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Vaughan's got to go now. He can't bat and he can't select. There's not a cat in hell's chance we'll take 20 wickets, yet again...a situation not helped by the fact that the selectors decided the logical solution to bowling problems is to drop a bowler, who's at the moment, a better batsman than the guy you've brought in for him. This would be my team for the 4th test, not that the selectors would have the balls to shake it up...

 

Strauss

Cook

Key

Pietersen (captain)

Bell

Flintoff

Foster

Broad

Harmison

Jones

Panesar

 

Other squad members: Anderson, Shah.

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Strauss

Cook

Key

Pietersen (captain)

Bell

Flintoff

Foster

Broad

Harmison

Jones

Panesar

 

Fred's not a number 6 at the moment and Broads is averaging 50 with the ball in tests I believe. KP can't be skipper as he has enough on his plate being our only world class player.

 

Strauss ©

Cook

Bell

Pietersen

Bopara

Shah

Flintoff

Foster

Sidebottom

Harmison

Panesar

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Fred's not a number 6 at the moment and Broads is averaging 50 with the ball in tests I believe. KP can't be skipper as he has enough on his plate being our only world class player.

 

Strauss ©

Cook

Bell

Pietersen

Bopara

Shah

Flintoff

Foster

Sidebottom

Harmison

Panesar

I was with you until I saw that you still haven't picked Broad! One of no more than 5 who I would ink in at the moment. There's not enough bowling in that lineup IMO, you would end up with Flintoff and Panesar having to go for long spells containing, rather than going after wickets. They both deserve a shot but at the moment I'd drop Shah or Bopara from that and play Broad, maybe even at 6. He's one of the few who's shown stomach for a fight.

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I was with you until I saw that you still haven't picked Broad! One of no more than 5 who I would ink in at the moment. There's not enough bowling in that lineup IMO, you would end up with Flintoff and Panesar having to go for long spells containing, rather than going after wickets. They both deserve a shot but at the moment I'd drop Shah or Bopara from that and play Broad, maybe even at 6. He's one of the few who's shown stomach for a fight.

 

The current side has Collingwood in there to bowl, i feel Bopara is a better batter and also a better bowler. Was just copying the current set up.

 

If you wanted another bowler I would have gone for Anderson, Jones or Bresnan with Prior behind the sticks. Broad's bowling isn't good enough yet (it will be). Just had a look he takes 15 overs to get a wicket and averages them at 50 runs, that is back up bowler stats not frontline paceman.

Edited by ritchie82
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He only gets to select from squad picked by Miller an co.

 

Vaughan didn't touch the ball this morning neither did KP (lbw yes but given out caught)

 

He has a massive influence...if he said to the selectors, 'I want Shah included', they'd do it. Even then, where's Harmison? How the hell are we going to get 20 wickets on this pitch? He had him in the 13 selected 'for him', and goes for Collingwood, who hasn't found any form whilst he's been away, and look what happens. Not only do we have a worse batting line up that scores less than 250 on a good pitch, we have a worse bowling attack that's going to get smashed all over the park.

 

VAUGHAN OUT

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Vaughan needs runs more badly than someone suffering from constipation. When you have one of your batsmen averaging less than most of your bowlers he needs to be dropped so he can find form at a lower level, but I wouldn't dismiss him as captain yet. Pattinson's selection was only clever as it stopped the Aussies picking him in less than 12 months. Harminson is taking wickets and so is Jones and I don't think you can bring both of them back at once and Jones brings more to the table than Harmison (but since the next test is at the oval I can see Harmison coming back).

