**Official** West Indies in England Thread

[garage flower]

Getting back to the test series, here's my Windies side for Old Trafford:

Gayle
DS Smith
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Joseph
Jacobs
Bravo
Mohammed
Collins (Collymore if unfit)
Lawson

I know the bowling looks very thin, but there are still 3 specialists + Bravo (effectively a bowling all-rounder at the moment), Gayle and Sarwan. Realistically, Windies don't have a world class bowling attack available.

Joseph has earned his chance with consistent performances on the tour. Bravo is clearly not yet ready for the no. 6 spot.

Mohammed has been pretty shabbily treated by the selectors since performing reasonably on debut against South Africa. We need to find out whether he can provide a genuine specialist spinning option.

 

[Mister Wright]

I am wondering Marc did you think Bodyline was a good idea since it worked and England won the Ashes?

Even as an Australian I think the Bodyline tactic was great. It was the Aussies who were the whinges.

 

[Craig]

Getting back to the test series, here's my Windies side for Old Trafford:

Gayle
DS Smith
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Joseph
Jacobs
Bravo
Mohammed
Collins (Collymore if unfit)
Lawson

I know the bowling looks very thin, but there are still 3 specialists + Bravo (effectively a bowling all-rounder at the moment), Gayle and Sarwan. Realistically, Windies don't have a world class bowling attack available.

Joseph has earned his chance with consistent performances on the tour. Bravo is clearly not yet ready for the no. 6 spot.

Mohammed has been pretty shabbily treated by the selectors since performing reasonably on debut against South Africa. We need to find out whether he can provide a genuine specialist spinning option.

Fidel Edwards has put himself in with a shout taking 5 v Derbyshire. And I would consider playing him instead of Sylvester Joesph.

So that would give me 4 bowlers + Bravo, then Sarwan and Gayle that gives you seven - more then enough, and I think that side with four bowlers in it looks a lot more balanced IMO.

 

[Craig]

That is one of the most stupid similes I've ever seen.

I don't remember International outcry about Giles' bowling and the near breakdown of cricketing relations between England and India over it.

How about actually trying to answer my question, do you think Bodyline was a good idea because it worked?

 

[marc71178]

I'm not going to grace such a stupid question with a reply.

Comparing the 2 things is ridiculous.

 

[luckyeddie]

How about actually trying to answer my question, do you think Bodyline was a good idea because it worked?

Bodyline was an exceedingly clever, well thought-out method of playing cricket within the letter of the laws which applied at that time.

It always amazes mee too how some people cannot handle it when their own judgement of players is demonstrably shown to be awry (for Giles read Flintoff, Harmison, Trescothick, Vaughan etc etc).

 

[Mister Wright]

Bodyline was an exceedingly clever, well thought-out method of playing cricket within the letter of the laws which applied at that time.

Yeah, I couldn't agree more.

 

[luckyeddie]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more.

Saying that, I wouldn't have done it myself, but then again I wouldn't have bowled the final ball of an ODI underarm either. There are some aspects of cricket which are best forgotten about.

 

[Craig]

I'm not going to grace such a stupid question with a reply.

Comparing the 2 things is ridiculous.

It is a simple yes or no question.

 

[marc71178]

No, it is a stupid question that doesn't deserve answering.

 

[Craig]

So why did you make those posts then?

Sorry I almost got the impression from you Marc that England could do no wrong in what ever they did.

 

[marc71178]

What is wrong in conceiving a plan to dismiss one of the greatest batsmen of all time in SRT and it working?

To compare it to Bodyline is sheer stupidity.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Getting back to the test series, here's my Windies side for Old Trafford:

Gayle
DS Smith
Sarwan
Lara
Chanderpaul
Joseph
Jacobs
Bravo
Mohammed
Collins (Collymore if unfit)
Lawson

I know the bowling looks very thin, but there are still 3 specialists + Bravo (effectively a bowling all-rounder at the moment), Gayle and Sarwan. Realistically, Windies don't have a world class bowling attack available.

Joseph has earned his chance with consistent performances on the tour. Bravo is clearly not yet ready for the no. 6 spot.

Mohammed has been pretty shabbily treated by the selectors since performing reasonably on debut against South Africa. We need to find out whether he can provide a genuine specialist spinning option.

So the West Indies have lost the first two Tests due to being under pressure after conceding a large total and your grand plan is to thin the bowling attack further? That's just stupid.

My team:

CH Gayle
DS Smith
RR Sarwan
BC Lara
S Chanderpaul
DJJ Bravo
RD Jacobs
D Mohammed
PT Collins
FH Edwards
JJC Lawson

 

[SpaceMonkey]

So the West Indies have lost the first two Tests due to being under pressure after conceding a large total and your grand plan is to thin the bowling attack further? That's just stupid.

My team:

CH Gayle
DS Smith
RR Sarwan
BC Lara
S Chanderpaul
DJJ Bravo
RD Jacobs
D Mohammed
PT Collins
FH Edwards
JJC Lawson

Looks good to me...Gayle as the 2nd spinner if needed is more than enough. Then theres enough pace to be able to trouble englands batsmen if the pitch is quick.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think it's a bit harsh on a young player like Banks, but overall Mohammed has been treated worse by the selectors. Consider that he took 3 wickets on debut in South Africa, on a tour where the highest WI wicket-taker was Edwards with just 8, then has been in the squad for almost every Test leading into this England tour yet has still just played the single Test.

He's the best spinner the in the region and a rarity among West Indian spinners - a legspinner.

 

[Mister Wright]

So the West Indies have lost the first two Tests due to being under pressure after conceding a large total and your grand plan is to thin the bowling attack further? That's just stupid.

My team:

CH Gayle
DS Smith
RR Sarwan
BC Lara
S Chanderpaul
DJJ Bravo
RD Jacobs
D Mohammed
PT Collins
FH Edwards
JJC Lawson

I'd like to see Jacobs at 6.

 

[badgerhair]

What is wrong in conceiving a plan to dismiss one of the greatest batsmen of all time in SRT and it working?

Are you sure it was conceived as a plan to get him out? To me it looked very much like they were simply trying to keep his scoring under control, with the idea of taking wickets at the other end, just as the successful plan in SL in 2000-01 was to raise Murali's strike rate to 80 or so, giving them time to make runs at the other end. SRT usually bowls along at 65-70/100, and the success of the Giles line was to keep him to 40/100, so that India were never allowed to run away with the game. That we didn't have the bowling to ge the wickets at the other end quickly enough is why we weren't successful, but it was a pretty good game plan given the resources available at the time.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Prince EWS]

Ide go with:

C Gayle
DS Smith
R Sarwan
B Lara
S Chanderpaul
C Baugh
D Bravo
D Mohammed / O Banks (I really cant make up my mind)
C Collymore
J Lawson
F Edwards

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Ide go with:

C Gayle
DS Smith
R Sarwan
B Lara
S Chanderpaul
C Baugh
D Bravo
D Mohammed / O Banks (I really cant make up my mind)
C Collymore
J Lawson
F Edwards

I'd very much consider Collymore over Collins due to the fact that Collins isn't quite fit, but Jacobs has to play when the series is still at stake IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

Jacobs is in poor form with both bat and gloves, and Baugh couldnt really do any worse.

He also made 150* in the tour match. You are all quick to get on Edwards after his performance, so Im shocked to see you all leave out Baugh, especially after Jacobs' poor form.