8th Match - Afghanistan v England

[Silly Point 2.0]

I still don't really understand how Buttler has struggled so much. He seemed ideal on paper. Quite a smart bloke, I think, well respected in the side and around the world, shown a steely streak on occasions. Not a clue who comes next really.

 

[brandon]

it's almost like gifting someone a world cup for hitting a couple more 4's isn't the right thing to do...

Your blood pressure must be through the roof with that amount of salt…

 

[brandon]

Nah, the most brain dead were Salt and Smith. Given we only lost by 8, for those two to give up their wickets so cheaply was pathetic. Smith is learning but Salt has to go. Banton should replace him against SA.

I disagree, we’d got it down to not much more than a run a ball when he dollied one up.

Smith and Salt just aren’t good enough.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Yeah this is the single biggest issue imo. Feel like I've been saying this for years now. The ECB poured everything into the ODI side between 2015 and 2019 to make us competitive for the home WC. From the choice of Bayliss as head coach, to the priority given to ODIs in both scheduling and selection, there was a huge emphasis and investment into the one day side - which paid dividends.

Since the WC win they drastically cut the number of ODIs we've played each year, made it the format we regularly rest our multi-format stars from and completely sidelined the domestic 50 over game to the phantom zone. However we still expect to be a good side now without putting any effort into the format because we were good 6 years ago (when we put in loads of effort).

Obviously there are other factors (Buttler isn't the captain Morgan was; only Duckett out of the new batsmen are in the league of the old guard they replaced; in 2019 we had Chris Woakes; etc.). But I think this side's problems start at the top.

I think it would be naïve to think we could match our achievements between 2015 and 2019 right now with such little 50 over cricket and with a weaker squad minus a lot of those key men, plus most of those who are still around are not as good as they were 6 years ago (who out of the new players would get into the 2019 squad? Duckett and Brook?), but at the same time, I don’t think we’re getting the best out of what’s available to us considering we’re not picking a bowling attack to do well in Asian conditions

 

[Burgey]

James Vince. I actually sort of mean it as well.

Underated player. They could do worse.

I presume if Buttler gives up the captaincy he will continue playing? He's far from a spent force in these formats you'd reckon.

 

[Stefan9]

I actually feel Baz had given up on the CT even as he took over. He seems to be aiming towards the 2027 WC in RSA where, granted, you may not need more than the 1 spinner. But the reluctance to not call up someone like Sam Curran seems odd.

It depends whether we send England to Paarl,Durban & PE ..I think a game vs the afghans in Paarl would be good for the tournament.

 

[hendrix]

Fun seeing Gulbadin and Nabi still in the side and contributing

 

[SteveNZ]

England totally mis-read the pitch.

It didn't have 18 holes on it.

See this is the stuff I'm in this thread for. Brilliant

 

[FBU]

For a long time England were 40+ runs ahead of where Afghanistan were at the same stage. Then it went downhill fast after Root went.

ODI Series - Performance Analysis

ODI Series - Analysis and breakdown of batting and bowling

howstat.com

Only 2 batsmen in the team, Duckett and Root

 

[thierry henry]

On one hand it's great to see BazBall failing, on the other hand it's all the more infuriating that it seems to be at its most effective when whomping and boshing hapless NZ sides in tests.

 

[Prince EWS]

On one hand it's great to see BazBall failing, on the other hand it's all the more infuriating that it seems to be at its most effective when whomping and boshing hapless NZ sides in tests.

Bazball can bosh a kiwi.

 

[thierry henry]

Maybe McCullum just thought "as a Kiwi I know what terrifies me and makes me play like a ****, let's do that" but it turns out it only works on Kiwis

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I'm just going to drop this here


That's a helluva error margin for human beings who exist

 

[Daemon]

Bazball doesn’t work in ODIs because everyone was already doing its main mantra (bat aggressively) anyways. So now you’re just playing the same way but training less and playing more golf.

 

[Burgey]

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Bazball doesn’t work in ODIs because everyone was already doing its main mantra (bat aggressively) anyways. So now you’re just playing the same way but training less and playing more golf.

what made that england ODI side great was that they could maintain a strikerate of 100-110 in the middle overs without much extra risk, not that they always got 70 off the powerplay

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I'm just going to drop this here
View attachment 45691

That's a helluva error margin for human beings who exist

Well it’s not as if it’s easy to take a reliable census there, especially as so many people have left the country

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Well it’s not as if it’s easy to take a reliable census there, especially as so many people have left the country

yeah I know but 30% of a population that large is still hard to comprehend

 

[social]

Bowling lost it for England not Bazball batting

Most of their attack is unsuited to the conditions in Pakistan

 

[Molehill]

Bowling lost it for England not Bazball batting

Most of their attack is unsuited to the conditions in Pakistan

It was both really. The bowling was fine up until the halfway point, then they lost the plot. Much of that should hang on the skipper.

But Root showed that by batting sensibly, the target was easily reachable if they kept wickets in hand, but two of the top 3 couldn't do that.