 

Collingwood has somehow started getting into the team as a batsmen when its obvious he's an all-rounder who is better at batting (same with Bopara) you should pick batsmen to bat, bowlers to bowl and all-rounders to do both. Bopara is not that good a batsmen to be included on that basis alone. Broad would be one of the first names on my sheet if this was a one-dayer and he is unlucky to be dropped but the other bowlers have looked more likely to take wickets than him.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of Bell as I'm sure he's not doing it on purpose but he always manages to find a big score when he needs it not the team. For example when he got 199 at Lords, someone had already made a century (KP i think) and it was obvious that he needed runs to stay in the team, plus I don't think he has ever scored a century in a test innings where he has been the lone centurion in that innings. Shah deserves another go (since he has done little wrong except be the last one into the team over the winter) and I'd look at the eligibilty of Murray Goodwin and if he is ineligible/unwilling to play then Di Venuto has been solid for a number of years but never gets mentioned and is having a good season, Key has had more than one go at this level and has been found lacking, plus Di Venuto has a better average

 

Wicket-keeper wise we actually need to choose one that can keep (thus ruling out Jones, Ambrose and Prior and proabably Mustard), I think Chris Reed has been very unlucky not to have played more but if was to be selected he should have done so by now and Foster is in a similar boat, but Pothas at Hants deserves a go.

 

My team for the next test:

Cook

Strauss

Pietersen

Shah

Goodwin/DiVenuto

Pothas

Flintoff

2 bowlers

Sidebottom

Panesar

 

(The two bowlers would be from four of Broad, Harmison, Jones and Anderson- depending on the conditons) and I would make KP the captain as he is the only name on that team sheet that has been on that team sheet consistently since the Ashes with the exception of Monty and he isn't captain material.

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Pattinson's selection was only clever as it stopped the Aussies picking him in less than 12 months

 

If the Aussies were going to pick him, isn't that all the more reason for us not to use him? He's pony.

 

with the exception of Monty and he isn't captain material.

Racist.

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Wicket-keeper wise we actually need to choose one that can keep (thus ruling out Jones, Ambrose and Prior and proabably Mustard), I think Chris Reed has been very unlucky not to have played more but if was to be selected he should have done so by now and Foster is in a similar boat, but Pothas at Hants deserves a go.

 

Foster wouldn't have been selected by now if he were to be called up. Read's time I feel has come and gone, he's a quality player but just hasn't done it for England. Foster, when he came in, was the next best thing...the new Adam Gilchrist...made some mistakes and was sent away to mature a bit and learn the game. He's now, for me anyway, the best gloveman we've got...he's lightning fast behind the stumps both catching and stumping...he can bat okay...but we don't really have any good wicketkeepers who can bat, and like you said, we need one who can keep.

 

Key should be given another chance on the basis that he is a leaner and meaner version of the fat waster he used to be! Him and Shah have been victims of the boys' club mentality and atmosphere that has been harnessed by Vaughan (if only for his own security) and deserve a crack of the whip at the expense of Captain Marvel and Friends.

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I'm not the biggest fan of Bell as I'm sure he's not doing it on purpose but he always manages to find a big score when he needs it not the team. For example when he got 199 at Lords, someone had already made a century (KP i think) and it was obvious that he needed runs to stay in the team, plus I don't think he has ever scored a century in a test innings where he has been the lone centurion in that innings. Shah deserves another go (since he has done little wrong except be the last one into the team over the winter) and I'd look at the eligibilty of Murray Goodwin and if he is ineligible/unwilling to play then Di Venuto has been solid for a number of years but never gets mentioned and is having a good season, Key has had more than one go at this level and has been found lacking, plus Di Venuto has a better average

 

TBH I think Bell is the least of our problems, at least he is scoring some runs.

 

For me Vaughan has to go (at least for the moment until he finds some form).

 

Ambrose has to go, his batting is nowhere near good enough.

 

Broad is a bowler who can bat, but is primarily selected for his bowling which at the moment is not good enough.

 

I'm not sure there are that many players knocking about in the county game who are jumping out and screaming to be picked, alot of the names already mentioned as replacements have already had chances (especially Key).

 

Unfortunately currently we are just not good enough and maybe any amount of tinkering with team selection will not be able to paper over the lack of ability/form cracks which are appearing.

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If the Aussies were going to pick him, isn't that all the more reason for us not to use him? He's pony.

Racist.

