***Official*** Sri Lanka in England

[DanielFullard]

I think you Poms will get a rude shock this series...I don't think you'll win as easily as you think. Your side is well, well down on players at the moment and has alot of newbies...without Jones or Giles your bowling attack is considerably weaker and your batting has never been anything to write home about. Now with Vaughan gone and Trescothick out of touch in the longer form you're not going to win this as easily as you think...

Just an opinion.

I still think we will win easily and to nil. Batting wise we have more than enough to put on big scores and even though our bowling is very very weak compared to our first choice team, and Id hate to rely on Plunkett or Mahmood against a better side, it will still be interesting to see how they get on. I just think we could have went with someone better than Mahmood who to be honest has prooved nothing thus far.

I also think that we will cruise past them in the ODI's

 

[sideshowtim]

Sri Lanka are a much better one-day side than you. Quite easily too.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I also think that we will cruise past them in the ODI's

I don't know, they gave a decent account of themselves in Aus, while not setting the world on fire, they're still a good OD squad in my opinion, and England have been notably crap in ODI's of late.

 

[DanielFullard]

I don't know, they gave a decent account of themselves in Aus, while not setting the world on fire, they're still a good OD squad in my opinion, and England have been notably crap in ODI's of late.

We were poor out in India at times but don't forget India were bloody great at times too. It all depends on how we take the games. If we take them as lightly as we did in India and play wastes of space such as Kabir Ali then it will be more even but if we really go for it, which we should, and get the best eleven out there each game with maybe one or two changes max. a game then we could

Dont forget that we have one of the best OD batsmen and perhaps the best OD all rounder in the world fit and ready and those two are match winners

 

[BoyBrumby]

I don't know, they gave a decent account of themselves in Aus, while not setting the world on fire, they're still a good OD squad in my opinion, and England have been notably crap in ODI's of late.

If by "of late" you mean "for the last decade" then yes, yes we have.

 

[chaminda_00]

lol at Stuart Broad, he looks like his 12, don't they grow facial hair in Leicestershire.

 

[marc71178]

I think you Poms will get a rude shock this series...I don't think you'll win as easily as you think. Your side is well, well down on players at the moment and has alot of newbies...without Jones or Giles your bowling attack is considerably weaker and your batting has never been anything to write home about. Now with Vaughan gone and Trescothick out of touch in the longer form you're not going to win this as easily as you think...

Just an opinion.

Trescothick's last 5 plus Bangladesd series (in reverse order):

296 @ 49.33
431 @ 43.10
(345 @ 172.50)
448 @ 44.80
319 @ 45.57
322 @ 64.40

 

[marc71178]

We were poor out in India at times but don't forget India were bloody great at times too. It all depends on how we take the games. If we take them as lightly as we did in India and play wastes of space such as Kabir Ali then it will be more even but if we really go for it, which we should, and get the best eleven out there each game with maybe one or two changes max. a game then we could

So these players who are missing the Tests will miraculously fix themselves for the ODIs?

 

[DanielFullard]

I meant best eleven possible

 

[superkingdave]

I still think we will win easily and to nil. Batting wise we have more than enough to put on big scores and even though our bowling is very very weak compared to our first choice team, and Id hate to rely on Plunkett or Mahmood against a better side, it will still be interesting to see how they get on. I just think we could have went with someone better than Mahmood who to be honest has prooved nothing thus far.

I also think that we will cruise past them in the ODI's

Mahmood has proooved just as much as Plunkett has

 

[Neil Pickup]

lol at Stuart Broad, he looks like his 12, don't they grow facial hair in Leicestershire.

Ask Jamee.

 

[steds]

I think you Poms will get a rude shock this series...I don't think you'll win as easily as you think.

I don't think we'll win at all. More players out than fit, atm.

 

[luckyeddie]

I think you Poms will get a rude shock this series...I don't think you'll win as easily as you think. Your side is well, well down on players at the moment and has alot of newbies...without Jones or Giles your bowling attack is considerably weaker and your batting has never been anything to write home about. Now with Vaughan gone and Trescothick out of touch in the longer form you're not going to win this as easily as you think...

Just an opinion.

Can't really disagree with much here.

Oh, just one thing - of the people on here suggesting that England are going to win the test series easily, many are Sri Lankan supporters.

/just saying

 

[marc71178]

I meant best eleven possible

A side that would struggle to beat Zimbabwe 'A' then?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Certainly wouldn't be underestimating SL in the one dayers, but I still think despite all their injury troubles, England to win the Tests.

As I said in the Ind vs Eng thread, at some stage England needs to have a look at its fitness and health staff, because after a while having so many injuries isn't just down to coincidence - those who you are paying to get and keep your players fit actually have to have some sort of responsibility to do so.

 

[dinu23]

Exactly my point .

They will struggle really badly against England A let alone England.

I think our guys will give a good fight against England A. I think the lineup should include all the batsmen who will make it to the test side but should rest Vass, Murali.

 

[dinu23]

He was joking. If you click the link you'll see this week's forecast, it's between 15-20 degrees or so. Not too bad.

sheesh! of course it can't be -5. then it would be snowing. how stupid can I get.

 

[tooextracool]

Mahmood is no worse than Harmison or Jones were when they made their debut for England test team. So i dont see why people are so shocked by it, infact id say he's better than they were at the same period in their careers. The best way to get Mahmood to improve is to get them in and around the England side and the best coaches / facilities in the country. It worked perfectly for Harmison and Jones so why not Mahmood?

I remember both their debuts for England and they could hardly get it on the pitch.

Mahmood actually has some variety in his bowling unlike Plunkett. He can swing the white ball at a decent pace and has been known to be capable of getting the ball to reverse as well. He does however have shockingly poor accuracy which is something that both harmison and Jones had plenty of when they made their debuts(and Jones still hasnt exactly sorted that out either)

 

[sideshowtim]

Trescothick's last 5 plus Bangladesd series (in reverse order):

296 @ 49.33
431 @ 43.10
(345 @ 172.50)
448 @ 44.80
319 @ 45.57
322 @ 64.40

In 4 innings in County he has failed to impress in the slightest.

 

[chaminda_00]

In 4 innings in County he has failed to impress in the slightest.

Has he ever impressed at County level, some players are just better at International Level then county level. Regardless i think the selectors will be looking at his fitness more then his form, his abilty is not under question.