England players and selection discussion thread

[S.Kennedy]

First-class career averages, current County Championship 2018 stats in brackets,

Hameed 2,552 at 31.50 (165 at 9.71)
Jennings 6,260 at 34.02 (621 at 44.36)
Stoneman 10,086 at 34.54 (416 at 29.71)
Gubbins 3,234 at 36.33 (364 at 40.44)
Mitchell 12,284 at 40.94 (750 at 41.67)
Burns 7,193 at 44.12 (961 at 64.07)

The selectors have literally ignored the openers with the higher career averages and selected the ones with the lower, albeit with the caveat that the two former Durham openers made their runs on a dodgy Chester-le wicket.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

It's bizarre because Ed Smith doesn't give a crap about anything other than stats. Just get Mitchell and Burns in imo and let a new partnership blossom. I could see Mitchell coming in and averaging 30+ which would be way better than current. I don't care about random 250*s that in no way help anyone apart from raise your avg but then never show up in the games that mean something. Predicting a 150 partnership today between the two to prove me wrong!

 

[theegyptian]

First-class career averages, current County Championship 2018 stats in brackets,

Hameed 2,552 at 31.50 (165 at 9.71)
Jennings 6,260 at 34.02 (621 at 44.36)
Stoneman 10,086 at 34.54 (416 at 29.71)
Gubbins 3,234 at 36.33 (364 at 40.44)
Mitchell 12,284 at 40.94 (750 at 41.67)
Burns 7,193 at 44.12 (961 at 64.07)

The selectors have literally ignored the openers with the higher career averages and selected the ones with the lower, albeit with the caveat that the two former Durham openers made their runs on a dodgy Chester-le wicket.

Hameed averaged a lot more when he was selected for England - I'm guessing mid to late 40s. Duckett too averaged mid 40s when selected.
The oval has been one of the flattest wickets since Burns started his career. Him and Mitchell have also played quite a bit in division 2 - certainly moreso than Jennings.

So it's not like you can take these averages exactly as they are.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Hameed averaged a lot more when he was selected for England - I'm guessing mid to late 40s. Duckett too averaged mid 40s when selected.
The oval has been one of the flattest wickets since Burns started his career. Him and Mitchell have also played quite a bit in division 2 - certainly moreso than Jennings.

So it's not like you can take these averages exactly as they are.

You have to go off something rather than simply putting Cook's name first on team sheet because he is from the right ''sort of people'', and rotating Jennings and Stoneman. They've tried everybody else! If Burns (alongside Gubbins/Mitchell) is not going to work because ''he's scored on Oval flat tops'' then we have virtually ran out of openers and ideas and may as well not bother playing the sport.

 

[theegyptian]

Well they play Stokes every opportunity they can so the 'right sort of people' selection policy doesn't seem to stand up to scrutiny.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

I don’t think picking based on legacy is right. Stoneman was better in the first 3 games of the Ashes which was all that mattered. He was better in NZ yet got dropped. Jennings before this match was doing better in this series than Cook... pretty sure this isn’t the first time too! Blind loyalty isn’t right and say ‘oh there’s nobody else’ just shows a total lack of ambition. There’s plenty of others and it can’t get too much worse!

 

[Groundking]

We should just decide to pick whoever the best fielder is out of all the **** openers we have should Burns fail if he gets a chance and stick with whoever it is. It's not like any of them are making runs anyway, so **** it.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Worth noting Mitchell is a year older than Cook too

 

[S.Kennedy]

Burns
Gubbins
Moeen Ali (I want to persevere with it).
Root
Buttler
Pope
Stokes
Bairstow+
Curran
Broad
Anderson

Rashid to replace one of the seamers on the sub-continent.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

Don't think Pope would be needed there, almost worth it to find a guy the size of Chris Tremlett to just hurl the ball as fast as he possibly can for 3 overs every so often. I'd still possibly consider Mitchell. Burns is LH right? What is Gubbins?

My side for next test if England win here is

Burns
Mitchell
Root
Hildreth
Clarke/Bell
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Curran
Porter
Anderson

Top order needs major overhaul and I want to see what Porter can do.

 

[FBU]

Don't think Pope would be needed there, almost worth it to find a guy the size of Chris Tremlett to just hurl the ball as fast as he possibly can for 3 overs every so often. I'd still possibly consider Mitchell. Burns is LH right? What is Gubbins?

My side for next test if England win here is

Burns
Mitchell
Root
Hildreth
Clarke/Bell
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Curran
Porter
Anderson

Top order needs major overhaul and I want to see what Porter can do.

Porter last game 36-9-87-1

 

[Gremlin]

Guessing the 5th test squad will be named today?

 

[theegyptian]

Should start to look to the winter tours with the squad for the oval.

Surrey have been producing more result wickets and seamer friendly wickets this year so may not be the need for two spinners. However I hope they make a flattish slow turner. Could do with the practice with the winter coming up. Could pair Leach with Ali with the winter in mind. Maybe rest one of Anderson or Broad.

Aggers reckons their could be a major announcement from the ecb at 12 noon. So maybe Cook retiring?

 

[SeamUp]

Porter last game 36-9-87-1

Succession planning for Anderson in particular and Broad needs to happen.

I imagine the pecking order for their type.

1. Woakes
2. Porter
3. C.Overton
4. Ball
5. Fisher
6. Coad
7. Helm
8. McKerr (waiting for qualification period still from SA and you could move him down below )

J.Overton, Saq Mahmood (injured basically all season), Olly Stone & Henry Brookes (who have both had their injury issues too) quick through the air unpredictable type if they move past Mark Wood. Gleeson and Chappell also in this category.

Interesting couple of young quicks from the last u19 CWC who has done well in their early County chances are Dillon Pennington (Worcs) and Ethan Bamber (Middlesex). Pennington looked raw and exciting then.

 

[Groundking]

I wouldn't be surprised if Cook retired tbh, but I can't help but feel that he's been holding out to try and get to the Ashes next year to bow out on a high if we win it.

 

[SeamUp]

Yeah , you got to think it is the favourite and as hard as he tried for The Ashes he realised it was a stretch too far and getting a win against one of the main rivals over the years (India, Saf) is a good 2nd best.

Announcement before the announcement thing for your last test.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

I thought the last Ashes would have been enough. Had his knock on a reporter pitch but did f all else especially in the games that truly mattered.

He’s done absolutely nothing since. It’s perfect time next test now to try someone else, otherwise the Ashes could be a painful experience. If Aus have 2 of the big 4 fit he will struggle.

He’s averaging 13 or something this series? Batsmen have been dropped averaging 30 opening for England!

 

[Spikey]

it's 15 minutes before 12 and there's been no leak yet, which makes me think it may be non cook related, although i don't see why they'd do any non England team announcement at this time

 

[SeamUp]

Is this a twitter trick ?

 

[Gremlin]

Confirmed Cook retires. So won't be dropped for The Oval then I assume...