Interesting. Shows the selectors aren't just rigidly sticking to "next cab off the rank" thinking. If fit (big proviso, admittedly) I think Sid would be more of a threat than Harmy at Leeds tho. As a straight swap for Fred it makes the batting look paper thin, however.
Its looking very likely that Freddie might not play at Headingley, and that's very good news from our perspective, without Freddie, English team-combination goes for bit of a toss and they might have to consider playing with just four bowlers and adding an extra batsmen to the XI.
Yup, this is true. Johnson an infinitely better bowler after solid hit-outs. He'd had a break before this series and, although I think he also just bowled arse in the first two Tests, he was probably a little bit under-done too.
The ideal way to go would be to pick either Harmison or Sidebottom instead of Broad, and pick a batsman to replace Freddie, it could either be Shah or Key, make him bat at 3 and push Bopara down to no.6 and Prior to no.7.Interesting. Shows the selectors aren't just rigidly sticking to "next cab off the rank" thinking. If fit (big proviso, admittedly) I think Sid would be more of a threat than Harmy at Leeds tho. As a straight swap for Fred it makes the batting look paper thin, however.
Don't think Fred out for one match is as major a problem as that. Sidey/Harmison and Key in for Freddie and Broad seems fine in terms of team balance. Just like Australia's balance tbh.
It sure is a problem, Fred's all-round capabilities provide England with that flexibility of playing an extra bowler or batsmen, and without him in there, it increases the pressure and responsibility on other bowlers, especially Jimmy, and not forget Aussies would also be chuffed to bits, that they won't have to face him in such an all important game.
I think Clark is highly rated in the minds of fans because he never frustrates. Lee, Siddle and Johnson all have Aussies screaming at their TVs on occasion as they get smashed around the park. When Clark bowls badly, he still doesn't get smashed.
No way should Hauritz be an automatic pick now IMO. He's benefited both from low pre-series expectations and the rest of the team's sub-standard bowling, but 10 wickets in 3 games @ 32 doesn't justify him playing every time. McDonald's record is fairly similar and he adds batting to the picture. IMO they should at least have a look at fitting him in, depending on conditions at Headingley.
Its Johnson's form that is making people say that Clark should come in for Siddle, Clark might not have the same nip he had when he was bowling well, but he still is very accurate and that's his biggest asset.
All reports suggest that of Fred misses out, he gets replaced by Harmy. Now I'm as sceptical about Harmy as everyone else, but I'd back him to get Hughes out again.
T_C isn't saying Haurrie should be an automatic pick in every condition, all he and me are saying is that Haurrie should definitely be playing in normal test match conditions (which are flat, slow, dry pitches), he is an accurate spinner, keeps an end tied and bowls to a plan, and that certainly complements the Australian pace attack.
That's judging him on the basis of a series where with an injury problem he turned in by far his worst performance to date. When he's bowling well, which has been the case for the significant majority of his test career, he puts a stack of pressure on the batsmen.
Miller states that Bopara definitely isn't being dropped, Trott also isn't in as cover for Fred though apparently, doesn't seem to know what he's going on about tbh