Fletcher - Time To Go?

[marc71178]

Originally Posted by Matt79

You say Read had done nothing wrong. I'd say that he hadn't done enough right. They dropped their incumbent, offered the understudy a couple of opportunities to stamp himself on the role and make it his own. He failed to do that, and when it came to the crunch, Fletcher preferred the guy who he has faith in and believes to be the better player.

The thing is, in those 2 games I believe he scored more than Jones had done in the last 7 games (or something like that)

[techno t]

Originally Posted by tooextracool

Right, players averaging 20 for 2 years without exceptional keeping ability should be retained while players averaging 40 in their last series with better keeping skills should be dropped.....

you hit it right on the head there dude

*

[andmark]

With grey haired Ashley Giles bowling D fletcher should go now.

[superkingdave]

After last nights 'heroics' the 4th option seems a lot more appealing, even if i couldn't spell it correctly.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by greg

I'd like the option - "yes after this test"! At least with England's batting performing our lack of fire in the bowling due to the ludicrous trade off between 20 runs at no8 vs wickets from your spin bowler is likely to brought into stark contrast, hopefully without actually costing England any hope in the series.

Nicked from another forum...

Can anybody make a case for Giles’ inclusion in the team?

Here is the case:
(conversation between English Ashes tour selectors, Duncan Flether and Andrew Flintoff)

DF - We seem to have a bit of a problem with a long tail in our batting.
AF – Hmmm…what can we do about it. We can’t have a long tail.
DF – I know, we’ll include Ashley Giles, he should be fresh and really up for the battle. Hasn’t played for 12 months you know.
AF – 12 months, really. That long is it. Well yes then he should be really fresh and up for the battle.
DF – And he was a major part of our 2005 Ashes success. It was even named after him.
AF – Funny I never realised that, you’re right, Ash’s success.
DF – And he’s great to have in the dressing room.
AF – But I thought we were going to include him in the team to go out onto the ground.
DF – No, I mean before play, during breaks etc.
AF – Oh yes, good point.
DF – He averages 21 with the bat, you know. But it’s not just the runs he gets, it’s the way he gets them. Really sticks it up them he does. And it’s the runs that the other player scores whilst batting with him.
AF – Averages 21? What’s his average against Australia?
DF – How’s your ankle coming along?
AF – Fine, you know I was reading the other day that Brett Lee averages 30 with the bat against England, and Shane Warne about the same during the last 10 games or so. So lucky we’ve got a proper number 8.
DF – Yes but Warne and Lee haven’t had to face Warne during this period. Great spinner.
AF – Yes, they’ve only had to deal with our spinner, that wouldn’t be hard. Avearges 55 against them, strike rate 90, economy rate 3.7 rpo. Who is our spinner again anyway?
DF – Ashley’s just has a few unlucky games.
AF – What’s his batting average against Australia then, I bet it’s higher than Warne’s and Lee’s, they’re just sloggers? I read the other day Dennis Lillee averaged 17 with the bat against England, Merv Hughes and Geoff Lawson 16, and none of them could bat. Ashley must average at least 30 in Ashes contests?
DF – Panesar can’t bat, you know. Can’t field and I no longer think he’s the best left arm orthodox spinner of Indian descent playing for England in the world. I was only saying that anyway. PR exercise. He was getting a bit too popular. For some unknown reason, people really seem to like him.
AF – yeah, you’re right, Giles must play. Averages 55 with the ball against Australia, 16 with the bat, and he’s great in the dressing room. And he’s fresh.
DF – Glad you see it my way old boy. Big future for you as captain of this team you know.

That has to be one of the most utterly ignorant comments I've ever read.

Wonder which idiot on which forum wrote it...