English cricket thread

Hope everything is ok. Absolutely brutal loss for England. I thought that England would lose 5-0 regardless but this is going to be a beatdown now

I think our batting will be ok - losing Brook is a shame but will just mean Foakes comes in so we actually have a proper keeper.

It's the bowling that looks ridiculously light. I expect us to win a test match but lose the series semi comfortably.
 
No idea why England haven't called up someone from the Lions squad who are already in India and played against India A, like Jennings or Bohannon.

Brook would have been in at 5. They've gone like for like. No point calling up an opener or number 3. Bohannon could have batted 5 at a push but I'm not surprised they rate Lawrence higher.
 
Kohli out of the first 2 tests also citing personal reasons.

With all the spin you might want Foakes behind the stumps and Root 5th bowler, so I guess Bairstow drops down to 5 now Brook’s out. Something like:
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Foakes
Ahmed
Wood
Leach
Anderson
 
Kohli out of the first 2 tests also citing personal reasons.

With all the spin you might want Foakes behind the stumps and Root 5th bowler, so I guess Bairstow drops down to 5 now Brook’s out. Something like:
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Foakes
Ahmed
Wood
Leach
Anderson

This is for sure the top 7. Brooks absence certifies it, Pope comes back in and is the most experienced and willing to bat at the tricky 3 spot.

Only uncertainty I have is Ahmed. I know he's on paper the 2nd spinner, but Key mentioned the purpose of selecting Hartley and Bashir was their height/release point/speed as they suspect it will suit Indian conditions. Which doesn't really apply to Ahmed. Hartley would look a natural fit at 8, but like Leach bowls left arm finger spin. I've got a sneaky suspicion they might surprise everyone and pick Bashir for some off spin, with Wood at 8.
 
This is for sure the top 7. Brooks absence certifies it, Pope comes back in and is the most experienced and willing to bat at the tricky 3 spot.

Only uncertainty I have is Ahmed. I know he's on paper the 2nd spinner, but Key mentioned the purpose of selecting Hartley and Bashir was their height/release point/speed as they suspect it will suit Indian conditions. Which doesn't really apply to Ahmed. Hartley would look a natural fit at 8, but like Leach bowls left arm finger spin. I've got a sneaky suspicion they might surprise everyone and pick Bashir for some off spin, with Wood at 8.
Bashir is still in Abu Dhabi waiting for his visa. Feels like this is an issue every time a side tours India.
 
Kohli out of the first 2 tests also citing personal reasons.

With all the spin you might want Foakes behind the stumps and Root 5th bowler, so I guess Bairstow drops down to 5 now Brook’s out. Something like:
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Foakes
Ahmed
Wood
Leach
Anderson

Yep this will be the team with the only dilemma being Ahmed or Hartley. Could have done with Stokes Bowling as Wood will only bowl bursts but he clearly can't.
 
Kohli out of the first 2 tests also citing personal reasons.

With all the spin you might want Foakes behind the stumps and Root 5th bowler, so I guess Bairstow drops down to 5 now Brook’s out. Something like:
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Foakes
Ahmed
Wood
Leach
Anderson
Definitely need Foakes. I would have picked him for the Ashes too.
 
England gone with 3 spinners, must be a raging turner of a pitch.

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Jonny Bairstow
6. Ben Stokes (C)
7. Ben Foakes
8. Rehan Ahmed
9. Tom Hartley
10. Mark Wood
11. Jack Leach

 
They could just re name the title to “name every player to play a test match against England in the last 15 years.”
 
I think Durham might be slightly regretting their decision to bowl against Warwickshire!
 
https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/3990061

We are pretty much impossible to predict in white ball Cricket on the back of that ODI WC. It was assumed a lot of the older lads in that team may be moved on, but in reality we are still understandably reliant on Butler, Bairstow and Moeen. Jos did find form in the IPL and Jonny just pulled a mad ton out of nowhere after not scoring a run for a year.

Bowling as usual looks hittable. Can two of Wood, Topley and Archer stay fit? Lots resting on Rashid.

Should be an open tournament so we have a chance
 
Saw it predicted last week that Hartley would get the nod over Rehan, bit of a surprise but as back-up neither are likely to be needed much. A shame for Jamie Overton who was lined-up for Jordan's place before a back injury.

I'd start with;
Salt
Jacks
Buttler
Bairstow
Brook
Moeen
Livingstone
Curran
Archer
Rashid
Topley
 
Saw it predicted last week that Hartley would get the nod over Rehan, bit of a surprise but as back-up neither are likely to be needed much. A shame for Jamie Overton who was lined-up for Jordan's place before a back injury.

I'd start with;
Salt
Jacks
Buttler
Bairstow
Brook
Moeen
Livingstone
Curran
Archer
Rashid
Topley

Too many spinners for me. Woakes over Livingstone I think. I'd also pick Wood over Archer purely because I'm sceptical Archer can really come back but I'd love it if he can.
 
Too many spinners for me. Woakes over Livingstone I think. I'd also pick Wood over Archer purely because I'm sceptical Archer can really come back but I'd love it if he can.

Agree re Archer. I'd be amazed if he comes back anywhere near his 2019 form. There needs to be an inquest into why virtually all quicks coming through become so injury ridden. We've arguably missed out on a generation of first choice quicks.
 
Too many spinners for me. Woakes over Livingstone I think. I'd also pick Wood over Archer purely because I'm sceptical Archer can really come back but I'd love it if he can.

Woakes isn't even in the squad. And yep I agree with Wood over Archer. Think the IPL players in form Salt, Jacks, Buttler and Curran need to play.
 
Should get a better idea of how ready Archer is in the Pakistan series, I prefer him over Wood because he has that ability to bowl in all phases, especially the last few overs.

Also think the extra spinner will be more useful in the West Indies, biggest concern for me is Sam Curran who has a pretty poor record there with the ball across all formats.
 
Just seen that, he was playing in a 2nd XI game for Worcestershire only yesterday :(

RIP
 
Why is that wow. Pretty much expected no? There’s no chance he was ever going to make it through to the ashes and I’d be massively concerned if the management thought he could.

Let him pick the date he wants to retire over the summer and move on. It’s that’s old Trafford for the first test against Sri Lanka, sounds good to me.

I'd love this as I'm going to this, I'd love to see Jimmy bowl one last time, but of course the correct decision
 
Why is that wow. Pretty much expected no? There’s no chance he was ever going to make it through to the ashes and I’d be massively concerned if the management thought he could.

Let him pick the date he wants to retire over the summer and move on. It’s that’s old Trafford for the first test against Sri Lanka, sounds good to me.

Yes, it was coming. I did think he'd do it on his own as opposed to being given this slight push

The "wow" is because.. well, the English test cricket summer is one of my favourite things in the sporting calendar and I love watching Anderson bowl. I have been watching test cricket from 2008, which is about when Anderson became a fixture in the side I think
 
Last edited:
Reckon he'll bowl enough to pass Warne as second highest wicket taker of all time?
You’d imagine so. 9 wickets in English conditions doesn’t seem too much of a stretch, even if he takes a few off or only plays the first series.