***Official*** England in India

[nikhil1772]

With respect, they were never put forward as excuses. Someone else had asked why all the pessimism about England's chances, and I provided 10 reasons. Some of those involved the recent injuries, others were to do with existing weaknesses in the team.

I guess you are right...but you putting forward these points now out of respect may be termed reasons...but after the losses they will be termed as excuses.

 

[TT Boy]

Simon Jones is definitely out of the first test probably the series now, it was just announced he is flying home.

Looks like Anderson will get a game because Liam Plunkett is still struggling with a sore heel.

 

[honestbharani]

Simon Jones is definitely out of the first test probably the series now, it was just announced he is flying home.

Looks like Anderson will get a game because Liam Plunkett is still struggling with a sore heel.

yep, some cartilege problem, it seems.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Flintoff as captain??? I dont think he'll be able to cut it but then again he's the most experienced player in our current fit squad.

 

[TT Boy]

yep, some cartilege problem, it seems.

Yeah in his left knee.

 

[wpdavid]

I guess you are right...but you putting forward these points now out of respect may be termed reasons...but after the losses they will be termed as excuses.

That would be a pity. It becomes rather difficult to have a sensible discussion about England's prospects if some folks are determined to view comments about their weaknesses as "excuses" or any positive comments as "arrogance".

 

[TT Boy]

Not that they didn't play full strength exactly (although they still do muck around a little), more that ODI series are way down England's priority list and so they end up not really trying. Asian teams especially seem to care a lot more about ODIs than England. Anyway over last year England were 3-0 against Bangladesh, 2.5-3.5 against Australia and 2-3 against Pakistan. So not they've been not too bad anyway going purely by results. I expect these ODI series scorelines will pick up when it gets nearer to the World Cup, assuming can manage to field a team with 11 fit players.

I don't the key is to be build momentum up, you can’t just turn it on when it matters and what have are boys being doing in the past ODI series, losing on purpose and not trying because its only a ODI. That's utter crap and if the World Cup was tomorrow we wouldn't have a clue who would play, other than five players regardless of injuries we have no vision. You can't say that about other (winning) nations who seem to have a set and stable team.

 

[TT Boy]

Flintoff as captain??? I dont think he'll be able to cut it but then again he's the most experienced player in our current fit squad.

I would give it to Strauss the reasonability might have an effect on his batting, nothing else can improve it at the moment though his lack of experience and playing in India does go against him. Best of luck to Flintoff.

 

[nikhil1772]

That would be a pity. It becomes rather difficult to have a sensible discussion about England's prospects if some folks are determined to view comments about their weaknesses as "excuses" or any positive comments as "arrogance".

Guess you are right on this one too...thanks man for the tips...I could use these if England lose the Football World Cup ...For now in Cricket...let the best team win Cheers

P.S Let the best team be India

 

[wpdavid]

Guess you are right on this one too...thanks man for the tips...I could use these if England lose the Football World Cup ...For now in Cricket...let the best team win Cheers

P.S Let the best team be India

... and I don't think you're going to be disappointed. Enjoy!

 

[chicane]

1. Absence of our best batsman over the last 2 years
2. Absence of our most incisive bowler
3. Plus Vaughan & Giles
4. Fitness or otherwise of Pietersen & Collingwood
5. Form of Strauss & Fred (with the bat)
6. Having to rely on 2 spinners making their test debuts
7. Conditions completely unhelpful to our remaining quicks
8. The thought of G Jones standing up to the spinners for much of the time
9. Six of our top 7 making their 1st test appearances in India
10. The whole side is massively undercooked anyway

ok. so trescothik is missing, and the rest of the batting side is rubbish. *all* the rest have lost form after one practice game, they are all hopelessly unfit after 'precautionary' resting, and without simon jones the big pace quartet is a rabble. even without all that geriant jones has been so bad anyway. i see what you mean...

 

[Tom Halsey]

I have to agree with David I'm afraid. What with all the injuries, I would now be very happy just to avoid a whitewash, and that's beginning to look unlikely.

 

[UncleTheOne]

ok. so trescothik is missing, and the rest of the batting side is rubbish. *all* the rest have lost form after one practice game, they are all hopelessly unfit after 'precautionary' resting, and without simon jones the big pace quartet is a rabble. even without all that geriant jones has been so bad anyway. i see what you mean...

*Yawn* yeah our batting is rubbish, why don't they just go take up tiddlywinks instead Our pace attack is still on a different level to India's and Jones done a decent job behind the stumps in Pakistan.

Let's just hope England find some inspiration in amongst all the gloom.

 

[shankar]

*Yawn* yeah our batting is rubbish, why don't they just go take up tiddlywinks instead Our pace attack is still on a different level to India's and Jones was done a decent job behind the stumps in Pakistan.

Let's just hope England find some inspiration in amongst all the gloom.

I'm not sure, but I think he was being sarcastic.

 

[Neil Pickup]

The best thing about this is that I've now gone into "what the hell" mode - I won't feel down if we get mullered, and anything good and I'll be buzzing. Lovin' it...

 

[Scaly piscine]

Utter nonsense.

Eng have just been a relatively poor ODI side.

Yet when they stepped it up they beat a pretty much full strength Australia in the Champions Trophy, beat them twice last year and tied a final (England are still the only side to prevent Australia from winning a final in 5 years or so). You still can't explain that with your 'England are crap' theory whilst other teams repeatedly get hammered when Australia field full strength sides.

 

[chicane]

*Yawn* yeah our batting is rubbish, why don't they just go take up tiddlywinks instead Our pace attack is still on a different level to India's and Jones done a decent job behind the stumps in Pakistan.

Let's just hope England find some inspiration in amongst all the gloom.

glad someone's optimistic!

 

[PY]

That would be a pity. It becomes rather difficult to have a sensible discussion about England's prospects if some folks are determined to view comments about their weaknesses as "excuses" or any positive comments as "arrogance".

We got bashed for being arrogant in the Ashes and now we're saying that we feel that England are going to have to play out of their skins not to get pounded and we got told off too, I'm with you I don't think we can win.

I'm beginning to think it's because people like having a proper scalp to hit and when it's been chipped away then it becomes not so large and there are some reasons of luck/incompetence which have made the pendulum swing in favour of one side so they try and build them up again.

 

[marc71178]

Utter nonsense.

Eng have just been a relatively poor ODI side.

Have been for some time now.

I'm struggling to remember a side since 1992 to be honest.

 

[marc71178]

Yet when they stepped it up they beat a pretty much full strength Australia in the Champions Trophy, beat them twice last year and tied a final (England are still the only side to prevent Australia from winning a final in 5 years or so).

Yes great, so you expect us to believe that one or 2 games buck the trend of mediocrity?