My personal choice is for a non-bowler to be captain. One of the issues is if you take Azhar & Asad out of the team (on current form neither should be in the team), it’s very inexperienced team. Need to pick a captain who will be a long term option & be allowed to grow into the role.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
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My personal choice is for a non-bowler to be captain. One of the issues is if you take Azhar & Asad out of the team (on current form neither should be in the team), it’s very inexperienced team. Need to pick a captain who will be a long term option & be allowed to grow into the role.
Azhar is always a step behind.
I think he’ll get to 150 then do this. Not sure it makes a difference whether he gets 140 or 150 for him now. He’s secured his spot for the foreseeable.
He’s just crawled over his best ever score in first class cricket, so I expect that was playing on Butlers mind.
Hopefully get to 150 and then let loose for 30 mins.
Hopefully get to 150 and then let loose for 30 mins.
I don't think Buttler has the change of gears like Stokes does. It's a one or six on the dial.
Judging some of these short balls to Woakes, no reason to declare right now. Fill your boots, wear the pitch some more.
One of the openers. Crawley opens for Kent anyway right?
I was confused too. Maybe he was told to just bat time, or he thought it wasn't worth the risk of going for the big shot with the field out.
Again, it’s moving people around when they get settled into the team which I don’t agree with unless necessary. Plus don’t think Root will want to move to 3. I can’t see them bringing Foakes in unless there is an injury to anyone else.
We should ban commentators from talking about declarations.
Fawad’s going to end up with more wickets than runs 
Well Archer is practicing his darts
When was the last time we hit 600? Perhaps that’s the target?
Well that's Broad's average for the summer ruined.
A shocker from Illingworth, not even close to being in line.
It's Illingworth.
Why review it?! It looked plumb & he obviously didn’t hit it. He’s Anderson’s bitch.
Yeah Gough has been really good though, think he has the best DRS %.
Buttler has taken much criticism for not knowing ‘how to bat in tests‘ I dont blame him for resolutely applying test rigour in this innings. Especially given the match context today.
Before today, Buttler had no practical knowledge on how to build a test innings or how to bat time. He has shown ability to bat ODI style in tests already.
In fact I’d encourage Buttler to strictly and selfishly bat this way until he has acquired enough runs and experience to become instinctive. Then and only then can one request that he switches. Let Woakes, Bess and Broad do the slogging for now.
Gough is the better of the three by a county mile, yes. No matter which is at the other end they are clearly inferior.
Love it that Anderson has got the two openers. Still a great bowler.
Yeah. Proved me silly and wrong!
I thought he was being selfish given there is so much younger talent available but it’s clear he still has a very key and leading role to play.
Such few bowlers around who can be so accurate from their very first over, against oppositions best batsmen.
It is difficult as Broad and Anderson are still so good. Is it too obvious to say we are facing the same dilemma as the West Indies when Walsh and Ambrose were coming to the end?
With that type of seam movement Archer needs to just go a touch fuller.
Oh Babar
incredible bowling from Anderson
Big credit to Root for sticking by Anderson.
Stunning day for England. Pakistan under real pressure not to role over tomorrow.
Imagine the damage that could have been done with an extra ten overs there. Even an extra five.
I’m assuming Root wanted the ball still very fresh for Anderson and Broad again tomorrow morning, but I would have liked to have seen what Archer could have done with a few more overs.
I’m assuming Root wanted the ball still very fresh for Anderson and Broad again tomorrow morning, but I would have liked to have seen what Archer could have done with a few more overs.
Zak Crawley looks like such a lovely young lad.
Great day today, Creepy going on to 274, supported by Buttler's, career best 152. Then to finish off the day with 3 wickets from Jimmy.
He's on 596 and the 600th wicket is well in site. It's a pity our Sky TV died, on his last one, due to a storm that came out of nowhere!!
He's on 596 and the 600th wicket is well in site. It's a pity our Sky TV died, on his last one, due to a storm that came out of nowhere!!
Missed England bowling, what pace was Archer bowling, was it mid 80s or did he crank it up to 90+
87-92mph.
It was exactly that, which is good strategy. Basically another 'new ball' situation in the morning, especially with a new batsman in for the first ball.
But I agree that Archer was just about fully cranked up.
Big fan of Naseem and Shaheen, but they're just talents right now. I'm not aware of Pakistan domestic resources but surely there will be better finished pace bowlers than them right now?
They seem to be learning at job which is okay for one young pacer but overkill for both.
They seem to be learning at job which is okay for one young pacer but overkill for both.
Archer only bowled 2 overs, but was an absolute handful. Fast & aggressive, nightmare to face.
I was thinking similar yesterday. It's all well and good deciding that they are the future but sometimes you need to protect them and Pakistan definitely could do a lot more to support them in the field. Azhar is wet behind the ears as a captain and having Abbas exiled to the outfield rather than mid-on where he can share his thoughts is an oversight.
With respect to Naseem I think they should also consider not letting him play shorter format cricket for Pakistan at the very least. They need to be really careful with his workload. He's still physically developing, imagine if he has a sudden growth spurt.
Get in Jimmy lad. Rain again !
This should be over today, rain permitting.
At least with these breaks in play, we can listen to Warney tell his tales and use his great analysis.