England players and selection discussion thread

[wpdavid]

Same squad for the SL series?

Crawley out of the 100 since his broken finger. Doubtful if will be ready. Does Stokes stay on as an opener, with Lawrence fitting in somewhere? Do they pick someone else? Who?

Will the bowlers stay the same?

Maybe Lees back as an opener if Crawley isn't available.
I suspect the bowlers will be unchanged unless Woakes or Wood picks up a niggle. Which wouldn't be the worst thing, as we need to look at Pennington or Potts.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Wood won't play all 3 tests. FACT

Would imagine Pennington gets at least one game, as for opener wouldn't be surprised if Stokes did it and Lawrence came in if it was just one game that Crawley missed. If he is out all series then play a proper opener.

 

[wpdavid]

Sounds sensible. I'm not convinced that Lawrence's form demands a recall if there's a middle-order vacancy, but I don't know who else has put their case forward this season.

 

[Prince EWS]

Sounds sensible. I'm not convinced that Lawrence's form demands a recall if there's a middle-order vacancy, but I don't know who else has put their case forward this season.

Jamie Smith with a real keeper?

 

[wpdavid]

Jamie Smith with a real keeper?

Not a bad call if it's a one-off whilst Crawley's digit mends.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Jamie Smith with a real keeper?

Give him as much experience as possible

 

[Prince EWS]

Give him as much experience as possible

To what end? The point of giving him experience should be to win more series overall. If you lose the series because his keeping **** to "give him experience" and have Dan Lawrence in the side then it doesn't really work. It's not like it's Bangladesh at home or Lawrence is gun.

 

[GIMH]

Jamie Smith with a real keeper?

He’s kept pretty well tbf.

Ultimately they want a batsman like him at 7. I get your point on winning the series etc but if Smith didn’t take the gloves it wouldn’t mean Foakes coming back. It would be Bairstow, or Robinson/Salt. I reckon anyway.

 

[wpdavid]

He’s kept pretty well tbf.

Ultimately they want a batsman like him at 7. I get your point on winning the series etc but if Smith didn’t take the gloves it wouldn’t mean Foakes coming back. It would be Bairstow, or Robinson/Salt. I reckon anyway.

Robinson makes sense as he's one of the most in-form middle order batsmen in the CC, as well as keeping for his county.

 

[Jarquis]

They’re not taking the gloves off Smith. May as well be wishing for them to recall Broad. Not happening

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Smith just had a great debut series, no way do we mess with him.

Jennings probably has the best case to open if Crawley is out, but no idea if Baz and Stokes rate him.

 

[danzydab]

just give bairstow a farewell test if zak is injured
stokes to open again

 

[flibbertyjibber]

To what end? The point of giving him experience should be to win more series overall. If you lose the series because his keeping **** to "give him experience" and have Dan Lawrence in the side then it doesn't really work. It's not like it's Bangladesh at home or Lawrence is gun.

Why play him as a bat when he is learning on the job with the gloves? He needs to keep.

 

[Nintendo]

Why are some people framing this like smith is a bad keeper? AFAIK, he only didn't take the gloves at surrey because of foakes, whos like. the best keeper in the world.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Why are some people framing this like smith is a bad keeper? AFAIK, he only didn't take the gloves at surrey because of foakes, whos like. the best keeper in the world.

I think he is useful, just lacks experience so taking the gloves off him makes no sense whatsoever. The fact you didn't notice him is a good sign.

 

[Chin Music]

Why are some people framing this like smith is a bad keeper? AFAIK, he only didn't take the gloves at surrey because of foakes, whos like. the best keeper in the world.

There is sometimes a puritanical outlook to wicket-keepers. It's not like Smith is a novice keeper - far from it. He seemed to do the role a fair bit in his younger years, it is just that Foakes was obviously one of the very best glovemen that there is. There used to be loads of arguments about English wicket-keepers around 20 years ago when Chris Read and Geraint Jones were regularly discussed ad nauseum.

 

[reyrey]

I thought the whole point of retiring Anderson was to try build a bowling attack for the next Ashes.

Open with Stokes (no bowling for him) push Woakes up to 6 or 7 and go with an extra pace option (Pennington)

 

[Hungry Llama]

I thought smith kept ok, although those black gloves look awful. As england like to do everything left field,
keep stokes to open and bring another bazballer type like Jordan Cox, or some bowler hardly anyones
heard of but the chief womble thinks is the business.

 

[danzydab]

Crawley may miss the Pakistan tour as well. Huge opportunity for Lawrence

 

[Prince EWS]

Lawrence directly replacing Crawley is some kind of @Chubb wet dream.