**Official** NatWest Challenge Thread

[marc71178]

However, when Flintoff is there, we have 5 10-over bowlers.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

However, when Flintoff is there, we have 5 10-over bowlers.

Yep but im on about when FLintoff isnt there...or if we play on a pitch that might take spin Pieterson would be a good 2nd Spinner behind Giles.

 

[marc71178]

Which part of his List A record tells you that?

33 wickets @ 50.36 or the economy rate of 5.23.

For the record, Ian Blackwell (widely regarded as not having the ability as a bowler - 15 ODI wickets @ 32.33 and eco of 4.49 in ODI's suggests he isn't quite as bad as people have made out) has 114 wickets @ 35 and economy of 4.90 in List A.

So pray tell what is so good about Pietersen's bowling?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Which part of his List A record tells you that?

33 wickets @ 50.36 or the economy rate of 5.23.

For the record, Ian Blackwell (widely regarded as not having the ability as a bowler - 15 ODI wickets @ 32.33 and eco of 4.49 in ODI's suggests he isn't quite as bad as people have made out) has 114 wickets @ 35 and economy of 4.90 in List A.

So pray tell what is so good about Pietersen's bowling?

Well he originally joined Notts as a bowler who batted a bit. So they must have seen something in his ability...i guess as his batting excelled he's not put any effort into his bowling that showed early promise...but McGraths hardly striking fear into batsmen is he

 

[tooextracool]

Game over - England win the Series.

Vaughan proves that he can't score any runs in ODI cricket.

yes he proved a lot with that extremely scratchy innings filled with dropped catches and edges and everything of the sort.
i find it amusing that someone who has been totally against recalling solanki, a player who has been extremely similar to vaughan, because he was too 'inconsistent' can then back the selection of michael vaughan who has actually done worse this year than what solanki did last year.
your opinion of the selectors might be irrelevent to me, but to blindly back every stupid move that they make would be foolish.

 

[tooextracool]

Yep about time he got into some much needed form.. although Sehwag looks all sorts at the moment..!

why does that not surprise me though? it was only a matter of time before someone like sehwag went through a bad patch and it will happen extremely often in the future too. if you ask me he extremely similar to trescothick and players like those who show no footwork are going to fluctuate between extremely good periods and extremely bad periods. you'll see them on days where everything seems to go perfect scoring 309 against poor attacks, and the odd good innings against the quality side but on the whole you'll see plenty of failure and find that these are the players that cannot be relied upon at any point of their careers

 

[tooextracool]

I think India should win easy now...Flintoff isn't playing

it really is no more than a 1 man team.

 

[tooextracool]

coz eng's problem in cricket is and has been the attitude, flintoff is the only guy i've seen that actually has the kinda attitude thats needed to change from what its been in the past. its hard for me to make my case as vaughan has been winning lately, but it sure has not been due to his leadership, i remember few summers ago when gough and caddick were on high and how they won matches for ENG, similar thing is happening rite now, but as soon as they will be tested and contested they will roll over.

making flintoff captain wouldnt be the smartest idea in the world, we've seen already what the captaincy did to vaughan's batting,and hussain's to an extent. the last person you want to take a risk with now is flintoff i can assure you

 

[tooextracool]

Yep about time he got into some much needed form..

yes and ive always said that kaif should be given more opportunities, he was just completely wasted at no 7, when he got to bat in the slog overs.

 

[tooextracool]

Nehra bowled well as did Pathan, so that was pleasing to see. Hopefully this trend will continue during the ICC Champions Trophy.

i really will never understand why nehra gets so many opportunities, sure he bowled well last game but judging what he has done in the past i wouldnt expect anything but him being hammered in the ICC champions trophy

 

[Sudeep]

yes and ive always said that kaif should be given more opportunities, he was just completely wasted at no 7, when he got to bat in the slog overs.

As I've said earlier, I'll say again that Kaif is a more important assest to the Indian team than Yuvraj, because of the level of consistency he could display if given realistic opportunities.

I am against him batting higher up the order at #3, I'd have preferred him at #4 or 5. But I'm hoping that he proves me wrong.

 

[Sudeep]

i really will never understand why nehra gets so many opportunities, sure he bowled well last game but judging what he has done in the past i wouldnt expect anything but him being hammered in the ICC champions trophy

Or breaking down for the zillionth time.

 

[marc71178]

Well he originally joined Notts as a bowler who batted a bit. So they must have seen something in his ability...i guess as his batting excelled he's not put any effort into his bowling that showed early promise...but McGraths hardly striking fear into batsmen is he

McGrath isn't in the first choice team.

And Pietersen should not be considered part of it on his bowling.

 

[marc71178]

it really is no more than a 1 man team.

I disagree with that, but when you've got a bloke averaging 80 with the bat and 20 with the ball, you're going to miss him if he's not there.

 

[Craig]

Except you said it was out of character for him, which like I said, shows how little of him you've WATCHED.

I watched the his innings Marc, I was not critising nor praising, just making a general comment.

 

[lord_of_darkness]

why does that not surprise me though? it was only a matter of time before someone like sehwag went through a bad patch and it will happen extremely often in the future too. if you ask me he extremely similar to trescothick and players like those who show no footwork are going to fluctuate between extremely good periods and extremely bad periods. you'll see them on days where everything seems to go perfect scoring 309 against poor attacks, and the odd good innings against the quality side but on the whole you'll see plenty of failure and find that these are the players that cannot be relied upon at any point of their careers

Totally fair comment.. i think some people put too much faith in him.. Sehwag is just a matter of luck player now.. and he will continue to be picked for the team only because of his past reputation of notching up good scores.. and that his ability to score and numb the opposition attacks in the opening overs....so the selection panel will continue to select him just so they can get that "magic moment" from him..

 

[honestbharani]

I don't intend to say this because I am an Indian supporter but I think Sehwag is slightly more talented than Trescothick. Surely, at the moment, he is not playing well and maybe, even dropping him for a few games is not a bad idea but overall, I think he will come back as a better player and will score more runs for India. He seemed to have let his success get to his head during the break and he certainly was playing like a millionaire at the Asia Cup, but I just hope for India's sake that things turn around soon for him.

 

[Arjun]

If yo udrop Sehwag, can you find even one player who can hit the big shots with such regularity and take the attack to the opposition with such intensity to replace him? Not Sachin, Laxman and Dravid- they have to bat through the innings. Not Ganguly- he's not that convincing these days, and not against pace. Same for Yuvraj against spin. That leaves Dinesh Karthik, of whom we have seen little, and Irfan Pathan, who can't do far worse than Sehwag at present, but he too is out of form, and now gets runs through singles. It's easy to call for a drop, but can you find a replacement who can do the saem, exactly as well?

 

[tooextracool]

As I've said earlier, I'll say again that Kaif is a more important assest to the Indian team than Yuvraj, because of the level of consistency he could display if given realistic opportunities.

I am against him batting higher up the order at #3, I'd have preferred him at #4 or 5. But I'm hoping that he proves me wrong.

id like him to bat between overs 15-40, his running between the wickets and the ability to find gaps makes him handy for those situations

 

[tooextracool]

I disagree with that, but when you've got a bloke averaging 80 with the bat and 20 with the ball, you're going to miss him if he's not there.

look at the natwest series, without flintoff we looked quite pathetic with bat, ball and in the field.
and who else has been performing consistently in the side? perhaps only harmison has been bowling consistently well of late.
flintoff is what makes this side competitive, without him they would be right down there below the WI.