Road to the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia

[tooextracool]

Can't see there being many surprises in England's squad.

I'd take Foakes (or A Davies) as reserve keeper over Buttler, but I guess they'll select Buttler.

Bowling will just be all the guys who've played over the last year minus 1 or 2, + Crane. Say Broad, Anderson, Woakes, TRJ, Wood, Finn/Ball, Stokes, Ali, Crane
Can't see anyone from outside like Coverton getting past Finn/Ball. Bayliss wasn't exactly effusive about TRJ yesterday and kinda dismissed the impact he could have in Aus - so whilst he will make the squad, I can't see him playing unless he does really well in tour games.

Batting is most up in the air. I'd take Ballance to bat 5 (although Malan has begin to show some improvement imo). Stoneman (and Malan) I think will go. Backup opener likely to be Hameed/Hales. Maybe room for one surprise/random pick in the batting.

Best guess is Cook, Stoneman, Root, (2 out of Hales, Ballance and Hameed), Malan, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali, Anderson, Broad, Woakes, TRJ, Wood, Finn, Crane, Buttler

Even though nothing would surprise me, has Finn really done enough to be selected? He's averaging almost 37 this season and his last few international performances have been harrowing to say the least. There are some young bowlers, like Jamie Porter, who have strung together several good seasons in CC and others, Mark Footitt, who have been consistent for years but not enough of a sycophant to check the boxes for the ECB. I expect the final berth to go to Ball unless Wood has a phenomenal finish to the season in the remaining games.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Bayliss cannot even be arsed to watch a county match. He is a T20 merchant. Like Strauss and the rest of the ecb he is only interested in bish bash bosh cricket. Still, he is no worse than the selectors. Northeast made 110 and 67 in Chester-le - in the North East (sorry, I had to put that in) - in September, yet still the selectors pick Ballances, Malans, Westleys and Dawsons. Northeast could literally break Lara's 501 record against the twin attack of Micheal Holding and Joel Garner at the 1970s WACA and the selectors would go, ''nah, we prefer Malan and Westley''. There is now nothing the guy can conceivably do. He must have shagged one of their wives?

 

[morgieb]

Bayliss cannot even be arsed to watch a county match. He is a T20 merchant. Like Strauss and the rest of the ecb he is only interested in bish bash bosh cricket. Still, he is no worse than the selectors. Northeast made 110 and 67 in Chester-le - in the North East (sorry, I had to put that in) - in September, yet still the selectors pick Ballances, Malans, Westleys and Dawsons. Northeast could literally break Lara's 501 record against the twin attack of Micheal Holding and Joel Garner at the 1970s WACA and the selectors would go, ''nah, we prefer Malan and Westley''. There is now nothing the guy can conceivably do. He must have shagged one of their wives?

He does it at First Division level and he might be a shot.

 

[Gob]

Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

According to Shane Warne. Must say thats actually reasonable

 

[stephen]

Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

According to Shane Warne. Must say thats actually reasonable

Yeah that'd be my bet as well. But I'd like to see Nevill in for Wade and Pattinson in for Starc.

 

[SeamUp]

Even though nothing would surprise me, has Finn really done enough to be selected? He's averaging almost 37 this season and his last few international performances have been harrowing to say the least. There are some young bowlers, like Jamie Porter, who have strung together several good seasons in CC and others, Mark Footitt, who have been consistent for years but not enough of a sycophant to check the boxes for the ECB. I expect the final berth to go to Ball unless Wood has a phenomenal finish to the season in the remaining games.

I would say no. He hasn't got a 5-for this season too and added to the fact I don't even consider him a strike or shock bowler who searches for wickets anymore. It doesn't necassarily have to be a pace thing that differentiates between the two. But we know he is in their main 6/7 due to his squad call-ups.

The 2nd group tend to go searching for wickets in my opinion.

But then there is the need for a balanced attack.

Anderson
Woakes
TRJ
Finn
Ball
Porter
C.Overton

Broad
Wood
T.Curran
J.Overton
Garton

 

[Groundking]

I'd keep the bowling as it is unless Woakes gets back into serious form, and performs better than TRJ in the warm up games, and then on the batting side I'd keep it as is with Hameed as back up opener and Livingstone for the middle order with Hales playing for the Lions, Foakes as back up keeper and then whoever ends the season strongest out of the bowlers in contention.

 

[Gob]

Yeah that'd be my bet as well. But I'd like to see Nevill in for Wade and Pattinson in for Starc.

I won't play Maxwell ftr. His bowling is irrelevant in Aust so its either a seam bowling all rounder or a specialist batsman like KP or Head

 

[superkingdave]

Buttler doesn't even keep for Lancashire, in fact he is lucky to make the FC side these days.

I hope they don't pick Finn, he's done nothing for ages and keeps getting picked on relationships and physique.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I won't play Maxwell ftr. His bowling is irrelevant in Aust so its either a seam bowling all rounder or a specialist batsman like KP or Head

Maxwell Shield average: 41
Head Shield average: 34

but for some reason Head is the "specialist batsman"

 

[GotSpin]

I'd definitely be playing Maxwell.

Is there enough time to replace Wade?

 

[honestbharani]

Maxwell is not an all rounder, he is a batsman who bowls a bit... Not sure why people keep looking at him as an allrounder, his bowling is almost Raina levels bad.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Maxwell is not an all rounder, he is a batsman who bowls a bit... Not sure why people keep looking at him as an allrounder, his bowling is almost Raina levels bad.

Hey ease up this is the guy who bowled a double-wicket maiden in the 50th over to win an ODI when the opposition only needed 1 run.

 

[honestbharani]

And Raina won us T20I games as a bowler, and if I m not wrong, even ODIs in England

 

[mr_mister]

It's how funny how hard Maxwell tried to scratch around/stick around in his first 3 innings against Bangas and be a 'test batsmen' and then in the final dig he finally played the way he feels comfortable and that 25 not out ended up being his best innings of the series.


Wonder what approach he will take in the ashes. You can tell he's trying really hard to show the public and coaches he can block and leave so he's less stigmatised as a t20 biffer but it might come back to bite him


would rather a 20 ball 40 than a 40 ball 20 know what I mean

 

[OverratedSanity]

40 ball 20s are usually more valuable in tests though.

 

[mr_mister]

maybe opening the batting, but surely not down at 6.

 

[TheJediBrah]

40 ball 20s are usually more valuable in tests though.

40 ball 20s can, very occasionally, be as valuable or more valuable than a 20 ball 40, but certainly not usually.

 

[Shri]

I'll sell my SCG day 4 ticket if Maxwell isn't playing. lol no

 

[Burgey]

Do people still have to pay to go to SCG tests?