*Official* England in West Indies 2022

[ImpatientLime]

As for Windies, World Cricket is always better when they're strong.

BINGO!!!

 

[Anil]

They are obviously sticking with Root as captain because there isn’t a realistic replacement option in the current squad…

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Issue is, who takes over? Absolutely no one near fit to take the role.

I'm out of ideas. No one from Taita is eligible for the role.

But seriously, Root needs to stand aside. There must be someone with tactical acumen in county cricket - a Brearley-type. Let's be honest, most of the England batting order are struggling to average more than mid/high 20s with the bat. You could bring in some long-serving, tactically astute captain from CC and they're not going to weaken the batting.

Last Season's Captains:

Derbys: Godleman, 33yo (FC batting avg: 32.29)
Durham: Borthwick, 31 (34.86)
Essex: Westley, 33 (35.57)
Notts: Mullaney, 35 (33.00)
Warks: Rhodes, 27 (35.42)
Worcs: Leach, 31 (24.41) - bowling all-rounder
Gloucs: Dent, 31 (37.20)
Hants: Vince, 31 (39.06)
Leics: Ackermann (ineligible)
Middx: Handscomb (ineligible)
Somerset: Abell, 28 (32.61)
Surrey: Burns, 31 (35.14)
Glams: Cooke, 35 (37.75)
Lancs: Vilas (ineligible?)
Northants: Rossington, 28 (35.58)
Sussex: Brown, 33 (40.41)
Yorks: Patterson, 38 (bowler)
Kent: Billings, 30 (33.90)

Take your pick. Batting stats wise, all a bit much-of-a-muchness. Vince, Westley, Burns and Borthwick have all played (and arguably failed) for England, so is a Will Rhodes going to be much of a downgrade if his captaincy is decent?

Any avid viewers of the county game have much to say about the captaincy? I mean, Warks outperformed expectations last year, which is perhaps why I specifically mentioned Rhodes, but I have no idea whether that was at least in part due to his tactical standing.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

There's no sign of Root standing down or being sacked, but if he does or is I still think Stokes is the only choice.

 

[weeman27bob]

Moeen for captain

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Kyle Mayers:
Batting ave - 34.94
Bowling ave - 17.90

A 6, 7, 8 of Mayers, Holder, Da Silva is pretty good, and hopefully Brathwaite and Bonner can continue their good form. Just need a quality bat in top 5 and the pacemen to bowl better overseas and that's a (more) solid team.

Very good numbers.

Re: England captaincy I'd pick Rory Burns provided he gets a haircut.

Could also move Crawley (if he stays in the team) to 3 that way and Root to 4.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Kyle Mayers:
Batting ave - 34.94
Bowling ave - 17.90

Very good numbers.

Re: England captaincy I'd pick Rory Burns provided he gets a haircut.

He's played one of the greatest 4th innings knocks in test history...and now he's delivered a second innings bowling performance of note...dismissing a batsman (twice) who's scored bucket-loads of runs as recently as the previous match...

True legend.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

England deserve this for not picking Darren Stevens.

 

[Spark]

I keep hearing Root say he wants to take the team forward .Surely it’s time for someone to have the bottle to tell him that he is clueless when under pressure and uses his bowlers with the same monotony match after match.He has no imagination whatsoever .Surely he must see the press sometimes who all think he should go

My God the badness of this England team is only matched by the sheer audacity of their denials.

I've said this before but the polyannaish guff coming from the likes of Collingwood, Trescothick and now Root has surely passed from the realm of empty PR speak and into that of being actively disrespectful to the paying fans. Like, how stupid do they think English cricket fans are that they think they'll buy what this lot are selling?

 

[Frost]

Hard to blame root when he has to always score the runs, honestly I know tactically he can be left wanting but when you know its your runs or nothing that probably takes a toll. Only options are to keep trying different players or lower your expectations.
It gets worse when you look at England's home summer

 

[PlayerComparisons]

I’m sure Root would step down if there were actual other options for the captaincy but there aren’t so he’s doing what he thinks is best for the team. New Zealand(home), India(home), South Africa(home), Pakistan(away), New Zealand(away), Australia(home). That could be another 6 series losses in a row.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I’m sure Root would step down if there were actual other options for the captaincy but there aren’t...

Yes there are. There are many, many different options. Some of those options are more left-field than others, but it's a false narrative so say there are no other options.

 

[Prince EWS]

I’m sure Root would step down if there were actual other options for the captaincy but there aren’t so he’s doing what he thinks is best for the team. New Zealand(home), India(home), South Africa(home), Pakistan(away), New Zealand(away), Australia(home). That could be another 6 series losses in a row.

I can't really see them losing to SA at home if they pick their best bowlers (although that's not exactly a given itself, I suppose).

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Yes there are. There are many, many different options. Some of those options are more left-field than others, but it's a false narrative so say there are no other options.

I mean there are many options if you’re fine with giving the captaincy to someone who’s not established in the side. If you’re not, then there aren’t many many different options.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

I can't really see them losing to SA at home if they pick their best bowlers (although that's not exactly a given itself, I suppose).

I think it comes down to if Root performs with the bat tbh. Not sure who’s going to score the runs against Rabada/Ngidi/Nortje/Jansen/Olivier if he doesn’t.

 

[Shri]

bring cook back but as captain

 

[kyear2]

Would captaincy have made that much more of a difference though? Yes, some of his tactics in the field wasn't the best, but doesn't the coaching staff share some of that blame. And with regards to the batting collapses, how does a captain prevent that?

Anyways, just my thoughts..

 

[honestbharani]

Has Bairstow captained at any level?

 

[tooextracool]

Would captaincy have made that much more of a difference though? Yes, some of his tactics in the field wasn't the best, but doesn't the coaching staff share some of that blame. And with regards to the batting collapses, how does a captain prevent that?

Anyways, just my thoughts..

Well for starters, we'd have had our two best bowlers on the field. I've honestly seen way too much of Joe Root's imbecility to understand how having him as captain is actually better than just choosing a random candidate from the XI each game. It's easy to forget but there was a point when we were actually on top in this game and he let the game drift. His clear lack of confidence in but yet continual selection of his frontline spin bowlers (first Dom Bess, now Jack Leach). The over bowling of his strike bowlers to the ground. Starting key sessions of play with bowlers that are not his best bowlers, the list goes on. Cook was an ordinary captain, Joe Root is appalling.

No one is saying that the coaching staff and selection is not a cluster**** and don't need to be addressed but England will only truly hit rock bottom when Joe Root steps down.

 

[cnerd123]

England don't just need a new head, they need a new spine

Changes have to happen in the selectors, coaching staff, support staff, and real effort needs to be put into improving the standard of County cricket.

Fixing England's Test team is a 5-10 year long project.