***Official*** England in West Indies 2015

[Beamer]

I think England should win but it might be pretty close. We beat a much better England side when they last toured for a test series. Admittedly we were slightly better then too but still, food for thought. If Roach gets it together we should have a pretty handy seam attack to test a vulnerable England batting lineup. I just think we don't really know how to win test matches yet and that will hand England a tight victory. I hope I'm wrong though. It should certainly be competitive.

They've just named a 20 man traaining squad for the series:

Sulieman Benn
Devendra Bishoo
Jermaine Blackwood
Carlos Brathwaite
Kraigg Brathwaite
Darren Bravo
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Sheldon Cottrell
Miguel Cummins
Shane Dowrich
Shannon Gabriel
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Leon Johnson
Veerasammy Permaul
Denesh Ramdin
Kemar Roach
Marlon Samuels
Devon Smith
Jerome Taylor

No surprises there really. It's good to see Shai Hope and SHane Dowrich rewarded for theiur excellent performances domestically and they are two talented young batsmen. Not happy trhat Suliemann Benn is even in the squad, I hope Bishoo and Permaul are selected ahead of him after absolutely owning our domestic season for Guyana.

 

[Furball]

The win last time owed everything to your groundsmen, the pitches that series were a ****ing nonsense.

 

[Beamer]

The win last time owed everything to your groundsmen, the pitches that series were a ****ing nonsense.

Yep and one ATG spell of fast bowling from Jerome Taylor too. Not the most wonderful of wins but the fact is we won the series. Still, that was a while back now, I'm looking forward to seeing this series which fingers crossed will be played on more competitive pitches.

 

[Niall]

The win last time owed everything to your groundsmen, the pitches that series were a ****ing nonsense.

Yeah its a fair point, but to be fair some abysmally conservative declarations from Strauss killed England as well.

 

[theegyptian]

Meh windies deserved to win the series. Sure the wickets were as flat as anything but England were the team who collapsed awfully in the first test. Don't get behind in a series if you don't want to run the risk of the home team putting out flat tracks or it raining. WI took their chance.

England are losing this test series also I reckon. Sure WI team is mediocre but England's is just as mediocre. The only proven good player of spin England have is Cook and he's in terrible form. Still plenty of inexperience, low confidence and key players out of form.

Hopefully as beamer suggests the WI board have made the wickets really flat to make sure they get 5 days worth of trade from the english tourists - and England can snatch a 1-0 victory this time.

Cook's the guy though. If he scores runs England will probably win easily. If he doesn't he's gonna be close to being dropped.

 

[Pothas]

They will be the best conditions for him to score that he has faced in a long time but yeah it is a pretty huge series for him.

Root will get runs.

 

[Cabinet96]

Don't fancy his chances against Boult in May/June so yeah, he really, really needs runs.

 

[Cabinet96]

Ottis Gibson named England bowling coach for the tour. Can England stop trying to recreate the golden days of 2008. They weren't that golden.

 

[91Jmay]

Ottis Gibson back as bowling coach. Like the move he did well before.

 

[Prince EWS]

Best two consecutive posts.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Better than having Saker I guess as his ideas seem to have fallen on deaf ears of late. Be interesting to see how it goes, Gibson should know more than most about the weaknesses of the WI team so we may exploit them. Can see him getting the gig for the summer if we win the series.

 

[grecian]

Ottis Gibson back as bowling coach. Like the move he did well before.

I must admit my aged brain merges past years into one, but I seem to remember him doing well, so glad he's back, Saker wasn't brilliant.

 

[vic_orthdox]

https://twitter.com/danbrettig/status/580874653628907520

Tee hee. Embarrassment.

 

[Furball]

Ottis Gibson named England bowling coach for the tour. Can England stop trying to recreate the golden days of 2008. They weren't that golden.

Plot twist: Cook legally changes name to Alistair Caught Guptill Bowled Boult Cook after 4 idential dismissals against New Zealand and resigns captaincy in tears; Kevin Pietersen appointed skipper in time for Ashes.

 

[GIMH]

bleurgh

 

[91Jmay]

I know sodding off every single thing England do is au fait around here, but who else could we get then? It's easy to start fires everywhere but putting them out is harder. I see Gibson as an upgrade on Saker, although coaches go as the players do to a large degree.

 

[Pratters]

Don't get why Trott should be in the reckoning tbh. He'll be 34 in April and at his best was a solid rather than outstanding batsman.
Would actually make more sense to pick some younger guys and blood them ahead of the series against the Kiwis and the Aussies.

You do realise modern bats can continue till the age of 38 or even 40 if fit enough? He had a few years of great batting, and if he can show any of that, it would be gun for England.

 

[Pratters]

No Moeen or Woakes. Going to boycott the tour.

Not a bad thing. With constant international cricket, a bit of time off, for whatever reason, can do a world of good.

 

[Prince EWS]

You do realise modern bats can continue till the age of 38 or even 40 if fit enough?

I blame modern bat technology.

 

[OverratedSanity]

You do realise modern bats can continue till the age of 38 or even 40 if fit enough? He had a few years of great batting, and if he can show any of that, it would be gun for England.

He also started pretty late as an England cricketer anyway. Think they can get a solid 2-3 years out of him if he gets back in the runs.