woakes and Wood being there is just kind of uninspiring. Can't really say Woakes is a bad selection but would really like to see someone else getting a go.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Where would you place him though, seven or something like last time he played, buried away with the allrounders? If you insist on using Buttler you should have him at three, or even open with him as a pinch-hitter and give him a licence.

 

[Pothas]

Not if you think Bairstow should be in the top 5. Having him at 5 opens up that place for Buttler. Personally I would not have picked him, would rather just have Stokes at 7 but I can understand the idea.

 

[fredfertang]

I think Buttler is a very strange selection, but what if he comes off and gets 200 in a couple of sessions?

Will that change Test cricket forever? Or put another nail in its coffin?

 

[Groundking]

There's been nothing in Bairstow's past 18 months that suggests that he should be batting in the top 5 though IMO, and more and more it looks like his 2016 was a flukey year.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I think Buttler is a very strange selection, but what if he comes off and gets 200 in a couple of sessions?

Will that change Test cricket forever? Or put another nail in its coffin?

You Lankies are always moaning about Buttler, aren't you? He seems to be universally hated.

I once saw him make a century against Durham in a county championship match.

 

[Pothas]

He is an extraordinary player Butter, very few like him. There is not really any evidence he can do it in red ball cricket but unlike the rest of our white ball players there is part of me that still wants us to keep trying, I mean he was bad at all in his early Tests. Was at his debut innings in Test cricket and he just hits the ball so ridiculously well.

 

[fredfertang]

You Lankies are always moaning about Buttler, aren't you? He seems to be universally hated.

I once saw him make a century against Durham in a county championship match.

I don't mind Buttler at all - the bloke almost never plays for Lancs anyway

What I find odd is that as the white ball and red ball games drift apart he (and there's no doubt he's as good a batsman as any in the short formats) suddenly gets picked for a Test side, a format where his record is pretty ordinary

 

[Firebreaker]

Buttler needs to get a Test hundred. He's been underperforming in every chance he's been given.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

There's been nothing in Bairstow's past 18 months that suggests that he should be batting in the top 5 though IMO, and more and more it looks like his 2016 was a flukey year.

Are you on drugs?

 

[S.Kennedy]

I found that batting order, or something similar with Buttler at seven, odd the first (or was it the second?) time Jos played in the test team, whereby Buttler, playing as a specialist batsman, was sort of plonked behind the all-rounder and keeper. It is as if the selectors found they had one batsman too many and thought, '''ehhh, we'll just plonk him there behind Stokesy''.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Im all for playing multi wk who bat well over more mediocre batsmen.

Just 2 issues: Foakes is meant to be a better keeper than Bairstow and is young with runs under the belt. So he was a good option to promote Bairstow to top 5.

Butler often fails trying to look like a test batsman, so he is really may need a license to play his limited overs circus type shots where he is one of the very best in the world at. That said - I hope gets the license and suceeds. It will be great entertainment.

 

[TheJediBrah]

IPL performances directly deciding England home Test selection. Love it. I wonder what the poor buggers slaving away in the County Championship pushing for Test selection feel about it.

I was somewhat looking forward to S.Kennedy's response but it's a bit underwhelming tbh

 

[S.Kennedy]

IPL performances directly deciding England home Test selection. Love it. I wonder what the poor buggers slaving away in the County Championship pushing for Test selection feel about it.

I was somewhat looking forward to S.Kennedy's response but it's a bit underwhelming tbh

Why be angry about any of today's cricketing news? Tests. Domestic first-class stuff. IPL. All of it will be swept away by the 100.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

IPL performances directly deciding England home Test selection. Love it. I wonder what the poor buggers slaving away in the County Championship pushing for Test selection feel about it.

I was somewhat looking forward to S.Kennedy's response but it's a bit underwhelming tbh

Well they do have India this year, so it isn't entirely without a semblance of reason seeing Buttler is smashing Indian bowling. Plus your own Nathan Lyon found his test selection as a result of BBL. There's probably more in the past of IPL form too, S Marsh or Watson recalls perhaps?

But I do find it an odd selection with Ben Foakes around would have given Bairstow to the opportunity to move up the order without keeping the gloves. And it seems so temporary with Buttler batting 7 and not keeping.

It is as if the selectors don't expect it to be long before Buttler is back out of the team.