Is Strauss's Test selection justified ?

[cover drive man]

Strauss has been given more than enough chances to get his game sorted and he still cant manage to get decent runs at his best Strauss is quite good but at the moment he shouldn't be playing. Give him some time off in my opinion.

 

[Richard]

Yeah, a bit the same really. He finished the series with a dire average, but given it was his first series, he was batting out of position, and his team was getting hammered, I think it was just a tad misleading. He showed lots of guts and determination to get consistent starts - and then threw it away to part-time medium pacers which was a shame, but I think he showed some promise on that tour.

2nd actually. He'd played against India (in position rather than out) when Trescothick broke his thumb the previous summer.

Interesting that you and Dasa like him though. I mean, yeah, people take likings to players for no obvious reason (I'm like that with Sarandeep Singh, for instance) but Robert Key? (I mean, he shares your name of course)

 

[Richard]

He is also an arse of renown and I dont believe he is that popular in the dressing room either.

No? I'd always heard quite the opposite, TBH - please do elaborate?

 

[BoyBrumby]

I gather that Sehwag's available. Or Langer.

But that's the problem, isn't it. I don't agree with bringing back Trescothick until we know he can tour again, and I wonder if that will ever happen anyway. Nor would I pick some youngster who might be OK but hasn't done a thing to merit selection. Hence my call for BF Robert. I understand why a lot of folks will disagree, although he's not exactly had a serious run in the side tbf.

TBF you may have picked the wrong Kent opener. Young Joe Denly has had some good write ups this year (averaging more than Fat Bob too FWIW). Most impressively he carried his bat for 115* out of a Kent total of 199 v a Hants attack that included Warne, Clark & Tremlett.

Very early days for the lad, but could be one to look out for.

 

[Woodster]

TBF you may have picked the wrong Kent opener. Young Joe Denly has had some good write ups this year (averaging more than Fat Bob too FWIW). Most impressively he carried his bat for 115* out of a Kent total of 199 v a Hants attack that included Warne, Clark & Tremlett.

Very early days for the lad, but could be one to look out for.

Yes I've read a lot of good things about this young batter, but as you said very early days. I imagine an 'A' Tour trip would be next up for him.

 

[wpdavid]

TBF you may have picked the wrong Kent opener. Young Joe Denly has had some good write ups this year (averaging more than Fat Bob too FWIW). Most impressively he carried his bat for 115* out of a Kent total of 199 v a Hants attack that included Warne, Clark & Tremlett.

Very early days for the lad, but could be one to look out for.

Good point. As you say, it's early days but I noticed that innings vs Hants too. Interestingly, when one of the papers (poss the Grauniad last Saturday) did a feature on England's "2nd XI", Denly & Key were the openers. Has he done much before this season? I wouldn't want to pick a kid on the basis of a handful of good knocks.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Good point. As you say, it's early days but I noticed that innings vs Hants too. Interestingly, when one of the papers (poss the Grauniad last Saturday) did a feature on England's "2nd XI", Denly & Key were the openers. Has he done much before this season? I wouldn't want to pick a kid on the basis of a handful of good knocks.

Doesn't that basically mean that they would bring Denly in, if Strauss or Cook got injured.....

 

[BoyBrumby]

Good point. As you say, it's early days but I noticed that innings vs Hants too. Interestingly, when one of the papers (poss the Grauniad last Saturday) did a feature on England's "2nd XI", Denly & Key were the openers. Has he done much before this season? I wouldn't want to pick a kid on the basis of a handful of good knocks.

Looking at this profile on cricinfo he'd hardly played before this year, but out of three FC games in 2006 he did manage two tons! Not too shabby.

 

[Richard]

Denly is someone who caught my eye last year (EDIT: DB's alluded to that, though it should be noted that 2 of those centuries were against the might of Durham UCCE or someone like that), but picking him now would be stupid beyond belief.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Denly is someone who caught my eye last year (EDIT: DB's alluded to that, though it should be noted that 2 of those centuries were against the might of Durham UCCE or someone like that), but picking him now would be stupid beyond belief.

Indeed, I agree with these sentiments.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'm not really advocating Denly's selection now, in case that wasn't clear. I'd be more keen on him being given a go than going back to Key tho. I was just trying to think of an opener whose first name wasn't Marcus...

I suppose it's rather fortunate for Strauss that none of the guys who might have pretensions to being next in the pecking order (Shah, Bopra, Joyce, maybe Hildreth at a stretch) are specialist openers.

 

[wpdavid]

Doesn't that basically mean that they would bring Denly in, if Strauss or Cook got injured.....

The writers of that particular piece would probably pick Key for the reasons mentioned by Rich & others. However, it does indicate the lack of viable alternatives at the moment, especially as, to the best of my knowledge, Tresco hasn't made himself available.

 

[Richard]

I'm not really advocating Denly's selection now, in case that wasn't clear. I'd be more keen on him being given a go than going back to Key tho.

TBH, I wouldn't. I'm keen on the short-term fix to allow a very young guy who's hardly played to play a bit more.

Hence - say Pothas had never become available and Prior had gone down with glandular-fever before the season started... I'd have picked James Foster ahead of Steven Davies every time. Though it'd have been a short-term thing, as I already think Davies will be the better cricketer.

Same thing currently applies to Denly and Key.

 

[BoyBrumby]

TBH, I wouldn't. I'm keen on the short-term fix to allow a very young guy who's hardly played to play a bit more.

Hence - say Pothas had never become available and Prior had gone down with glandular-fever before the season started... I'd have picked James Foster ahead of Steven Davies every time. Though it'd have been a short-term thing, as I already think Davies will be the better cricketer.

Same thing currently applies to Denly and Key.

Lucky you aren't a selector really then. If they'd have thought like you they'd never have summoned Ali Cook from the "A" tour.

 

[Richard]

Not quite. Cook had played a full season - and in any case, he's quite clearly something a bit special. Denly I don't think will be quite that good.

Anyway, most people who are picked Cook's age disappear without trace. Fortunately we don't do it too much over here. The fact that you get the odd success (like Cook or Tendulkar) IMO doesn't mean it should be a policy that's congratulated.

 

[DCC_legend]

Give him some time off in my opinion.

Agreed. If he fails again in the next test he should not play in the Indian Tests and One Dayers (unless he has a blinder in FC while he is taking a break). A selection in the OD team for the upcoming ODIs against the Windies would be pretty stupid.

 

[Spitfires_Fan]

I'd also always thought that Key had been very popular in the England setup so would be interested to hear where Goughy heard otherwise. Think he got on particularly well with Flintoff actually, and he's clearly the man to be mates with in the English side as the entire nation seems to think the sun shines out of his backside.

Good to see Denly's name being mentioned as well, but I'm fully in agreement with those who say that picking him at the moment would be crazy. He's barely played for Kent before this year, although he has done well on the odd England U19 tour as far as I know. Certainly one for the future - in the meantime he can keep racking up the runs for Kent and scoring points for my fantasy team (only costs 1 point this year - guess that's not going to last...)

It's also worth mentioning that he's a decent enough leggie who is beginning to get given a few overs here and there by Key.

 

[Richard]

Think he got on particularly well with Flintoff actually, and he's clearly the man to be mates with in the English side as the entire nation seems to think the sun shines out of his backside.

Maybe they did a year ago - people have found more and more ways to be dissatisfied with him of late though I think.

 

[Perm]

I can't really explain why I <3 RTD. Just do tbh.

Because he's a gun.

 

[Prince EWS]

Because he's a gun.

Haha, fair point.