England Tour Squad for Australia

[jackbyrne91]

No worries.

Ravi was given 13 tests but how many of them were consecutive?

He played 3 in 2007 in Sri Lanka - ok he struggled massively but this was 6 years ago, and against Murali too. England as a collective unit scored 281, 261, 351, 250-3 (DNB), 81, 251-6.

He then didn't play a test until 2009 where he was brought in to the side against West Indies in the last test of the series. He scored a ton. He then went on to score a ton in the two tests against West Indies at the start of the summer. He was then give just four further tests against the Australians before being removed from the team. This was despite scoring 3 100's in 3 innings earlier in the summer. So he played seven tests in this sequence, scoring 3 100's.

Then he didn't play until 2011, again at home, brought in against India. In the first match he came in and the score was 600-4. He was asked to push the rate on and got out at that expense. The next match he came in and the score was 480-5. He scored 44 not out. The following match against South Africa he got 0 and 22 in an innings defeat.


That is not a fair crack of the whip in my opinion. Ignoring his early failures in Sri Lanka 6 years ago against Murali, Vaas and Malinga (and purely because they were six years ago), he then scored 3 tons in 7 tests before being dropped, then he got another run of 3 tests but twice he came in at ridiculous score and had to push on, he failed once then was dropped?

 

[Maximas]

Bopara is surely behind James Taylor though, I think it's more important that Taylor is assessed on the international scene rather than Bopara (who has already failed on it) IMO.

 

[King Pietersen]

To be fair, despite being a massive Ravi fan, and absolutely loving it when he made those 3 tons in a row, the selectors were completely right to move Ravi aside when they did. He was absolutely awful against Australia. Looked all at sea at number 3, Hilfenhaus made him his bunny, and he did not look in any way shape or form a Test batsman. Then, when given a chance in the ODi team, he was terrible in that format too. We tried him at the top of the order for a while, and that went miserably, with him only managing a top score of 60 with 1 half century in 14 innings at the top of the order. Until this summer, where he seems to have come to light, put in some decent performances, and come very close to winning us matches almost on his own, he's been pretty awful at the highest level. I'm all for giving him a go at number 6 in the Test side, but realistically, given his past performances, it's unlikely to work, and I don't really think he's the best option, or anywhere near in fact. But, given my huge support for the bloke, I'd love to see it happen, and would love nothing more than for him to carve out a successful Test career. I don't see it happening though.

 

[jackbyrne91]

I feel there's just something England don't like about Taylor?

Can't put my finger on it. They could have played him and Tremlett at the Oval but went for Kerrigan & Woakes?

Taylor is going to be back in County Cricket whilst Ravi is going to be batting at six in this line up in the ODIS Looks pretty impressive to me.

Carberry, Trott, Pietersen, Morgan, Root, Bopara, Buttler.

 

[Adders]

I've got no problem with Ravi being on the plane, but he'd be my third choice at 6 behind Root (Compton opening) and Taylor.

 

[jackbyrne91]

Looked all at sea at number 3, Hilfenhaus made him his bunny, and he did not look in any way shape or form a Test batsman. .

Yeh, your right. I don't think Ravi is a number 3 test batsmen though. Number 6/5 would suit him perfectly.

 

[King Pietersen]

I don't really think Ravi is a Test batsman at all TBH. He didn't react well to being dropped from the Test side. When Ian Bell has been dropped in the past, he's gone back to Warwickshire and made so many runs that it's been impossible for England to ignore him; Ravi hasn't done that. Before he got picked 2009, he'd had 2 excellent seasons in FC cricket, averaging 60 and 54.6, with 7 hundreds. Since being dropped in 2009, he's averaging 39.4, with 8 hundreds. He just hasn't done enough for the selectors to feel like they have to pick him; and lets be honest, this summer is the only time where he's put together a string of decent performances for England, other than that golden spell against the West Indies. 1 century for England against a really weak Irish bowling attack really isn't enough to earn a Test call-up, especially when you've got lads like Taylor and Ballance who are younger, and have scored significantly more FC runs. I love Ravi, but as much as I'd love to see him get picked, it just doesn't make sense to have him in our strongest Test XI.

