England Squads

[marc71178]

Hmm,

Where's Kabir at all?
Gough dropped from ODI's?
Is Strauss in the wrong squad?
Mags retained?
Bad luck Jim.

At least Collingwood's there.

 

[luckyeddie]

At least the Clarkemeister made it into both squads. A bit dangerous, that - a Clarkequake during typhoon season might not be a pretty sight.

I must confess that is the major surprise for me - although my guess is that it is a case of 'blooding' him into the set-up. After all, his bowling this season has been less effective than Freddie's.

I expected to see Croft in the test squad too - especially in Sri Lanka. I feel that they will certainly go into those games with two spinners - but Gareth Batty has impressed me on more than one occasion this season.

 

[Bazza]

England Test squad: Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Mark Butcher, Rikki Clarke, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Stephen Harmison, Nasser Hussain, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones, Chris Read, Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe.

England one-day squad: Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Ian Blackwell, Rikki Clarke, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Giles, Richard Johnson, James Kirtley, Anthony McGrath, Chris Read, Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick.


Well for me in tests we have one batsman too many in Clarke and at least one pace bowler too few (only 4). Personally I would have taken Kirtley or Johnson as well, not Clarke, and I would have taken Croft instead of Batty.

At least they got the batting right (Hussain and Thorpe) and the keepers.

Crazy though to only have 5 specialist bowlers.

Trescothick
Vaughan
Butcher
Hussain
Thorpe
Flintoff
Read
Giles
Batty
Harmison
Anderson

Well, at least the top 5 looks solid!


In ODIs, no Gough and I see no reason why. I think the lineup will be:

Trescothick
Solanki
Vaughan
Strauss
Flintoff
Collingwood
Read
Giles
Johnson
Anderson
Kirtley

I quite like that side, but I think Solanki is last chance saloon. And Strauss (FC average 42, List A average 26) definitely should be in the test squad before ODIs. A bit like Key and McGrath (retained ) he might struggle.

As one person on the BBC site said, 'What has Clarke done this season to be in the squad?'. According to David Graveney, 'we need two allrounders'.

Last time I checked, I thought all rounders could bat AND bowl!! At least he can field.....

 

[luckyeddie]

As one person on the BBC site said, 'What has Clarke done this season to be in the squad?'. According to David Graveney, 'we need two allrounders'.

Last time I checked, I thought all rounders could bat AND bowl!! At least he can field.....

Clarke's selection is one which reflects his potential - in the same way as when Freddie came into the side when Cork and DeFreitas were the top all-rounders in championship cricket by a mile. If he does get a game in the tests, I can't think of a better place than Bangladesh.

It's true what you say about his fielding - I can remember when Jonty came into the South African side. Couldn't bowl, couldn't (allegedly) bat but was worth his place on fielding alone.

 

[Bazza]

Meant to say it's good to see Jones in the Academy, hopefully he'll be back soon along with Caddick. Would also be nice to have Pieterson available. Just think in a years time he could be waiting to replace Thorpe or Hussain (at 35) if either loses form.

Anyway, a breakdown of the squads:

........................test ave......odi ave......fc ave......list a ave
Trescothick...........43...............38
Vaughan...............46..............25
Butcher.................36
Hussain................37
Thorpe..................43
Flintoff............... 26/49........27/26
Read......................9................22
Giles...................17/41........12/41
Batty....................................................21/28........19/35
Harmison............6/35
Anderson...........43/31........3/22
Hoggard..............7/33
Collingwood........................32/41........32/39
Clarke.................................16/37........44/44
Jones.......................................................49

Blackwell.............................19/29
Johnson................................5/22
Kirtley....................................1/60
McGrath...............................15/63
Solanki....................................24
Strauss...................................................................26

Sorry about the format.

 

[chris.hinton]

Martin Bicknell and Kabir Ali have done nothing wrong but are not in the test side... SHOCKING

Why is Rikki Clarke in there i think he is a one day players but Test why and Collingwood? Has not played any cricket this year and in the test side what message does this send out to people in County Cricket

Andy Struass is in the wrong squad, also i think that Rob Key should be demoted into the acadamy and i agree with the Decision of Leaving out Troughton


Thank god that they have not picked Robert Croft as the ERM third Spinner

 

[luckyeddie]

Thank god that they have not picked Robert Croft as the ERM third Spinner

I'm willing to bet that Croft gets called up before Sri Lanka

 

[Rich2001]

Martin Bicknell and Kabir Ali have done nothing wrong but are not in the test side... SHOCKING

Why is Rikki Clarke in there i think he is a one day players but Test why and Collingwood? Has not played any cricket this year and in the test side what message does this send out to people in County Cricket

Andy Struass is in the wrong squad, also i think that Rob Key should be demoted into the acadamy and i agree with the Decision of Leaving out Troughton


Thank god that they have not picked Robert Croft as the ERM third Spinner

Bickers was always a short term solution, he did well but wont offer much in the winter as his pace will be nothing on the slow tracks and wont get much if any swing.

Ali to be far hasn't done much wrong but he hasn't done much right either.. he hasn't got into the England team all summer as such and didn't do fantasticly well when he did. Who would you leave out to keep those in anyway?

I agree on Clarke

P collingwood is a super player and was aways going to be stright back into the side when fit.. he was one of the best players in Australia and the World Cup and never looked out of his depth he also won a couple of matches single handed in Australia. He has been tipped by many to get into the Test side as well, his a fine batsman who can attack and also just keep the board ticking over, and he has his medium pace that on it's day can be handy too... I would pick him over McGrath and Clarke any day of the week.

R Key isn't in any squad, so how can he be demoted??

A Struass is a quality young player I agree he probley should be more in the longer game, but he certinly isn't a mug in the shorther game.. his hit a couple of fantastic 100's in the last few weeks for Middlesex.

