England Test Team

[Chin Music]

I’d be shocked if Dawson was involved

He possibly doesn't seem to be the most popular cricketer, but one thing to ask is how good is Leach going to be to go after spending over 6 months not having played a first class game, going into a test match? Whatever the case, any spin bowler who gets picked is going to be asked to bowl circa 25+ overs a day and we are asking a guy returning from a back injury to put in what that heavy workload.

So surely, Dawson should at least be in the squad as a relatively like-for-like potential replacement even if you weren't going to pick two relatively similar left arm slow bowlers?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Nah, his glovework has always been poor

His glovework has always been better than Buttler though. Both very ordinary keepers.

 

[Molehill]

He possibly doesn't seem to be the most popular cricketer, but one thing to ask is how good is Leach going to be to go after spending over 6 months not having played a first class game, going into a test match? Whatever the case, any spin bowler who gets picked is going to be asked to bowl circa 25+ overs a day and we are asking a guy returning from a back injury to put in what that heavy workload.

So surely, Dawson should at least be in the squad as a relatively like-for-like potential replacement even if you weren't going to pick two relatively similar left arm slow bowlers?

Dawson should be an absolute no brainer, I'm not sure on what grounds he wouldn't be selected (unless he didn't want to).

 

[Chin Music]

Dawson should be an absolute no brainer, I'm not sure on what grounds he wouldn't be selected (unless he didn't want to).

A seeming suggestion that he hasn't made himself too popular with the management? Don't get me wrong, he absolutely should be in the squad.

 

[GIMH]

Dawson should be an absolute no brainer, I'm not sure on what grounds he wouldn't be selected (unless he didn't want to).

Well, it’s the latter leading to the former I reckon. He did an interview recently where he said he wasn’t sure if he’d go if selected. This in turn makes his selection less likely I’d have thought.

Whether he’d have been picked anyway, I don’t know.

 

[Molehill]

It's not like he's KP, really shouldn't be that difficult to get him into the team.

 

[GIMH]

It's not like he's KP, really shouldn't be that difficult to get him into the team.

At the same time I am not sure I want players who say they might not go if picked. Now I'm not criticising Dawson for that; he can make more on the franchise circuit and at his age has to look to maximise what he can earn from the game. And he obviously feels like he's never had a fair crack with England. But at the same time, playing for the England Test Team is an honour and if there's someone who wants to be there more, then pick them.

Also I'm just not sure Stokes/Baz rate him as much as many on this forum do.

 

[Molehill]

Also I'm just not sure Stokes/Baz rate him as much as many on this forum do.

49 wickets at 20, 840 runs at 40. But yeah, they'll probably go with Jacks instead. If they don't rate those kind of figures for a spinner bowling so much in April/Sept then not sure what they would rate.

 

[GIMH]

49 wickets at 20, 840 runs at 40. But yeah, they'll probably go with Jacks instead. If they don't rate those kind of figures for a spinner bowling so much in April/Sept then not sure what they would rate.

Just finished reading the 'Bazball' book and the constant theme throughout is that they don't trust county cricket and hence are keen to pluck players like Rehan Ahmed out when young. Not sure if related, but may be that they don't take much stock in the numbers.

 

[BazBall21]

Bairstow was fine as a keeper before the leg break. And he's a decent test bat. Would be averaging 40 if he didn't miss last winter. Unfortunately for Foakes, it's hard to see a way in on the India tour. I would pick him over Pope for a subcontinent tour. But if Stokes doesn't make it, I suspect they'll give Pope the captaincy.

 

[FBU]

We should have Leach and Ahmed as two official spinners with Root and 3 fast bowlers one of them being Stokes.
Last time

Test Series - Performance Analysis

Test Series - Analysis and breakdown of batting and bowling

howstat.com

 

[Molehill]

Just finished reading the 'Bazball' book and the constant theme throughout is that they don't trust county cricket and hence are keen to pluck players like Rehan Ahmed out when young. Not sure if related, but may be that they don't take much stock in the numbers.

To an extent I get that, any competition which allows a 45 year old medium pacer to thrive has got questions to answer. But Dawson is by a million miles the best spinner in the CC this year (and he can bat too), there just aren't any better alternatives.

 

[GIMH]

To an extent I get that, any competition which allows a 45 year old medium pacer to thrive has got questions to answer. But Dawson is by a million miles the best spinner in the CC this year (and he can bat too), there just aren't any better alternatives.

Yeah hard to disagree. Rehan does excite me though.

 

[mackembhoy]

Dawson should be an absolute no brainer, I'm not sure on what grounds he wouldn't be selected (unless he didn't want to).

He wants to go play franchise cricket and make more money since he's 33 and never had a proper chance for England. Constantly selected but not played.

He should have been picked in the Ashes and we went for a retired bloke instead. Very poorly treated like Willey.

 

[FBU]

Mail

'On Thursday he was in attendance at Loughborough as a 21-strong group prepares for the three-week trip starting on November 16. He is sharing mentoring duties on the tour with fellow Ashes 2009 winner Graeme Swann.

Joining former England captain Flintoff in Abu Dhabi will be a collection of England Test players upping their fitness levels ahead of January’s tour of India including Jimmy Anderson, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson, with Ollie Pope and Jack Leach also there to stop up their comebacks from injury'.

So 25 players in all. Glad they are taking Anderson, Foakes and Leach. They are going to need Foakes' keeping in India. Bairstow can have a rest.