 

Excuse me I hope you were joking when you accused me of being racist in a 'public' forum like this :angry: . I happen to have one or two friends who are Sikh, (plus others of other ethnic minorities). Monty is not captain material because he hasn't captained a side before, isn't the best fielder in the world (I'm not saying you have to be a great fielder to be captain just better than Monty- it helps if you can field near the bowler) and he doesn't strike me has having as good a cricket brain as the likes of some of the others in the England team. If Monty turns out to be a great England captain in the future then I will hold my hand up and say I was wrong about him.

 

However to suggest that I wouldn't want someone to be a captain of a national team because they are of a different race to me is highly offensive to me and some might suggest slanderous.

 

Edit Note: This has now been rectified and I can see that no such allegation was meant in a serious manner

Edited by rudemedic
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Excuse me I hope you were joking when you accused me of being racist in a 'public' forum like this :angry: . I happen to have one or two friends who are Sikh, (plus others of other ethnic minorities). Monty is not captain material because he hasn't captained a side before, isn't the best fielder in the world (I'm not saying you have to be a great fielder to be captain just better than Monty- it helps if you can field near the bowler) and he doesn't strike me has having as good a cricket brain as the likes of some of the others in the England team. If Monty turns out to be a great England captain in the future then I will hold my hand up and say I was wrong about him.

 

However to suggest that I wouldn't want someone to be a captain of a national team because they are of a different race to me is highly offensive to me and some might suggest slanderous.

I was joking, there has been something of a spate of people being accused of racism in ridiculous cases recently, I apologise for any unintended offence.

 

Some of my best friends are Asians too.

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TBH I think Bell is the least of our problems, at least he is scoring some runs.

 

For me Vaughan has to go (at least for the moment until he finds some form).

 

Ambrose has to go, his batting is nowhere near good enough.

 

Broad is a bowler who can bat, but is primarily selected for his bowling which at the moment is not good enough.

 

I'm not sure there are that many players knocking about in the county game who are jumping out and screaming to be picked, alot of the names already mentioned as replacements have already had chances (especially Key).

 

Unfortunately currently we are just not good enough and maybe any amount of tinkering with team selection will not be able to paper over the lack of ability/form cracks which are appearing.

 

I would agree Bell is the least of our problems but he is a problem and it seems like his 199 has made his place in the team/squad a bit more secure and if you let a problem stagnate it will only get worse. He's a good batsmen but I'm not entirely convinced we can't find someone better and especially if the last test is a dead test I don't see too much of a problem with changing him for someone else to give that someone else a go and some experience (plus give Bell a bit of incentive to bat better). Realistically you need a squad of 15 or so at international level (especially when on tour) and I'd suggest if Bell is to be replaced (temporarily) we pick someone who is quite likely to be in that squad for the next tour.

 

However, I would agree with your last statement but it does seem silly to keep with a failing team with the Ashes coming up (and numerous injury opportunities between now and then)

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I was joking, there has been something of a spate of people being accused of racism in ridiculous cases recently, I apologise for any unintended offence.

 

Some of my best friends are Asians too.

 

I thought that was what was going on but I wasn't sure. Thank you for explaining/apologising.

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I'm not sure there are that many players knocking about in the county game who are jumping out and screaming to be picked, alot of the names already mentioned as replacements have already had chances (especially Key).

 

Key's been gone for three and a half years now and is a much better player than he used to be.

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Key's been gone for three and a half years now and is a much better player than he used to be.

West Indies vs England a few years back – “Come on boys. Let’s get Chubby out.” :grin: It was hilarious at the time anyway

 

It was round about the time when Flintoff verbally destroyed Tino Best for nothing more offensive than, W”let’s get the big man out,” which is a fantastic youtube if anyone can access it (I can’t in work).

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West Indies vs England a few years back – “Come on boys. Let’s get Chubby out.” :grin: It was hilarious at the time anyway

 

It was round about the time when Flintoff verbally destroyed Tino Best for nothing more offensive than, W”let’s get the big man out,” which is a fantastic youtube if anyone can access it (I can’t in work).

 

Having seen something similar this afternoon I came across it again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1NFbVx0uN8 is the link

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