***Official*** South Africa in England

[aussie]

Yea ignorance those involved in the ECB are really doing some crap of late.

 

[fredfertang]

Looks like Simon Jones, Mahmood, Harmison, Plunkett, Onions and Hoggard might as well go off and become Estate Agents - that is clearly a selection following a very long and very liquid lunch

 

[Marius]

South Africa vs England has been declared an "icon" series, which means that series in future will always be 5 Tests from now on. Good news methinks. Pity more series can't be 5 matches long.

 

[Scaly piscine]

South Africa vs England has been declared an "icon" series, which means that series in future will always be 5 Tests from now on. Good news methinks. Pity more series can't be 5 matches long.

So if two of those are in London that means it'll be like a normal 3 Test series then.

 

[aussie]

Not sure if this icon status thing is that relevant TBH. What if in 10 years on so one of SA or ENG go through a rebuilding phase thus making the series a fairly one-sided contest.

You look at WI/AUS clashes between 1960-1996 i am sure the supporters from both sides would accept it makes no sense having a long series between the sides anymore due to lack of competitiveness.

If any series should always maintain 5-test its the Ashes. All the others can be altered when needed.

 

[Marius]

Not sure if this icon status thing is that relevant TBH. What if in 10 years on so one of SA or ENG go through a rebuilding phase thus making the series a fairly one-sided contest.

You look at WI/AUS clashes between 1960-1996 i am sure the supporters from both sides would accept it makes no sense having a long series between the sides anymore due to lack of competitiveness.

If any series should always maintain 5-test its the Ashes. All the others can be altered when needed.

Largely I agree with you, but whu should the Ashes have some sort of sacred status? The last Ashes series saw England get thrashed 5-0. A case could be made for making the Ashes a 3 Test series then.

 

[stumpski]

But if England and Australia both want to continue to play five, why should it concern anyone else? At least they're not ditching a Test to make room for a seven match ODI series.

Anyone else watching highlights of Jo'burg '05 by the way? Just been reminded what a useful lower-order batter Ashley Giles was - he shared a crucial stand with Trescothick.

 

[jammay123]

yeah just finishd watching them higlights. the good old days. am utterly confused at how someone with 11 first games got ahead of hoggard. i am not happy at all.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Well we all knew Pattinson was in the selectors minds after he was named in the squad of 30. But still this is way out of left field. With so many other bowlers ready to be picked im very surprised they went for him. I guess he's impressed his peers and got a lot of good press from fellow players which the selectors put a lot of faith in.

 

[Uppercut]

Why is everyone judging how poor the move is before he's played a game for England? It could be a stroke of genius. I don't particularly remember Ryan Sidebottom being the people's choice this time last summer.

 

[Richard]

Looks like Simon Jones, Mahmood, Harmison, Plunkett, Onions and Hoggard might as well go off and become Estate Agents - that is clearly a selection following a very long and very liquid lunch

Can't say I'm remotely sorry in the cases of Mahmood, Harmison, Plunkett or Onions - not a chance are any of those better bowlers better than Pattinson right now, and I highly doubt any of them ever will be either. Jones, well, that makes sense - if they're not ignoring him on the basis of "he's still not proven his fitness to the degree we deem acceptable" then he should've played both the opening Tests of this series as one of the first names on the 'sheet.

Hoggard, however... well, as I say, can't imagine what he must feel like currently.

 

[TT Boy]

He (Pattinson) looked pretty decent in the limited overs game I watched the other day (Notts vs. Worcestershire), swung and seamed the ball away from the right handers fairly nicely and even though he wasn’t express (85mph max) he kept the batsman honest.
Though, if you were asked who was the prospective international bowler on show in that game you would have said Kabir Ali not Pattinson.

Pattinson’s favouring over Harmison, Mahmood and Jones is probably a horses for courses selection - don’t think he would get a look in if the game was taking place at The Oval.

 

[Richard]

Why is everyone judging how poor the move is before he's played a game for England? It could be a stroke of genius.

It couldn't, though, really. It could be a piece of remarkable luck - akin to pulling a rabbit from a hat. Whatever the outcome, there can be no logical reasoning behind it. That's why people are saying it's a poor move. If it works it's because they've made a random selection - no other reason.

And by "works" I don't mean Pattinson has a good game at Headingley, I mean he has a good Test career.

I don't particularly remember Ryan Sidebottom being the people's choice this time last summer.

That was for completely different reasons. Sidebottom was simply a forgotten man. Almost exactly the same as Martin Bicknell was for all those years. We were so used to seeing him churn-out the good figures game after game, season after season, that we forgot he was actually a far better England candidate than several who were considered instead.

When Sidebottom was picked, I was surprised, very much so in fact, but I couldn't ever have called it a poor decision, and so it's proved - it's been a successful one.

 

[Goughy]

Indeed. I always used to count on England for well measured Test selections, but along comes the selection of Broad and now Pattinson.

You are clearly new to watching Intrnational cricket.

England have always been (as long as Ive watched) up there in terms of up,down, in, out and random selections.

This one is crazy. Absolutely no justification. There cannot be a chance he plays? If he does its sickening.

 

[Manee]

You are clearly new to watching Intrnational cricket.

Ye, that was the joke. New to following England, of course.

 

[TT Boy]

The weather forecast is nothing to write home about....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=2575

 

[Richard]

Headingley would hardly feel right with 5 days of endless sunshine.

As long as we only lose a couple of sessions to rain I don't think we need worry extravagantly.

 

[TT Boy]

Headingley would hardly feel right with 5 days of endless sunshine.

As long as we only lose a couple of sessions to rain I don't think we need worry extravagantly.

The scene at Old Trafford didn't look too pretty tonight (game abandoned without a ball being bowled) and I can't think the weather was much better on the other side of the Pennines.

 

[Uppercut]

It couldn't, though, really. It could be a piece of remarkable luck - akin to pulling a rabbit from a hat. Whatever the outcome, there can be no logical reasoning behind it. That's why people are saying it's a poor move. If it works it's because they've made a random selection - no other reason.

You don't know that though, they could know something you don't. It could be perceived mental toughness, or raw physical attributes that they feel could be moulded into a top-class bowler. In any case, it's certainly not the move i'd have made, but if he plays and succeeds it would be unfair to write it off as pure luck. Only if and when the expected flop materialises will i join in the selector-bashing.

 

[Richard]

The scene at Old Trafford didn't look too pretty tonight (game abandoned without a ball being bowled) and I can't think the weather was much better on the other side of the Pennines.

I'm sure it wasn't - and maybe we'll get a badly truncated Test (were lucky - or perhaps unlucky - to get away with it last week).

But that forecast simply seemed poor, rather than abysmal.