Jack Leach out of the Ashes

[sledger]

Yeah Stokes is being picked even if he can't bowl at all, and that's absolutely the right call imo.

 

[Daemon]

Rehan would be a big gamble imo. Seems like he’s been very poor this season and that’s in D2. Just feel like wrist spinners who aren’t quite at the top of their game are particularly susceptible to getting tonked.

 

[honestbharani]

It really depends on how the rest of the attack goes, tbh. If the rest of the attack hold it tight, batsmen may try too hard and get out to the rookie spinner. Rehan simply has to bowl to his fields and use a bit of T20 smarts and guess what batsmen are trying to do. It might work out.

Short of getting Moeen back, I think he is their best shout, unless they go with Woakes and Root as the 4th and 6th bowlers.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah Stokes is being picked even if he can't bowl at all, and that's absolutely the right call imo.

If he can actually bat at somewhere near his best then yes but is he actually fit enough to do so? I really hope so but not at all sure.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

I think Liam Dawson should get a go. Fits the profile of a Bazball spinner as he can be destructive with the bat and does the same left arm offspin role as Leach for Hampshire .

 

[Nicky]

What about Livingstone ? It'd be funny to see Linvingstone & Root be the only spinners
Oh and Livingstone should open the batting with Duckett :
Duckett, Livingstone, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Bairstow, Robinson, Broad, Wood/Woakes, Anderson
Theeeere's the best XI

 

[Ashes81]

What about Livingstone ? It'd be funny to see Linvingstone & Root be the only spinners
Oh and Livingstone should open the batting with Duckett :
Duckett, Livingstone, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Bairstow, Robinson, Broad, Wood/Woakes, Anderson
Theeeere's the best XI

Livingstone was selected for the tour of Pakistan but had to pull out injured.

He's an experienced white ball bowler with a fairly limited red ball career and can be a destructive batter who would strengthen the lower coming in at 8.

Again depends on Stokes' bowling. If he can bowl then whilst he wouldn't be my pick, Livingstone is likely to be strongly considered. If Stokes can't bowl, then I'd be very surprised if we picked Livingstone.

 

[zaremba]

Apart from Root and Stokes that's probably the worst player we could have out since there's basically no replacement.

Well there's Woakes, who's a better bowler, better bat, superior beard, superior eyesight.

I'm far from convinced we need to take a spot in our XI with a meh spinner when we have lots of better-than-meh seamers champing at the bit

 

[zaremba]

It's a big fat blessing in disguise.

 

[Howe_zat]

When was the last time we played no spinner and it was actually good?

 

[zaremba]

Don't ask me difficult questions.

 

[zaremba]

I just don't see the tragedy in us not being able to play a spinner averaging in the high 30s when we could play an all-rounder who averages in the mid, um, murmur murmur murmur

 

[zaremba]

Ok, in England, 35 with bat and 22 with ball. Tell me he's a worse option that a meh bespectacled spin-for-spin's-sake merchant

 

[Ali TT]

When was the last time we played no spinner and it was actually good?

Probably the last time we played in South Africa. I think the last time we played without a spinner was Hobart, which didn't go well. The Aussies did play a spinner, but he didn't bowl, so not sure it was a tactical error by England.

 

[Starfighter]

Moeen will do it if asked. You can put a ring around it.

 

[Ashes81]

I do wonder if we'll now look to leave a bit more grass on the wicket.

I've argued on here for a while that we don't generally produce green seamers but given we're struggling with the spinning options, why not use our home advantage and produce something which plays to our bowling strengths.

 

[slowfinger]

How risky do you guys think going with a 4 (5) man pace attack + Root is? For the recent Ashes barring the last one in Aus when Moeen was getting smacked around they were basically playing as a 4 man attack and Root anyway.

That being said, Moeen would be a solid batting option and with a bit of confidence and not lacklustre defensive captaining that Root was showing Moeen he might actually bowl a more attacking line and get the ball up there.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Moeen will do it if asked. You can put a ring around it.

Supposedly he has been asked. Answer pending...

 

[Gremlin]

The talk of Ahmed having a poor start in the CC this year says more about the matches being crammed into a wet April rather than his actual ability. As soon as we get conditions that may help the only first class cricket being played is the Ireland test.

That said, I think this year's Ashes is too soon for him. I had thought that England would favour the seamers with Root turning his arm over but Moeen coming into the equation is not a bad short term solution if he fancies it.

As others have posted, a lot depends on Stokes' knee over the next few days.

 

[grecian]

Well there's Woakes, who's a better bowler, better bat, superior beard, superior eyesight.

I'm far from convinced we need to take a spot in our XI with a meh spinner when we have lots of better-than-meh seamers champing at the bit

The way he's been used by England under Baz, is to keep bowling even when getting smashed, which leaves the seamers fresh, and they've thrived on it TBH, rather than see Jimmeh or Broad coming into his 4th spell on the opening day, which invariably happens when we go without a spinner, or like under Root, showed no confidence in the twirler.

Not sure how many overs Woakes has bowled recently, but we could be going in with two carrying injuries, sick-note Wood and Woakes who is 34. Ho-hum.