Road to the 2011 ODI World Cup

[Faisal1985]

Younis was a mediocre odi batsman while Mo Yo is past it and it will be a epic miracle if Butt and Aamer ever play again.

Butt and Asif can go screw themselves ...but no Amir...

I would disagree with Mo Yo being past though....i think he will be awesome on dead pitches

 

[GIMH]

Haha.

Just worry about winning a World Cup match, buffoon.

We'll worry about winning four World Cups in a row.

Um, the last three WC winners:

England
Pakistan
India

wtf are you going on about, crazy fool?

 

[aussie]

Possible AUS & ENG 15 mansquads & best XIs:

ENG:

Strauss
Kieswetter/Davies
Trott
KP
Colly
Morgan
Yardy
Bresnan
Swann
Broad
Anderson

Bell
Kieswetter/Davies
Sidebottom/Shazad/Finn (depends on the ODIs in AUS this winter)
Shah or Bopara - Will always prefer Shah, especially in the subcontinet. But Bopara although i dont rate him, will continue to be backed between now & ODIs down under to prove his worth & if he fails - Shah should be picked.

Bowling is average. But i think ENG especially with Flintoff unlikely to make it, should adapt a ODI philosophy similar to what IND did crica 2002/2003 under Ganguly. Where IND knowing they had a weak pace-attack, that could be smoked more often that not. They just basically backed their strong top 7 to set & chase down targets & it got them that famous 2002 lords win & to a WC Final.


AUS:

Watson
Haddin
Ponting
Clarke
White
M Hussey
Smith
Hopes
Johnson
Bollinger
Tait

D Hussey
Paine
Haurtiz
Harris

Some big boys like Warner, S Marsh, Lee, Siddle, Ferguson, Nannes will end up missing out, if those above stay in form. Looking very well equipped to make in 4 WC wins in a row for sure.

Forgot. England need to pick Napier.

 

[GIMH]

Why?

 

[aussie]

Why?

Outside of the average ODI pace trio we have of Anderson/Broad/Bresnan, Napier is the most proven limited overs bowler on the domestic circuit for a while. He should definately be in the ODI squad for the WC unless one of Finn or Shazad (if picked) has a superb ODI series in AUS this winter.

 

[GIMH]

Well I don't know what his List A record is like but Finn doesn't strike me as an ODI bowler at this point

 

[marc71178]

Outside of the average ODI pace trio we have of Anderson/Broad/Bresnan, Napier is the most proven limited overs bowler on the domestic circuit for a while. He should definately be in the ODI squad for the WC unless one of Finn or Shazad (if picked) has a superb ODI series in AUS this winter.

Erm exactly how is Napier the most proven limited over bowler in domestic cricket when he's neither economical or penetrative?

Plus, seeing as he played a whole 3 games all season, I'd suggest there's another reason why he most definitely should not be in the ODI (or any other international) squad.

 

[aussie]

Well I don't know what his List A record is like but Finn doesn't strike me as an ODI bowler at this point

More reason why Napier should be picked soon, when/if he returns from injury.

Erm exactly how is Napier the most proven limited over bowler in domestic cricket when he's neither economical or penetrative?

Plus, seeing as he played a whole 3 games all season, I'd suggest there's another reason why he most definitely should not be in the ODI (or any other international) squad.

I'd say he be a bit more penetrative than Bresnan for sure. How many of our LO domestic players have gone overseas & made a name for themselves has Napier has done in NZ recently??. I dont think he is the greatest TBF, but given our stark lack of options now that Flintoff is retired, ENG dont have the luxury to overlook him any longer.

Napier has been injured since early this year after the last NZ Domestic seaosn IIRC. Plus even if he was fit, i'm not sure if the proven incompetent ODI selectors we have would have picked him this season anyway, given he was ridiculously left of the 30-man provisional squad for the T20 WC earlier this year.

 

[marc71178]

So in spite of the fact he's played no Cricket inages owing to injury, you still think he should be selected?

He was left out of the T20 squad for a reason, he's not actually that good. His county figures are average at best, and I daresay that if it wasn't for that freak innings with the bat in the T20, he wouldn't even be thought of.

I'd like to know how the selectors are such incompetents when they keep selecting sides that win and are the best we have available.

 

[aussie]

So in spite of the fact he's played no Cricket inages owing to injury, you still think he should be selected?

He was left out of the T20 squad for a reason, he's not actually that good. His county figures are average at best, and I daresay that if it wasn't for that freak innings with the bat in the T20, he wouldn't even be thought of.

I'd like to know how the selectors are such incompetents when they keep selecting sides that win and are the best we have available.

It depends on how soon he recovers from his stress fracture. He said himself that if things go well he should be back by decemeber playing in NZ:

Stress fracture ends Napier's season | Cricket News | Essex | Cricinfo.com

"If the healing process goes well I would look to be able to start playing cricket again in December, otherwise it will be at the beginning of the 2011 domestic season. All I can do now is support the team from the sidelines in our quest to become Twenty20 champions".

So if he makes that first deadline & starts the NZ domestic season well, he should be picked for the ODIs in AUS starting on Jan 12th.

That T20 innings indeed brought up to public attention. He is definately one of the 30 best T20 players in ENG. The only thing overated about him is his batting - dont think he capable of replicating that againts international bowlers. But his bowling is better than Bresnan, Shazad, Finn for sure ATS.

You probably have been in mars since the 1992 WC if you dont think the ENG selectors pick ODI sides that "win and are the best we have available". Unbelievable assertion that - SMH.

 

[marc71178]

If his bowling is that good (that you rate above 2 players who aren't currently even in the ODI set-up), why has he failed to show that in county cricket?

As for the winning bit I'm not sure how even you can deny that fact, and the best available stems from the lack of alternative players, particularly in the bowling side of things.

