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Giles will be fit for the Ashes

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
According to Cricinfo, anyway. So what do England do? Dropping Panesar should be unthinkable, but I reckon they'll prefer the runs Giles can make at number 8. Shame really.
 
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BoyBrumby

Englishman
It's sad 'cos it's true. I reckon Fletcher is still mistrustful of Monty as a genuine (potential) match winner & the fact that none of our seamers can really quite cut it as an 8 makes me think he might yet go for Juan Carlos's more prosaic charms.

Strikes me as a move born out of a desire to not lose rather than a desire to win.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
BoyBrumby said:
Strikes me as a move born out of a desire to not lose rather than a desire to win.
Exactly, it would be quite a negative move if England do drop Monty Panesar even if he does have weaknesses in the field and with the bat. With Matthew Hoggard not being able to stay around at the crease like he used to I think Fletcher will resort back to Ashley Giles which will be a real shame for Panesar. I don't think there is any way that the two Slow Left Armers will play together, not enough at the SCG. Hope Giles has a great series if he is the starting spinner.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
I reckon Saj could do the #8 job. But I'd rather have Anderson bowling. :blink:

I want Monty in the team, and playing two spinners is pointless pandering to one of Fletcher's old boys, as would be dropping Panesar. I like Giles, but there's no room for sentiment in Cricket, and his day has been and gone imo.
 

Tomm NCCC

International 12th Man
On dry pitches where the ball can grip the turf, two spinners would work, but the who do you leave out?

Lets see, top 6 and
Read
Giles
Harmison
Hoggard
Panesar

Which is a shame because by then we will have Plunkett and Anderson back, and an improving Saj Mahmood. Personally, England with four paceman + 1 spinner worked last year, and this 2 spinner idea is a very experimental one. And in the Ashes, you dont have time to experiment. Maybe see how they go in a tour game but that isnt clsoe to the real thing. Its hard on Giles, but I tell you what, it would be even harder on Monty
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
If 5 bowlers play the Giles has to play IMO.

Mind you I can see a case for both of them to play with 3 seamers to be honest, especially as Bell and Collingwood will be there (at least one of them anyway)
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Giles surely isn't anywhere near the five best bowlers in England, so why pick him? Mahmood can hold a bat and Hoggard isn't bad either. Put simply, Anderson or Mahmood or someone would add more to the bowling than Giles would add to the batting by comparison.
 

albo97056

U19 Cricketer
Giles isnt going to win us the ashes with the bat, nor with the ball, but monty can. In the end whats more important, 10 extra wickets in the series by picking monty, or 100 extra runs that gilo will give..
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Monty's wickets would save us more runs than Giles would gain us with the bat I reckon.
 

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