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**Official** Pakistan and England in the UAE 2015/16
- Thread starter broadyfan94
- Start date
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Being a very sad old man who always fancied Jenny Agutter I watched Logans Run last night for the umpteenth time - once the delightful lady had her kit back on it occurred to me that if all cricketers were obliged to end their careers at 34 we'd have won this series comfortably
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Is Wood a definite non-starter then?
Ansari's stock has definitely risen through not playing. Poor as Moeen was in this series, he has enough previous credit to be kept in the side, especially if he's batting at 7 or 8.
The one thing I don't want to see happen is Root inching his way back into the top 3 given his performances at 4 & 5, but obviously it's tricky given the lack of an established partner for Cook and Bell's decline, which looks terminal from here.
Buttler at 6 is just silly. So is Stokes, probably. I suspect the best bet in SA is to bat deep enough to keep us in the game and bank on our hosts producing one of their occasional collapses to provide an opportunity from time to time. That may mean playing four quicks and only Root's part-time spin, although I don't like that very much. And I know that contradicts my earlier comment about Moeen, but I don't have strong views either way.
As for Willis' captaincy of England, it wasn't the worst actually. He was massively hindered by Botham taking the piss with his fitness and attitude circa the 1982/83 ashes and the 1983/84 tour of NZ, and I doubt whether any England captain at the time could have sorted that. Plus we'd lost a bunch of players to the first SA 'rebel' tour. He still led us to a very creditable series home win against Pakistan - the last time we beat them for best part of 20 years, iirc. In that series, we won the two games he played and lost the one he missed, although that was as much due to his bowling as his captaincy tbf. And his home series wins against India and NZ were rather better than what followed a few years later, and pretty much mirrored what we did under Brearley a few years earlier. Not that any of this makes his comments nowadays any more palatable. The irony is that he was massively anti-media, certainly judging by his post-Leeds comments in 1981, but he's every bit as bad as the old codgers he moaned about back in the day.
I'd agree with that, Bairstow deserves a run behind the sticks for 3 or 4 games, so I think it'll be either him or Stokes at 6. Ansari's chance will come, but I think at least part of a season in division one is required first as part of his development - which leads back to Ali getting another run in South Africa. 6, 7, 8 of Stokes, Bairstow and Ali are all pretty inter-changeable in terms of who bats where. The main plus with Ali is apart from this series he has tended to make runs when he's been needed and although very much a fifth bowler still he normally chips in with one or 2 top order batsmen - although I haven't got a really strong preference for Ali, Rashid, Patel or Ansari at the moment.
harsh.ag
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
She was a treat
Haha, there is actually an interesting question as to why England players, especially batsmen seem to be done earlier than those from other countries. It is not traditionally the case, just look at Boycott and Gooch but only Stewart in anything like recent times has gone on into his late 30s. Maybe it has something to do with the amount of international cricket they play, but I sure hope Cook breaks the recent trend, it is not looking like Bell is going to.
I think Stokes is easily the most capable of batting in the top 6 long term, I really hope he is fit for the SA tour because I think he will go well. Having Moeen at 8 was one of our biggest strengths in the ashes so they should go back to that, I think 7 is the ideal position for him really but from a team point of view 8 works the best, Bairstow at 7.
FBU
International Debutant
Does anyone think that the ODI seres will settle some issues. Buttler, Bairstow, Hales. Runs and Buttler is back as keeper for SA as he is the better keeper.No runs for Hales and someone else to open?
Cook Ansari Bell Root Taylor Stokes Buttler Ali Broad Finn Anderson
Cook Ansari Bell Root Taylor Stokes Buttler Ali Broad Finn Anderson
Howe_zat
Audio File
It's this, isn't it? It's not just wear on the body either, it's that as an England player there's never an off season. The motive to have yet another winter away from home over a readily available pundit's job with one of the 823 tv channels must wane considerably.
That's before you get to England having relatively few players who were good enough after 35 anyway
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Interesting to see what they do with Moeen for the ODI series.
I think he's definitely in their best team and his best position in the batting order is as opener but I think they'd like to give a longer run to Roy and Hales at the top of the order. If he or Hales or Roy bats 3 that means Root, Taylor, Morgan and Buttler (who I assume will be the middle order) will be shoved down spots and will all probably be batting a spot too low for your best players.
They might keep him at 7 (so in the team mainly for his bowling) where he batted in the Australian odis and was poor.
They might decide to not play him at all and pick Willey at 7(which is a bit high) which theoretically they could maybe get away with given the squad is loaded with bowlers who bat(Woakes, Plunkett, Jordan, Rashid)
Or they may simply not select one of Roy and Hales which would allow Ali to open - and would allow possibly one more bowling option at 7(Willey for instance).
I think he's definitely in their best team and his best position in the batting order is as opener but I think they'd like to give a longer run to Roy and Hales at the top of the order. If he or Hales or Roy bats 3 that means Root, Taylor, Morgan and Buttler (who I assume will be the middle order) will be shoved down spots and will all probably be batting a spot too low for your best players.
They might keep him at 7 (so in the team mainly for his bowling) where he batted in the Australian odis and was poor.
They might decide to not play him at all and pick Willey at 7(which is a bit high) which theoretically they could maybe get away with given the squad is loaded with bowlers who bat(Woakes, Plunkett, Jordan, Rashid)
Or they may simply not select one of Roy and Hales which would allow Ali to open - and would allow possibly one more bowling option at 7(Willey for instance).
Yeah, you would think if anyone could resist all these factors it would be Cook though. You always get those that will fall to injury, Prior and I suppose Swann for example but just think how we could have done with even a half decent Strauss the last few years.
Furball
Evil Scotsman
Moeen should open in the ODI side.
grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Indeed, he did a decent job there, whilst Hales/Roy just aren't that good.
Left/right partnership might work too.
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aussie
Hall of Fame Member
Ha wow the ENG J Charles, what exactly are you basing that assessment on Roy on ?
Sean Flynn
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
A fully deserved victory by Pakistan in this series. They racked up the most centuries and obviously their spinners were a class above especially Yasir. England miss a spinner who can create any kind of pressure never mind wickets. Yes, Swanny.
Sean Flynn
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
South African wickets won't suit him anyhow, although i reckon that Imran Tahir will play a decent part in the series namely because England don't play his type well. Rashid needs to bowl with more urgency much like Yasir Shah. In SA you need a 'holding' spinner more than anything, Lyon did the job pretty well.