 

[Flem274*]

Napier was pretty insane when he played for CD. Auckland had no idea on an admittedley lightning fast Pukekura Park pitch in the HRV Cup final. The Black Caps and some decent overseas pros played in that competition as well, and the Napier/Mason partnership was half the reason we won. I think he's a very good limited overs bowler from what I saw.

If you don't want him, then send him over here to play the rest of his career for CD kthnx.

 

[King Pietersen]

If his bowling is that good (that you rate above 2 players who aren't currently even in the ODI set-up), why has he failed to show that in county cricket?

Huh? 177 wickets at 24.71, with a strike rate of 28 and an economy of 5.1 in List A cricket for Essex isn't enough? Graham Napier is a grossly under-rated bowler. So many people are of the impression that he's a batting all-rounder, but he isn't. He's a quick bowler that bats a little bit. Napier has all the tools to be a very good ODi bowler (certainly more-so than Bresnan IMO). He's genuinely quick (consistently above 90mph), has more than decent control, is excellent at the death (hence his world class T20 bowling record) and more importantly, he takes wickets. It's unlikely that he'll get picked, as he's missed the season through injury, but if he's fit I'd love to see him in there.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not that it necessarily matters but Napes seems a genuinely good bloke too. When he was on Cricket AM he came acorss as humble, modest and grateful for his (relatively) late blooming.

If it was an act he's an Oscar worthy actor.

 

[Uppercut]

The fact that he was selected for the T20 WC squad back in '09 but didn't play a match and hasn't been mentioned since suggests to me that the selectors weren't at all impressed by him up close.

 

[GIMH]

I'd understand aussie's disgust with the selectors if we went back a year and more ago, but we haven't lost an ODI series, IIRC, since the post-Ashes drubbing from ye crims. Selectors are doing a good job. Doesn't mean there's no room for improvement, but they are doing a good job.

 

[aussie]

If his bowling is that good (that you rate above 2 players who aren't currently even in the ODI set-up), why has he failed to show that in county cricket?

As for the winning bit I'm not sure how even you can deny that fact, and the best available stems from the lack of alternative players, particularly in the bowling side of things.

Why are you talking about his county record?. How is county record remotely relevant his ODI record & the success he has had in it in ENG & NZ??.

If you asking that odd question with the notion that he should be considered for tests one day or something, The definately not - he is just a limited overs player.

ATM Finn & Shazad are very likely to involved in the ODI squad in AUS next year as back-up to Anderson/Broad/Bresnan, before Napier is picked if the selectors current form can be judged.


Finally no. Since the 1992 WC the ENG selectors have an clear history of not picking the best available ODI players even with lack of many great alternatives. Please dont make me have to make a list of this.

I'd understand aussie's disgust with the selectors if we went back a year and more ago, but we haven't lost an ODI series, IIRC, since the post-Ashes drubbing from ye crims. Selectors are doing a good job. Doesn't mean there's no room for improvement, but they are doing a good job.

This year has probably been the best set of ODI selections the ENG selectors have produced since i started watching cricket (although they could have done better with some selections).

The fact that he was selected for the T20 WC squad back in '09 but didn't play a match and hasn't been mentioned since suggests to me that the selectors weren't at all impressed by him up close.

No. ATT their wasn't a way to legitimately pick him in the best XI. But they were right to pick him in the squad. Plus i didnt see him being dropped after the squad as a sign of the selectors not be too impressed with him. The likes of Sidebottom, Flintoff where lurking as back-up to the Anderson/Braod - he wasn't guaranteed to have a place in the squad long term looking ahead to 2010 T20 WC nor the 2011 WC.

But alot has changed since then obviously. Flintoff & Sidebottom retired, Bresnan is crap. Napier is the best back-up to Anderson/Braod ENG have ATM once he is fit.

 

[aussie]

Napier was pretty insane when he played for CD. Auckland had no idea on an admittedley lightning fast Pukekura Park pitch in the HRV Cup final. The Black Caps and some decent overseas pros played in that competition as well, and the Napier/Mason partnership was half the reason we won. I think he's a very good limited overs bowler from what I saw.

If you don't want him, then send him over here to play the rest of his career for CD kthnx.

Huh? 177 wickets at 24.71, with a strike rate of 28 and an economy of 5.1 in List A cricket for Essex isn't enough? Graham Napier is a grossly under-rated bowler. So many people are of the impression that he's a batting all-rounder, but he isn't. He's a quick bowler that bats a little bit. Napier has all the tools to be a very good ODi bowler (certainly more-so than Bresnan IMO). He's genuinely quick (consistently above 90mph), has more than decent control, is excellent at the death (hence his world class T20 bowling record) and more importantly, he takes wickets. It's unlikely that he'll get picked, as he's missed the season through injury, but if he's fit I'd love to see him in there.

Wonderful. Sense has arrived.

 

[tombarlow123]

From what i have seen of Napier, i have no idea why he would even be considered for the England set up or why he is being discussed at such length, especially as he has been injured all year. Please, selectors, stick with the matchwinning side we currently have (although if Bresnan keeps bowling turds with the new ball, Shahzad should probably get another go).

As for this 'regularly bowls 90mph' stuff, i always thought he was an early 80s medium-pacer? Did that suddenly change overnight?

 

[Flem274*]

From what i have seen of Napier, i have no idea why he would even be considered for the England set up or why he is being discussed at such length, especially as he has been injured all year. Please, selectors, stick with the matchwinning side we currently have (although if Bresnan keeps bowling turds with the new ball, Shahzad should probably get another go).

As for this 'regularly bowls 90mph' stuff, i always thought he was an early 80s medium-pacer? Did that suddenly change overnight?

Been that way for at least a year. He is very quick nowadays.