***Official*** West Indies Tour of the UK 2017

[LegionOfBrad]

The problem is it's easy to imagine 3 of the starting batsmen being unselectable by the 4th test, as Ballance and Duckett were last winter. The solution; I have no idea. Dawson will go not Crane would be my bet. If Crane was going he'd probably be in the T20 or ODI squad.

I'm.pretty sure the plan was to play Crane at Lords with us being 2-0 up. Problem was losing at Headingley and even if he had played he'd barely have got a bowl given the conditions.

 

[grecian]

As for England my xi for the ashes test:

Cook
Stoneman (he just might be a keeper. I think he is positive and looked technically ok)
Westley (deserves a go for the first test but I have my doubts about that technique)
Root
Malan (again, not convinced but deserves a couple of ashes tests)
Stokes
Bairstow
Ali
Woakes (if fully fit as I think he'll go better in Australia)
Broad
Anderson

Reserves

Hameed (reserve opener)
Hales (to come in if Malan struggles)
Roland Jones (starts if woakes hasn't got his pace up)
Crane (spare spinner. An attacking option but a good one)

My gut feeling is Australia will win because England have 3 batsmen fighting for their career and their catching is poor. It will be close though because Anderson and Broad are obviously excellent (particularly Jimmy) and that England lower order is insanely good. It will get them out of trouble a few times I think.

Despite today, I'm not happy with Westley, Northeast deserves a call-up, but Hales would play in the first test for me.

 

[Howe_zat]

I was more on board with Hales at five when it was in place of Malan. Having both of them at 4 and 5 looks extremely flaky.

 

[Furball]

500th at Lord's along with his best ever innings figures.

Who writes this ****'s scripts?

 

[Furball]

Blackwood plays like someone batting in Brian Lara cricket exclusively using the circle button.

 

[Gnske]

Yep For the Zimbabwe tour I imagine Kyle Hope will go and Shane Dowrich must be very vulnerable. Bishoo deserves his place but Holder isn't comfy with him so he might be vulnerable.

The xi for the first test in Zimbabwe:

Braithwaite
Powell
Bravo
Hope
Chase
Blackwood
Wicket keeper batsman (either stick with Dowrich or try Hamilton/Ambris)
Holder
Spinner who can bat a bit/Joseph (if seamer friendly)
Roach
Gabriel

Reserves

Hetmeyer
Spinner or Joseph
Reifer
Cummins/fast bowler

Play anyone but the failed baseball player as opener, hell get Evin Lewis if you must.

 

[GotSpin]

Cheers! Very worried about Dowrich though. He looks a shadow of the player who looked so good on debut. The selectors will have a decision to make on whether to keep him in the team like they did with Shai or do they give Hamilton or Ambris a go. The difference with Shai Hope is that he looked good even when not making runs whereas Dowrich has looked awful with gloves and bat.

Number 3 should be a straight swap between Kyle Hope and Darren Bravo which is obviously an enormous upgrade. With young Hetmeyer waiting in the wings. Powell is on watch and needs a score but should retain his place for The upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.

Is Bravo confirmed for a return?

 

[Beamer]

Is Bravo confirmed for a return?

I never assume anything with the WICB but there is no reason why he shouldn't be.

 

[GIMH]

Not seen anywhere near as much of this series as I'd have liked. But **** me, Jimmy ****ing Anderson.

 

[anaksr]

Of late I was worried abt future of west indies cricket. Specially in tests. But hope is still alive after this series. I wonder if this starting 11 is possible for near future
Openers
Kraig Braithwaite
Chris Gayle(Not sure whether he is interested to plays tests now) or
Blackwood(Its a risk but worth it) remember sehwag too was once played in middle order.

Middle order
Darren Bravo
Shai Hope
Chase(He average is still very good and he can be persisted with)
Denesh Ramdin(Still best among the present keepers in WI)
Hetmeyer
Holder(Shown improvement of late so deserves some time to stay in squad)
Bishoo(Still cant find any genuine spinner who may replace him) or
Cummins(Depending on the pitch
Roach
Gabriel

Lastly I seriously think that Blackwood should be asked to stay in ODI an T20 team in england. He is tailormade for these formats. Bit suprised abt his non selection especially after his recent attacking style in this series.

 

[91Jmay]

We are going to pick loads of **** players is the long and short of it. If Aussie quicks stay reasonably fit 5-0 is not off the table. Can I also mention what a fantastic poster Beamer is. Adds so much knowledge and value, it's often hard to find sources on Windies FC cricket sadly outside of numbers and his posts are amongst the most I look forward to reading (apart from my own and Gnske's).

 

[Beamer]

Play anyone but the failed baseball player as opener, hell get Evin Lewis if you must.

I don't really rate Powell either but he did look pretty good in this test and no one has scored a mountain of runs to force their way in. I'd love Lewis to be selected as our David Warner equivalent but I can't see it happening.

Lastly I seriously think that Blackwood should be asked to stay in ODI an T20 team in england. He is tailormade for these formats. Bit suprised abt his non selection especially after his recent attacking style in this series.

A lot of us think like that but his List A and T20 stats were woeful until last season when he improved slightly. I'm not sure he's on the ODI radar.

