I don't agree, at all. I absolutely think Cook's runs have won far more big games than Pietersen did.
England Cricket 2016 - Sri Lanka & Pakistan
- Thread starter ChrisNelson
- Start date
Talent and continued performances in the one day game will get him some way. It's not surprising that Bayliss talked about him getting back into the test side before he broke his thumb.
I'm not saying he is guaranteed to be a success but I don't see much better in the test side right now.
Still only 25, not every batsman can be like Joe Root.
Agree with this. His career path is similar to Eoin Morgan who once dropped from the test side was happy to just be a one day specialist internationally and in league cricket around the world.
9 to go 
Anderson has taken Masood 6 times for a total of 15 runs
Anderson has taken Masood 6 times for a total of 15 runs
That's the end of that career.He's useless.
death, taxes and masood getting out to anderson, these are the only three certainties in life.
Masood just doesn't pick Anderson.
I think he has a good chance of being a good Test player and his age is why. He needs to figure it out in the County Championship though, I feel. It's what happened with Collingwood and that worked well.
Its not surprising no. But Bayliss doesn't watch much County Cricket and there's a suggestion that he was simply listing Buttler because he is unfamiliar with the player pool available.
I have no problem with Buttler going to play IPL cricket, but for his test ambitions it can't help because it clashes with the most continuous block of first class cricket we play. Hopefully the England team are being honest with him about how that affects his chances.
If he can get some games at the back end of this summer and if he can prove he has solved the issues of his defensive technique I'm not opposed to him coming back in the side. But I wouldn't rush him for the sake of getting him in, if for no other reason that I dont think he's much of an upgrade on Bairstow with the gloves.
Alright, here's a poser for our posters from Pakistan.
You are going on a trip of a lifetime to visit family in England, not only will you see family you haven't seen for years, but you will be able to see Pakistan play Test cricket in England and see United at Old Trafford.
Your family completely fill up your schedule, with family things, and it turns out that you have only one Saturday available. Do you:
1. Go to see England vs Pakistan at Lords?
2. Go to see United vs Liverpool in the PL?
3. feck your family off for a long planned big family party on the Sunday and go to OT on Saturday and Lords on Sunday?
Alright the timings don't quite work for this year, but it could work out that way.
You are going on a trip of a lifetime to visit family in England, not only will you see family you haven't seen for years, but you will be able to see Pakistan play Test cricket in England and see United at Old Trafford.
Your family completely fill up your schedule, with family things, and it turns out that you have only one Saturday available. Do you:
1. Go to see England vs Pakistan at Lords?
2. Go to see United vs Liverpool in the PL?
3. feck your family off for a long planned big family party on the Sunday and go to OT on Saturday and Lords on Sunday?
Alright the timings don't quite work for this year, but it could work out that way.
Classic Pakistan. From great to hopeless in just one match. I swear they've been like this for years.
Younis is way over the top. Should retire before his average goes below 50.
Wtf is he doing?
I was watching polite enquires with Kimber and Dobell the other day and they were talking about how he is actually 42. I couldn't quite get the tone of what they were saying though, is there actually any suggestion that Younis is older than he says? Or just an Afridi based joke about Pakistani players ages being wrong?
I don't think he can see the ball properly.
This. I don't care about his low numbers, he'll be England's next test match wicket keeper sooner or later.
I've heard similar things about Waqar Younis.
I wouldn't be so sure. They might, but Ben Foakes is building a case for himself. He's by all accounts a better gloveman than Buttler and his first class average has been better since his first game of country cricket pretty much.
He's also been on England's radar (as a batsman) since he came through at Essex so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him sooner or later if they decide they need to take the gloves off Bairstow.
Don't know about Younis in particular but age cheating isn't that uncommon in those parts of the world. Over-age players lie about their age and gain unfair advantages at youth levels. There's definitely more to it than just being a joke.
Yeah thats what made it odd. I hadn't heard any specific allegations before and the tone of Polite Enquires is normally jocular, but neither of them seemed to be joking and talked as if it was common knowledge. Just seemed a weirdly specific allegation for two journalists to make given how eminitely possible it could be.
I think England can actually go for a better gloveman now with Woakes and Stokes about, Buttler is not actually needed because Bairstow and Stokes can accelerate the game just as well. Also Stokes, Foakes and Woakes just sounds great as a middle order.
Also Ben Duckett is a opener/keeper worth keeping an eye on.
Its certainly the way they could go if they drop Vince. They also could add in Rashid and play two spinners every game whilst asking Mooen to take more responsibility with the bat. I'd be inclined to try that first. Having Stokes and Woakes in the side with Mooen (even Rashid isn't a bad bat) just gives so many options.
I presume this is the way they will go in the winter. Great to have so many options just need Ballance to get a few scores and an opener to emerge.
Where are we off to?
2 tests in Bangladesh (unless they pull the plug because of terror concerns) and 5 tests in India.
Goodness! They usually give us about two.
He said it himself in an interview once IIRC. Said he is about Misbah's age.
I think we got four last time didn't we?
I think we're going to get absolutely mauled. The rank turners they prepared for South Africa plus our spin options.
Need another monster series there from Cookie. I'd be interested to see Hales there as well, impetus against the new ball when it's harder is going to be important.
Who has just scored a double century in a List A game against Sri Lanka A for the Lions (Bell Drummond has got 150 too)
Was hoping they would try that for this test! Hopefully Moeen will do a good job at 5, don't think he can bat higher and I'm glad we're never going to go down the opener route with him again.
Moeen at 5 and Bairstow at 7 would be criminal. Bairstow should bat 5.
Would be Ballance 4, Bairstow 5, Stokes 6, Moeen 7, Woakes 8, Rashid 9, Broad 10 you'd think.
You think we'd ask Bairstow to bat a 5 and keep wicket? Seems a big ask to me even though I'd like to see Bairstow at 5.
Finally a wicket!
Didn't he already do that against Sri Lanka?
Why not? Think he is capable. In great form at the moment.
Moeen has 3 for 65, so far (if my maths is correct), in this match. He could turn that in to quite pretty figures.
He batted at 7 in the first test and 6 once Stokes got injured. He did great and showed what class batsman he is, our best after Cook and Root. But there is a different mindset at batting 5 than 6 or 7. I think it's a huge ask personally.
Ah yeah you're right. I had completely expunged the existence of Compton from my mind. Still not sure there's a massive difference between batting 6 with a useless top order and 5 with (hopefully) a more solid one.