***Official** West Indies in England***

[steds]

Certainly got the name for it. Might as well shove Compton in while we're at it.

 

[Richard]

Haha. And their team-mate Shah trumps the lot easily.

Not to mention their other team-mate... Joyce.

 

[Nishant]

He performs in Tests though so you're wrong there. He's the best for the captain job based on record and he can actually hold his place in the team if he gets a run.

i have no doubt that he's a great test player and can score runs...but its not good for the team if ur captain is always an uncertainty to start a match...he is a great captain as well and i agree with this, too...but as ive already, englan need to becme more stable.

 

[pskov]

Well with the Vaughan injury my team for the first Test would be:

Strauss*
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Shah
Collingwood
Flintoff
Foster+
Plunkett
Hoggard
Panesar

However I suspect the team will be something along the lines of:

Strauss*
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior+
Plunkett/Mahmood
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

Which would probably still beat the Windies as they are in a right state at the moment, but I wouldn't be anywhere near as confident.

 

[roseboy64]

i have no doubt that he's a great test player and can score runs...but its not good for the team if ur captain is always an uncertainty to start a match...he is a great captain as well and i agree with this, too...but as ive already, englan need to becme more stable.

He deserves to be given the chance though.

 

[Gloucefan]

i have no doubt that he's a great test player and can score runs...but its not good for the team if ur captain is always an uncertainty to start a match...he is a great captain as well and i agree with this, too...but as ive already, englan need to becme more stable.

Perhaps if it was his knee again or his hamstring. The fact a ball hit and broke his finger when he was batting doesn't make him any more prone to breaking his finger than anyone else in the team. It was bad luck.

 

[FBU]

Joyce was one of my favourite players in county cricket but watching him play in the ODIs he looked a little diluted and didn't look very confident whereas Shah looked like he fitted in very well in the Test he played in. I would like to see him play again.

 

[Spitfires_Fan]

such as...

Such as Shah, who I'd already mentioned. I'd also rather see Bopara in there to be honest, as I think he shows more character and potential. And being a Kent man and therefore slightly biased, I'd rather see Rob Key come in at the fall of an early wicket than Joyce. So there are three who I rate more highly than him.

 

[Richard]

Haha. Key's form of the last 2 seasons hasn't done him any favours, sadly for him.

TBH, I always preferred Butcher.

 

[UncleTheOne]

Such as Shah, who I'd already mentioned. I'd also rather see Bopara in there to be honest, as I think he shows more character and potential. And being a Kent man and therefore slightly biased, I'd rather see Rob Key come in at the fall of an early wicket than Joyce. So there are three who I rate more highly than him.

bopara better than joyce in the longer form?!?

 

[The Big Cheese]

yeah! what the last guy said!

Everyones against Joyce because he's irish! (ill probably regret saying this)

But seriously, Joyce has been a very solid perfomer, and he clearly looks a better test batsman than ODI so why not play him in his strength?

 

[FBU]

First Class

Bopara 48 games 34.03 3 100s - 8 50s
Joyce 94 games 47.32 17 100s - 37 50s

 

[social]

The upside of Vaughan's injury is that the team will now be chosen on merit

 

[tooextracool]

the downside was that he was actually looking like he was just starting to hit some form.

 

[tooextracool]

yeah! what the last guy said!

Everyones against Joyce because he's irish! (ill probably regret saying this)

But seriously, Joyce has been a very solid perfomer, and he clearly looks a better test batsman than ODI so why not play him in his strength?

does he really? Cant say ive been too impressed with his technique, but we wont know until we see him in test match cricket. Id certainly much rather see Shah ahead of Joyce, and i think it would be unfair on Shah's part for Bopara or Joyce to play ahead of him.

 

[tooextracool]

Perhaps if it was his knee again or his hamstring. The fact a ball hit and broke his finger when he was batting doesn't make him any more prone to breaking his finger than anyone else in the team. It was bad luck.

Probably, but he does join Atherton and 'Poppadum Fingers' Hussain in terms of English captains who are constantly injured.

 

[tooextracool]

Well with the Vaughan injury my team for the first Test would be:

Strauss*
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Shah
Collingwood
Flintoff
Foster+
Plunkett
Hoggard
Panesar

Plunkett over Harmison?! As bad as Harmison has been recently, hes still performed better than Plunkett ever will. The rest of the side doesnt look too bad though.

 

[roseboy64]

The upside of Vaughan's injury is that the team will now be chosen on merit

He's completely opposite in the longer form to the shorter form.

 

[pup11]

Since Vaughan has got injured "again" (thanks mainly to Stuey Clark) and due to that he would also be missing the first test, so who would captain the English side in the first test then?

 

[Perm]

Since Vaughan has got injured "again" (thanks mainly to Stuey Clark) and due to that he would also be missing the first test, so who would captain the English side in the first test then?

Strauss hopefully.