We are going to pick loads of **** players is the long and short of it. If Aussie quicks stay reasonably fit 5-0 is not off the table. Can I also mention what a fantastic poster Beamer is. Adds so much knowledge and value, it's often hard to find sources on Windies FC cricket sadly outside of numbers and his posts are amongst the most I look forward to reading (apart from my own and Gnske's).

I'd be dissapointed if it's that one sided. I honestly don't think Australia are all that at the moment and that England lower middle order is just insane. If Stokes doesn't get you one of the others will.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm just delighted we're on a tour where a lot of posters are interested and have interesting opinions. Especially this tour when people really hadn't come across many of our squad. I rather fear it will be a tad different on our tour of Zimbabwe but I'll try my best to contribute . I'm really looking forward to November when we'll have the ashes and our tour of New Zealand at the same time. That will be a lively time to post!

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah I'll watch as much if Zimbabwe tour as possible. Will be horrible dead pitches I'd guess. Windies must smash them, as much as I quite like Zimbabwe, need to prove they aren't a 'minnow'.

 

[tooextracool]

We are going to pick loads of **** players is the long and short of it. If Aussie quicks stay reasonably fit 5-0 is not off the table. Can I also mention what a fantastic poster Beamer is. Adds so much knowledge and value, it's often hard to find sources on Windies FC cricket sadly outside of numbers and his posts are amongst the most I look forward to reading (apart from my own and Gnske's).

We have not helped ourselves by picking players who average in the mid-30s in CC over those who average mid-40s and low-50s (in Livingstone's case). Some of our selections over the past couple of years have been astonishing - Moeen as opener in UAE, Liam Dawson playing tests, Malan (period), players like Samit Patel and James Vince getting 6/7 tests without scoring a half century, Woakes over TRJ at Headingley etc. It is no surprise we haven't replaced Pietersen, Trott, Strauss or Collingwood. Not only should some of the selections never have happened, but the fact that they were all persisted with and given second opportunities suggests that people at the top simply don't have the ability to assess talent.

Which brings me to my next point - what exactly does Bayliss do? By all means, it sounds like he isn't very much of a technical coach with the intricate details of batting, bowling and fielding handled by separate coaches along with an assistant head coach. We are told that he does not have any knowledge of county cricket or the players, and he does not appear to have concerned himself with augmenting this knowledge since he became head coach. Yet (miraculously) it would seem that he is heavily involved in selection, because he has given us players like Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan in test cricket.

I expect that for this winter, we will once again see some baffling selections. As it stands, we are in a position to select all three of Malan, Stoneman and Westley. It may get worse if Bayliss is given creative authority which may result in Dawson and Buttler in the squad. It is obviously too late to do anything before the winter, but unless rational people get involved, I suspect that we will be looking for a new head coach at the end of our winter tours.

 

[91Jmay]

Livingstone did look dreadful in the white ball stuff but yeah his record does sort of speak of itself. We seem fond of picking guys on the back of a good season, but that season was a year ago. It's very odd. It kind of worked with TRJ against the Windies but I'd be surprised if anyone thinks he (or Woakes to be fair) are going to do anything over there.

I may be being pessimistic but I genuinely can see our bowlers struggling to take wickets and the likes of Westley, Malan but as crude as we know they are. If Root has a bad series we might struggle to make 300.

 

[grecian]

I was more on board with Hales at five when it was in place of Malan. Having both of them at 4 and 5 looks extremely flaky.

How is any of our options not flaky?

 

[the big bambino]

Livingstone did look dreadful in the white ball stuff but yeah his record does sort of speak of itself. We seem fond of picking guys on the back of a good season, but that season was a year ago. It's very odd. It kind of worked with TRJ against the Windies but I'd be surprised if anyone thinks he (or Woakes to be fair) are going to do anything over there.

I may be being pessimistic but I genuinely can see our bowlers struggling to take wickets and the likes of Westley, Malan but as crude as we know they are. If Root has a bad series we might struggle to make 300.

Your batting looks weak but has depth. But Australia's is suspect too. You don't have a spinner part from Moeen. You my be right about the bowling overall but bowlers of England's style have done well in Australia. Like McGrath, Flemming and Clark. Philander and Abbott recently, Fraser, Hadlee and even Chatfield previously. Broad and Anderson themselves have had success here.

 

[Adders]

I'm honestly not worried about our bowling for the Ashes, save for Broad........hope he finds his mojo before Oct.

I can see it going a similar way to 2013/14 (apart from 5 zip......that aint happening) Our bowlers will keep the Aussies first innings score manageable but they'll be back in the field too quick after our batting capitulates, then they'll be knackered and struggle for the Aussie second innings. Our middle/lower order to save us in at least 1 test........2-1 or 3-1 to the Cons is my early call.

 

[the big bambino]

The similarity is the absence of an effective spinner. I rate Moeen a little more than others but I'd be surprised if he'll be as good as Swann was when he was good. In the event of what you say happening and your batting puts too much pressure on your main bowlers to be effective over both innings, you'll need someone who can bowl a lot of dry overs and stay a wicket taking threat. That role usually falls to a spinner in Australia and you re along way off having one.

 

[Daemon]

Yep, even when SA won they had Maharaj holding up one end very nicely. Made a huge difference.