England players and selection discussion thread

[sledger]

Assuming it's this.

Nice, thanks.

 

[Molehill]

There's an article in the Telegraph today suggesting that Robinson has effectively had his card marked permanently; is this the general sense around him?

It was always very obvious that he wasn't quite so interested in keeping up with the professional standards that the modern game demands.

I think this was the perception, but not sure it's true. I've obviously watched a lot of him for Sussex and you could never question his work ethic. He never really got injured until he joined up for England (not the first to fall foul of that either).

He was rested for 2 games earlier in the season because of ECB requests. This was stupid because he's a player who needs overs to get fitness and has improved as the season has progressed. He's since bowled superbly in the Blast, but the headlines seem to have been taken over by that one over against Kimber. Only 2 players in Division 2 have more wickets than him, and one has played a game more.

I'd have him over Pennington and Potts every day of the week.

 

[ImpatientLime]

holy **** he has a podcast? his agent must be permanently on edge.

 

[Brook's side]

Thank god we've still god Jimmy Anderson, or this would be a really inexperienced attack.

 

[Molehill]

Some of that article is utter gash.

" Robinson should have been in the mix but he blew that in Ranchi. "

Not being trusted with the ball in the final innings in Ranchi??? Anderson bowled 3 overs, we opened with Root and Hartley. The Indian spinners took all 10 wickets in the English 2nd innings. I dare say Potts, Pennington and Atkinson wouldn't have seen much of the ball in that innings either.

 

[Brook's side]

Some of that article is utter gash.

" Robinson should have been in the mix but he blew that in Ranchi. "

Not being trusted with the ball in the final innings in Ranchi??? Anderson bowled 3 overs, we opened with Root and Hartley. The Indian spinners took all 10 wickets in the English 2nd innings. I dare say Potts, Pennington and Atkinson wouldn't have seen much of the ball in that innings either.

Probably because he was bowling less than 70mph in the first innings.

He seemed completely disinterested. Arguably dropped the series when he couldn't be assed to pay attention in the field.

Spent the tour with his girlfriend didn't he?

 

[Molehill]

Probably because he was bowling less than 70mph in the first innings.

He seemed completely disinterested. Arguably dropped the series when he couldn't be assed to pay attention in the field.

Spent the tour with his girlfriend didn't he?

That's if you believe everything in that article. He didn't bowl in that 2nd innings because only the spinners were taking wickets.

Jut taken another 2 wickets this morning giving him 6-70 dd in the match.

 

[Blenkinsop]

There's this lad called Jimmy Anderson who is bowling well for Lancs today. I reckon England should have a look at him.

 

[centurymaker]

Why has Mark Wood been dropped?

End of the road for Bairstow? Really? given how good he's been in English conditions

And how has Leach been overlooked?

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Ollie Robinson gets a lot of undeserved stick in my opinion , he is a very skilled bowler..His understanding of when to bowl the right length and subtle change of angles cannot be taught, and with a bowling average of 22 he should be an automatic pick when fully fit.

 

[morgieb]

Why has Mark Wood been dropped?

End of the road for Bairstow? Really? given how good he's been in English conditions

And how has Leach been overlooked?

Leach's problem is fitness and a perceived lack of upside compared to some of the alternatives. He's also kinda old.

Bairstow had a pretty poor 2023 Ashes and really his performances trend more up and down rather than being a pure HTB. I can see why England would want to move on.

As for Wood, could it be a fitness thing? He's pretty old and also very breakable, he can't realistically play every Test. I reckon we'll still see him at some point during the English summer.

Robinson is absolutely a quality bowler but his attitude towards fitness and prepartion has been wanting for a long time now. He's just not someone you can really rely on.

 

[sledger]

Wood is 34 years old. The current squad has clearly been selected with a view to building towards the next Ashes series in mind (because this is the only thing the ECB and England fans really care about), by which time Wood will be 36 (i.e., likely completely past it, and if he's considered fragile now god knows what state he will be in by that time). He's still a good bowler right now, but clearly there is now an emphasis on preparing for the future.

Similar for Bairstow. Bloke will be 35 by the time the next Ashes comes around, and he's only really been selected on the basis of "Well, there isn't anyone better, so he gets in by default" for a while now. We all know what he's about by now, and it's at the stage in his career where he plainly isn't going to get better. Time to move on and give someone else a chance.

 

[sledger]

Shame about Robinson as he's decent. But there is plainly something that has happened somewhere along the line, performance-related or otherwise, that has caused the higher ups to sour on him really quite badly, so who's to say whether that's the right call.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Anderson wasn't picked because they couldn't see him playing the 25/26 Ashes but the worst touring seamer in English test history is still getting picked?

Key deserves jail

 

[Brook's side]

yeah Woakes in Australia isn't likely to work tbh.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ollie Robinson gets a lot of undeserved stick in my opinion , he is a very skilled bowler..His understanding of when to bowl the right length and subtle change of angles cannot be taught, and with a bowling average of 22 he should be an automatic pick when fully fit.

I agree he is a very skilled bowler, but how often is he fit?

 

[ImpatientLime]

yeah Woakes in Australia isn't likely to work tbh.

Woakes at home is obviously very good but if you're being true to your reasoning he should be getting shelved this summer and Mark Wood should be first name on the team sheet.

 

[Brook's side]

Woakes at home is obviously very good but if you're being true to your reasoning he should be getting shelved this summer and Mark Wood should be first name on the team sheet.

I'd assumed Wood was just being rested for a bit after the world cup.

Maybe they decided they can play 1 home bowler, and Woakes got the nod over Jimmy. Not saying I agree with it, just trying to rationalise it.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

yeah Woakes in Australia isn't likely to work tbh.

They still need to beat the Windies and Sri Lanka and need one experienced bowler. Also with a new keeper at 7, having a bloke who can bat is handy. The side to tour NZ in the spring will give a better idea, although they'll be fairly green pitches

 

[grecian]

I do see the massive problem with seemingly not picking people because of their fitness, availability in the future (Anderson, Robinson Leach) when they're clearly the best option now, and then picking Woakes.

I just don't like any of it much, think Lawrence is going to be our spin bowler, and Smith our 'keeper, both hideously unsuited to their roles, mind you I'm not pretending to say I've seen Smith 'keep much (who has?) but by all accounts he's not great. I genuinely wonder if they have thought about Pope or Duckett at times, all both have kept/