England players and selection discussion thread

[FBU]

Woakes has been great for England (obviously mostly at home) and could well have played more than he has.

I'd be pretty surprised if he plays another test though. England have so many bowling options.

I think he will play mostly white ball cricket as we are not looking at his batting at number 8.
Otherwise it would be Woakes, Curran, Robinson and Leach, instead of Robinson, Broad, Archer and Leach.

Yes, Broad, Anderson, Robinson, Archer, Wood, Curran, Stone, Stokes, Potts, Mahmood.....

 

[grecian]

Think Englands resurgent batting makes the need for Woakes or Sam Curran less thankfully, or even an Overton. We don't seem to care much for lower order runs, generally declare before we get there.

Oh and drop Crawley obvs.

 

[Shady Slim]

Stokes has a fantastic record against pace bowling in English conditions, better than root last time I checked (think this was before roots purple patch, could be different now), his issue in test was not being amazing vs spin. Reckon hede take to opening really well.

i reckon as captain you wouldn't want that

huge stint in the field chasing leather on a madhot day, and focusing extra hard with captaincy duties, think you'd much rather he have the chance to switch off a bit

 

[Adders]

I honestly don't mind who out of Pope, Root, Stokes or Bairstow has a crack at opening tbh.......could even rotate them until they find the best fit. All I care about is that when YJB comes back hes' a direct replacement for Crawley.......and they don't even dare think about dropping Foakes.

 

[grecian]

I honestly don't mind who out of Pope, Root, Stokes or Bairstow has a crack at opening tbh.......could even rotate them until they find the best fit. All I care about is that when YJB comes back hes' a direct replacement for Crawley.......and they don't even dare think about dropping Foakes.

I agree with this.

Yet as I keep on saying people ta\lking about Foakes being dropped aren't listening to what Atokes and McCullum are saying, they believe in having the best players for key positions, and they believe Foakes is the best 'keeper, apart from when he had the squits, he's been treated much better than by previous managers.

Same with Leach really, they just need to buy into the ethos as well, and they've both done that.

 

[wpdavid]

I honestly don't mind who out of Pope, Root, Stokes or Bairstow has a crack at opening tbh.......could even rotate them until they find the best fit. All I care about is that when YJB comes back hes' a direct replacement for Crawley.......and they don't even dare think about dropping Foakes.

I completely agree with the second half of your post, but I'd politely question some of the first bit. The problems with moving Pope up to open are that (1) we move our best non-Root number 3 for ages out of a position where he's doing well and (2) our best batsman doesn't get to play in his favoured position at 4, so we're potentially damaging two parts of the team that are working without necessarily improving the bit that isn't working. Similar with Root opening. I'd plump for Bairstow or Stokes replacing Crawley at the top of the order. I know it's potentially tough on Bairstow after his heroics last summer, but that's what happens when someone like Brook turns up and almost immediately becomes un-droppable. I suppose I'd like to see Stokes give it a go, but I'd accept it's captain's prerogative if he'd rather not.

 

[Adders]

I completely agree with the second half of your post, but I'd politely question some of the first bit. The problems with moving Pope up to open are that (1) we move our best non-Root number 3 for ages out of a position where he's doing well and (2) our best batsman doesn't get to play in his favoured position at 4, so we're potentially damaging two parts of the team that are working without necessarily improving the bit that isn't working. Similar with Root opening. I'd plump for Bairstow or Stokes replacing Crawley at the top of the order. I know it's potentially tough on Bairstow after his heroics last summer, but that's what happens when someone like Brook turns up and almost immediately becomes un-droppable. I suppose I'd like to see Stokes give it a go, but I'd accept it's captain's prerogative if he'd rather not.

Agree with everything you said and I'd favour either Stokes or Bairstow as first choices for the job. I'm just hypothising but whoever takes that opening slot we've bridged the only weak link in the side.

 

[Brook's side]

Another reason for Stokes opening is that aside from his captaincy, he's not really contributing that much. Really horrible batting, although somehow he's averaging 36 as captain, and barely able to bowl due to his knee.

 

[FBU]

Another reason for Stokes opening is that aside from his captaincy, he's not really contributing that much. Really horrible batting, although somehow he's averaging 36 as captain, and barely able to bowl due to his knee.

