***Official*** 1st Test at The Gabba

[howardj]

Fletcher's Thoughts

 

[Salamuddin]

I still maintain that Stuart Clark is overrated as a bowler.....Johnson has so much more potential and is a much better long term prospect.

I don't think Clark will be all that effective unless he gets helpful conditions like he did in RSA.

 

[craigschwartz]

After hearing the latest from Fletcher it appears 9 of the 11 places are nailed on with the two decisions left to be made are colly/bell and anderson/panesar.

Tresco
Strauss
Cook
Kp
Colly/Bell
Fred
Jones
Giles
Hoggy
Harmy
Anderson/Monty

What do people think about read being dropped? personally i was a huge fan of read but his recent batting has not been up to scratch and even a couple of mistakes behind the stumps have crept in.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

After hearing the latest from Fletcher it appears 9 of the 11 places are nailed on with the two decisions left to be made are colly/bell and anderson/panesar.

Bell and Panesar will surely trump Collingwood and Anderson.

 

[craigschwartz]

Bell and Panesar will surely trump Collingwood and Anderson.

99% of england fans would want panesar and bell in the team but it appears fletcher and or flintoff don't. it shouldn't even be an issue if they select one spinner, panesar wins matches, giles doesn't.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

99% of england fans would want panesar and bell in the team but it appears fletcher and or flintoff don't. it shouldn't even be an issue if they select one spinner, panesar wins matches, giles doesn't.

Fletcher's recent comments suggest that he wants to play 2 spinners actually.

 

[craigschwartz]

Fletcher's recent comments suggest that he wants to play 2 spinners actually.

I know,and i hope they do because it's the only way Monty will play, my point was giles is first choice spinner again now, which is a nonsense.

 

[marc71178]

What do people think about read being dropped?

Scandal IMO.

 

[TT Boy]

Scandal IMO.

Rather OTT Marc, Read has had a raw deal in regard to the time he has had as WK but if he scored runs in India and looked anything like comfortable against pace bowling, Fletcher would have no 'reason' to drop him. Though I'm sure Duncan would manufacture one.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Though I'm sure Duncan would manufacture one.

In which case it would have been a scandal.

 

[howardj]

Fletcher's recent comments suggest that he wants to play 2 spinners actually.

He hasn't said that in relation to the 'Gabba though.

I wouldn't oversimplify by saying Bell v Collingwood and Anderson v Panesar.

I think both Collingwood and Bell should play (like at the Oval in 2005).

That way, you don't have to worry about strengthening the batting with second class tweakers like Giles.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He hasn't said that in relation to the 'Gabba though.

I wouldn't oversimplify by saying Bell v Collingwood and Anderson v Panesar.

I think Collingwood and Bell should play (like at the Oval in 2005).

That way, you don't have to worry about strengthening the batting with second class tweakers like Giles.

"It's going to be a difficult decision and we are looking at playing two spinners in most of the Tests," Fletcher said.

"We have to give those two individuals as much bowling as possible, especially Ashley who hasn't bowled for a year."

Considering that the comments have been made before the first Test, it's a logical assumption that he's considering the two-spin option for this Test.

 

[tooextracool]

Rather OTT Marc, Read has had a raw deal in regard to the time he has had as WK but if he scored runs in India and looked anything like comfortable against pace bowling, Fletcher would have no 'reason' to drop him. Though I'm sure Duncan would manufacture one.

I think the question here isnt whether Read deserves to be dropped. Its whether Jones deserves to be picked?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think the question here isnt whether Read deserves to be dropped. Its whether Jones deserves to be picked?

And the answer is that there are only 2 wicketkeepers in the squad, and Read was dropped, whether he deserved it or not. As such, it doesn't really matter whether Jones merits selection. He has to be selected.

 

[tooextracool]

And the answer is that there are only 2 wicketkeepers in the squad, and Read was dropped, whether he deserved it or not. As such, it doesn't really matter whether Jones merits selection. He has to be selected.

no thats not the point at all. You only drop someone when there is a better candidate available. You dont drop someone because you dont like them, and then pick someone whos equally useless, it defeats the purpose of it.
In anycase its pretty obvious in my book that Read has done more in 2 tests than Jones has done in about a year.

 

[marc71178]

Rather OTT Marc, Read has had a raw deal in regard to the time he has had as WK but if he scored runs in India and looked anything like comfortable against pace bowling, Fletcher would have no 'reason' to drop him. Though I'm sure Duncan would manufacture one.

He came in, played 2 Tests and is dropped presumably on batting ability.

In those 2 Tests, he scored 126 runs in 3 innings.

In Jones' previous 7, he scored 143 in 11 innings, 52 in his first of that run then 91 in 10...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

no thats not the point at all. You only drop someone when there is a better candidate available.

I don't think Geraint Jones is necessarily a worse candidate than Read though. Both have been pretty poor at Test level. And yes, Read did score a few runs against Pakistan, but he hardly looked competent doing so. He played with a great deal of luck. And now that Read isn't performing with the gloves as he should be and looked like a deer in the headlights in the Champions Trophy, Jones has been preferred. That's the story at least.

You dont drop someone because you dont like them

Agreed.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He came in, played 2 Tests and is dropped presumably on batting ability.

In those 2 Tests, he scored 126 runs in 3 innings.

In Jones' previous 7, he scored 143 in 11 innings, 52 in his first of that run then 91 in 10...

We all know that the reason Fletcher dropped Read is a lot more than simply regarding his batting. Fletcher favours Jones. Simple as. Nothing to do with performance.

That said, he also justified it with the notably poor wicketkeeping of Read in the CT.

 

[tooextracool]

I don't think Geraint Jones is necessarily a worse candidate than Read though. Both have been pretty poor at Test level. And yes, Read did score a few runs against Pakistan, but he hardly looked competent doing so. He played with a great deal of luck. And now that Read isn't performing with the gloves as he should be and looked like a deer in the headlights in the Champions Trophy, Jones has been preferred. That's the story at least.

Well yes i know the story, but i certainly dont understand why people are advocating it. It was not the right decision. Jones got some 1 billion ODI and played many more brainless shots for some 2 years in ODIs. Yet he was consistently selected with no questions asked, infact he was the only player until the Pak series to have played every single test and ODI since the Ashes. Read comes in, scores runs in tests, has a 3-4 poor ODIs and gets dropped for a player who cant even make the Kent side. Does that sound logical at all to you? To me its just plain prejudice.

 

[aussie tragic]

Replacing Read & Panesar with Jones & Giles in the first test would be a great decision IMO, but I am an Aussie