As for the 3rd spinner - I don't know if anyone listened to it being announced by a member of the press bought this up and Graveny said that a 3rd spinner could be called up and he said it was between Croft, Blackwell and Brown... I personally don't rate Blackwell as a Test bowler, Croft has a fine record overseas and the only thing that goes against him is a "apprant" feud with D.Fletcher.

NOTE: Rich2001 would like to thank Blackwell for making him look a **** by scoring 247* (at time of writting) in a Four Day game, but my opinion still stands :P

 

[Neil Pickup]

Agree 100% with Rich.

I think you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of non-Worcester fans he impressed in the Test match.

Gough isn't playing in Bdesh/SL but is in contention for the WI. The selectors want a look at other options for 2007.

 

[luckyeddie]

NOTE: Rich2001 would like to thank Blackwell for making him look a **** by scoring 247* (at time of writting) in a Four Day game, but my opinion still stands :P

Could be worse - you could be a Derbyshire fan. Always bad when one of your exes (and one whom you rated highly) bu**ers off to another club then pastes the hell out of you.

Regarding his bowling - *cough*rubbish*cough*

Corky sixfer as well - not bad for a bloke with a broken ankle.

 

[Langeveldt]

RE Cork - Ive got a crack in my heel at the moment, its excruciating and ive been walking around on tiptoes.. How on earth does cork play with a broken ankle? Isnt that a bit impossible?

RE England - well the batting looks fine, glad key doesnt make an ugly come back Pun intended completely!

There are lots of issues with the bowling though, almost everyone has a bit of controversy surrounding them ...

It looks like the ODI and TEST specialists have been completely randomly chucked in there...

Im not happy with Clarke and Harmison, but thats a personal thing, and its plain to see Harmison is improving, as for clarke... Well

 

[luckyeddie]

RE Cork - Ive got a crack in my heel at the moment, its excruciating and ive been walking around on tiptoes.. How on earth does cork play with a broken ankle? Isnt that a bit impossible?

I don't think it's 'flapping around in the wind, hanging off at the leg' broken - more like 'taken a few whacks got a crack or a chip in it' broken. Mind you, he's a tough cookie so it wouldn't surprise me if he stepped on a land mine then came running in on the bloody stump next over.

 

[Anna]

Well i'm just happy that Somerset have Trescothick, Johnson and good old Blackie representing them for England. Tres seems to have found his feet again (ha ha), Johnson is still his old reliable self (it's a bugger he's injury prone) and Blackwell's batting seems to be back on track again (I hope!). Just a note about Blackwell, seeing as he doesn't seem to have lost any more weight (he seems to have put a bit on) and his Fiancee's left him (probably because of this) I think he should take a leaf out of Freddie Flintoff's book. Fred is now leaner and meaner than he's ever been and seems to be really enjoying his cricket (and not just the drink!).

And long may Graham Thorpe continue for England! He's by far their best batsman and they could do with some stability in their batting seeing as Tres blows hot and cold and Vaughan has the curse of the captain.

 

[luckyeddie]

Re Blackwell - I wouldn't think that his fiancee would leave him because of him putting a bit of weight on - any woman (or man) who did that to anyone - good riddance (unless he's been raiding her purse to buy chips).

 

[Anna]

What I meant was that he isn't really taking much notice of the help people are trying to give him in regards to his weight so I imagine she got fed up with his attitude towards the whole issue. It isn't really any of my business so that's enough of that subject. Anyway, he still seems to be able to hit the ball as hard as he has done and long may it continue (Sorry LE )

 

[marc71178]

Martin Bicknell and Kabir Ali have done nothing wrong but are not in the test side... SHOCKING

They're not taking many seamers at all, and think Hoggard is more effective than Bicknell in those conditions.

If you think Kabir did nothing wrong I wonder what game you were watching. Vaughan clearly didn't rate him (look how few overs he bowled when 3 of the other 4 seamers were knackered from the Third Test but he kept giving them the ball)

Also, the selectors can't be too pleased with him or he would be at the Academy at least!

Collingwood? Has not played any cricket this year and in the test side what message does this send out to people in County Cricket

But for that freak injury, Collingwood would almost certainly have played in all 7 Tests this summer.

It is a good move to select him, and interestingly I see he's been granted a full time England 12 month contract (as one of only 8 people) so he's clearly got a future in the International game.

 

[marc71178]

NOTE: Rich2001 would like to thank Blackwell for making him look a **** by scoring 247* (at time of writting) in a Four Day game, but my opinion still stands :P

But 247* in CC has got nothing to do with how good a bowler he is!

 

[Cloete]

But for that freak injury, Collingwood would almost certainly have played in all 7 Tests this summer.

It is a good move to select him, and interestingly I see he's been granted a full time England 12 month contract (as one of only 8 people) so he's clearly got a future in the International game.

completely agree! collingwood looks like a bevan-ish one day player. and i feel bvan completely deserves a spot in the test team (when someone retires). bevan looks more suited to tests. but he can still play that vital role of leading ur team to victory. collingwood looks the same. i think if he plays the way he did against australia, he could be well on his road to being internationally renowned. also he's a brilliant fielder, so that's a + and he can also bowl. really englands somewhat MUST play him. even if he doesn't get a test this series i think it's a good idea to take him.

 

[Neil Pickup]

The same Michael Bevan who got bounced out of Test Cricket by England twice?!

 

[anzac]

The same Michael Bevan who got bounced out of Test Cricket by England twice?!

and therein lies the answer to Michael Bevan's success & failure at cricket, and why he'll never play Test cricket again.......in ODI the ball is going to be of a fuller length and only occaisionally is it going to get up aroung your arm pits......