Yes we are going into Tests with 4 bowlers instead of 5. It worked with Swann as the spinner but won't with Leach. I can only see Stokes opening as he won't be bowling. He has opened once before, https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-west-indies-2nd-test-1225248/full-scorecard

 

[Brook's side]

Crawley 2
Seemed to be aloof from the rest of the team in the field and clearly consumed by his batting woes. Finished at least for now.

Duckett 7
Feet turned to concrete yesterday but generally looks really good. Perhaps more suited to Asian wickets but a certainty for the summer.

Pope 4
Looked in fleeting moments like he was in brilliant nick, but seems flaky. The way he was playing and missing at a sub-par Henry proves he's no opener. Must be a concern that he's going to be the next Crawley and could be an achillies heel against the Aussies.

Root 9
Class is permanent.

Brook 9.5
Class (but I still maintain he was half asleep for that run and his mind was elsewhere)

Stokes -
Can't mark him while he's got this injury. The England camp have been reported as saying it'll be sorted out by the summer. Maybe they're owed a miracle or something?

Foakes 9
Absolutely clutch last night. Never thought he had that in him. I thought the only Englishmen who could play innings like that were seam bowling all rounders. The Bracewell stumping was also something else. Again very few England keepers would have pulled that off. If it wasn't already, his name's got to be in ink now.

Robinson 7
Bowled well without the result, and maybe not quite at his best. There was some talk of a niggle which I wouldn't find surprising.

Broad 8
I thought he was on his way out and that this might be his last series, but that spell in the 1st test was incredible and has looked dangerous throughout. Bats like a complete nob, but not why he's in the team.

Leach 8
Genuinely improving as an off spinner. If you put him back in county cricket now he'd look like an international wicket taking bowler. I80+ overs in back to back innings? tremendous effort. Did everything he could with the bat, not his job.

Anderson 8
Still at the top of his game and remains the go to man. That crash through deep mid wicket will live long in the memory. Is he losing it slightly as a fielder? Time will tell.

 

[FBU]

Test Series - Performance Analysis

Test Series - Analysis and breakdown of batting and bowling

www.howstat.com

3 bowlers who took 10 wickets
Brook leading run scorer with 329

 

[FBU]

Saker will be bowling coach for the Ashes... resigned from Australia team February 2019 with immediate effect following investigations into his role in the ball tampering saga.

 

[honestbharani]

Saker will be bowling coach for the Ashes... resigned from Australia team February 2019 with immediate effect following investigations into his role in the ball tampering saga.

@Burgey

 

[Burgey]

@Burgey

Taking a bag of mints across to England

 

[Gremlin]

Runs and Ramadan: How Haseeb Hameed's faith is keeping him grounded

Notts opener believes he's turned a corner since disappointment of 2021-22 Ashes

www.espncricinfo.com

Nice interview with Haseeb Hameed - is he close to International cricket once again? I would like to think so.

 

[social]

Runs and Ramadan: How Haseeb Hameed's faith is keeping him grounded

Notts opener believes he's turned a corner since disappointment of 2021-22 Ashes

www.espncricinfo.com

Nice interview with Haseeb Hameed - is he close to International cricket once again? I would like to think so.

He was so bad in Australia that I can’t see it

Then again, we picked Harris

 

[Father Time]

What does Ben Compton have to do off the field to be selected? He's done everything required in the middle. The favouritism of Crawley is astounding!

 

[Ali TT]

Runs and Ramadan: How Haseeb Hameed's faith is keeping him grounded

Notts opener believes he's turned a corner since disappointment of 2021-22 Ashes

www.espncricinfo.com

Nice interview with Haseeb Hameed - is he close to International cricket once again? I would like to think so.

I am happy that Hameed rescued his career after that torrid period at Lancashire, but even an improved Hameed in 2021 was still way off the pace at international level. He just doesn't have the scoring options needed to succeed.

 

[Tom Flint]

I am happy that Hameed rescued his career after that torrid period at Lancashire, but even an improved Hameed in 2021 was still way off the pace at international level. He just doesn't have the scoring options needed to succeed.

People keep saying this but he scores quickly for Notts now. Plays 3 in the one day side and is completely different opener to the one before last season

 

[Brook's side]

People keep saying this but he scores quickly for Notts now. Plays 3 in the one day side and is completely different opener to the one before last season

He literally only had a late cut and a flick off the legs the last time I watched him. Those were his only scoring shots, iirc?

If he's increased his options though then good on him.