 

[theegyptian]

Ravi has had a decent amount of chances and the last he squandered by deciding he didn't want to play which isn't forgotten easily. Under normal circumstances that would be the end but given the uncertainty over the number 6 spot and whether any of the other prospects are good enough that brings Ravi back into the equation. His bowling isn't great in 4/5 day cricket but it would take a little pressure of the other options in a similiar way to Collingwood did last time around in Aus which will be the major advantage that he has over Taylor/Bairstow/Ballance.

 

[jackbyrne91]

Unfortunately KP I fear you are right.

I really do like Ravi but I can't see him, barring disaster, getting back in the Test team.

Who knows though.

 

[Adders]

I really do like Ravi but I can't see him, barring disaster, getting back in the Test team.

Ha!!! So you were taking the piss

 

[jackbyrne91]

Well!

What I mean is I want Ravi back in the team. However I know he won't play! What I want and what I think will actually happen is two different things!

I want England to line up

Cook, Root, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Bopara, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Onions

However it wouldn't surprise me if we lined up

Cook, Root, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Taylor, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Anderson

 

[GIMH]

I wouldn't be averse to Ravi necessarily getting another go but not in Australia. They'd be all over him and I just think he'd fall to pieces.

 

[NUFAN]

I've been thinking that if I was an English selector I would take Bairstow on the tour and probably play him at 6 in the First Test unless he performs woefully in the warm up games. The player who I think in recent times that Bairstow could emulate in Australia conditions is New Zealand's Dean Brownlie as I feel as though they have a similar game with limited footwork but a good eye. Brownlie scored 77*, 42, 56, 21 on his last tour of Australia,

 

[Maximas]

I've been thinking that if I was an English selector I would take Bairstow on the tour and probably play him at 6 in the First Test unless he performs woefully in the warm up games. The player who I think in recent times that Bairstow could emulate in Australia conditions is New Zealand's Dean Brownlie as I feel as though they have a similar game with limited footwork but a good eye. Brownlie scored 77*, 42, 56, 21 on his last tour of Australia,

and was superb in SA as well, interesting, haven't really paid attention to JB but does he pull and cut well? Brownlie is particularly good on bouncy decks because he plays horizontal bat shots well,mind you, he grew up in WA, JB didn't

 

[King Pietersen]

Bairstow is awful against the short ball. He'll do miserably in Australia, just like he did miserably in England. He just isn't good enough for Test cricket. Can't play the moving ball, can't play the short ball, and can't play spin. Not really got a lot going for him really. Should take him as a back-up for Prior, but an injury to Prior should be the only reason he plays. Definitely shouldn't be at number 6.

 

[NUFAN]

So he is totally hopeless and has nothing going for him but you should take him as a backup keeper, right...

 

[Spikey]

I feel like Ravi is currently in a Smitteh-like stage. Long derided on Cweb but now there's a very solid core of CWers who are urging him on for greater success.

 

[jackbyrne91]

So he is totally hopeless and has nothing going for him but you should take him as a backup keeper, right...

Sound a bit like Atherton taking the piss out of Strauss "lets take him so he can tell a few jokes"

 

[King Pietersen]

So he is totally hopeless and has nothing going for him but you should take him as a backup keeper, right...

I probably should have added "at the minute" to the end of nothing going for him. He has a good eye, has managed a few runs in Test cricket, and is probably the best option for back-up keeper. I do not want to see him in the XI by any means, but as a back-up keeper, we could pick worse players.

 

[NUFAN]

I just think his eye and technique means that he could potentially have a Brownlie like series - Just trying to be optimistic here for a Cricketer who isn't getting much love on here but is seen as a talent in English selectors minds for sure.