*Official* England in South Africa Thread

[tooextracool]

Ok i'm not the biggest Hoggard fan or anything but come on give the guy a break. He's out of the side for 2 years gets picked and doesn't do too well....what was everyone expecting? Hoggard has come on leaps and bounds as of late, I say he deserves another chance.

If Hoggard "needs to go" then so does Harmison.

please, hoggard is so clearly not an ODI bowler that it would take someone really one eyed to not see that. even in tests when the conditions havent suited his bowling hes been hammered even though hes taken wickets.

 

[Swervy]

surely they must be someone whos at least done something in domestic cricket and not been a proven failure in ODIs?
even sajid mahmood wouldnt be a bad choice.

yeah, you would think someone who is a opening bowler (as opposed to a bowler to make up the numbers) would be hanging around somewhere,I just cant think of any right now, although I think Mahmood appears to have been almost written off far too early,and has a hell of a lot of potential

 

[Neil Pickup]

doubt it, NZ are ahead of the other 6 by a country mile.

Okay, put it down to the "other six".

And Trescothick has approximately zero chance of being dropped.

 

[chris.hinton]

Okay, put it down to the "other six".

And Trescothick has approximately zero chance of being dropped.

i agree

 

[SpeedKing]

yeah, you would think someone who is a opening bowler (as opposed to a bowler to make up the numbers) would be hanging around somewhere,I just cant think of any right now, although I think Mahmood appears to have been almost written off far too early,and has a hell of a lot of potential

i agree with you on Mohmood. i remember someone saying in an interview that he bowled a 94mph delivery in the Lancs nets. and he also seems to have time left in the bank to get better. i think he should be taught to bowl more back-of-a-length coz he naturally bowls a very full length. bowling too full can result in getting tonked all over the park thats why i feel that he should bowl McGrathesque back-of-a-length and when you add to the fact that he is quite a tall man, can get Harmy's bounce.

all in all, he has a lot of potential

 

[superkingdave]

Will Pietersen still go one the UAE/SL 'A' tour?

if he does UAE's bowlers must be sh*tting themselves.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Will Pietersen still go one the UAE/SL 'A' tour?

if he does UAE's bowlers must be sh*tting themselves.

Shouldnt see why not. After he twatted India for a few months on the last England A tour i bet he cant wait

 

[twctopcat]

Pietersen isn't going on the tour. See here .

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I guess that shows that he'll get in the test team in the not too distant future.

 

[savill]

Yup. Cant see why Ali's been called up though, I'd rather have Jefferson.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Cook is very highly rated by the selectors, having skipper the U19s etc.

Can't see Jefferson ever playing for England, while there is a chance that Cook may.

 

[superkingdave]

"The future looks bright for England. If Freddie had been in our squad for these one-dayers [in South Africa], I don't think we'd have lost a game," Pietersen added.

he he, he's not a shrinking violet is he?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Shouldnt this topic be unstickey'd now?

Seems weird having so long with no English cricket now considering how jam packed the calendar normally is

 

[SpeedKing]

Shouldnt this topic be unstickey'd now?

Seems weird having so long with no English cricket now considering how jam packed the calendar normally is

i feel your pain, but you have to be fair on the players the have had so much cricket they do need a bit of a break

 

[chris.hinton]

Cooke seems to be rated.... when i seen him he has not looked up to it but as people do they prove otherwise

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Cooke seems to be rated.... when i seen him he has not looked up to it but as people do they prove otherwise

Well, he doesn't play for Worcestershire...can't be up to it...

 

[twctopcat]

After the U19 WC Cooke was brought straight into the essex first XI and did ok but not brilliant. However it was first season and seemed to get lots of starts but then got out, so perhaps it is just an age thing. With more FC experience for essex he should be fine.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Been in France since Friday morning, obviously no cricket news there, only what I can pick up in the Guardian international edition. Sounds like KP went ballistic again, if I was a Bangladeshi player I'd be running for cover by now if Freddie's fit (don't know what the chances of that are though).

Here's my two cents on England's best team:

1. Trescothick
2. Strauss
3. Vaughan
4. Pietersen
5. Flintoff
6. Collingwood
7. G Jones (wk)
8. Giles
9. Ali
10. Gough
11. Harmison

Comments - Harmy should only be there if he can sort his brain out, Jones is worth persevering with (remember how cr*p Harmy was to begin with? some players have a little extra which isn't always apparent at first), although I don't think he's an opener, Solanki has had all the chances he deserves, Bell hasn't had enough (his bowling is ridiculously underrated - an average of 3.00 don't you know ), Kabir Ali has a bright future IMHO, Goughie's still got it, Strauss doesn't like no4, if Vaughan wasn't captain he'd have been dropped ages ago.

There we are, 6 days of cricket views aired at once, I feel a lot better!

 

[jot1]

A bit rich coming from someone from Sydney, where fans tuck into Murali, English outfielders and others like nobodys business.. Without even being provoked..

I remember Symcox getting some p*ss in a can from one guy.. Nice...

And once, in Australia, when poor Symcox was fielding, they threw a dead chicken at him.

 

[jot1]

Pietersen isn't going on the tour. See here .

Seems Pieterson's put in the fastest 100 ever in an ODI