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*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
I am 100% in agreement. Its one of those cases where being honest with the public helps nobody and pisses everyone off.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
And the other point, if Quiney succeeds, whilst its a positive, it becomes hard to get Hughes into the team which is what you wanted to do in the first place.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Thing is though, if Quiney had actually made runs against South Africa then there's no way he'd have been dropped for Hughes. Call him a human shield all you want, he had the chance to cement a place and he got a 9 and three ducks.

Hughes was in the process of doing some serious remedial work on his technique and trying to work it out at domestic level, and he'd had very little sustained success with it at all when the SA series came around so there's no way I would've selected him. By the time the series against Sri Lanka came around he'd made a few more runs and looked comfortable at the crease.

Really, I find the Invers/Arthur comments themselves far stranger than the actual selection process surrounding it. Everyone knew Hughes was going to come back eventually and it was more a question of timing than anything else; why not just say that? Why bring the standard of the opposition attack into it? Just annoying.

EDIT: So basically I agree with benchy. Just saw that post.
 

the big bambino

International Captain
Well if thats the case they've let the myth take hold that Hughes needs protection and Quiney was just a victim. Terrible management.
 

flibbertyjibber

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Looking at the winter from an England point of view if before the India tour started we had been offered a draw and a win in the two series we'd have snatched your arm off. The fact we have done it the less obvious way round is a bit weird but not losing in our last 6 tests away from home is a good effort.

As for the ashes, we basically know the England side already as long as Swann and KP are fit with the only selection headache being the number 6 slot which I think Root will get. Good to know we are virtually secure with our line up and the opposition have question marks over ever department of their game. Bring it on I say.
 

sphynx

U19 Debutant
Looking at the winter from an England point of view if before the India tour started we had been offered a draw and a win in the two series we'd have snatched your arm off. The fact we have done it the less obvious way round is a bit weird but not losing in our last 6 tests away from home is a good effort.

As for the ashes, we basically know the England side already as long as Swann and KP are fit with the only selection headache being the number 6 slot which I think Root will get. Good to know we are virtually secure with our line up and the opposition have question marks over ever department of their game. Bring it on I say.

Question marks over every department?

I think the bowling lineup is pretty settled.

Either way, the third seamer is going to be pretty decent.

Harris, Bird or Starc. Harris just bowled about 60 overs in the Shield Final, he's rdy to go.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
England has not been spoken about much in this thread but they obviously have their issues as well, specifically:

a. No. 6

b. 3rd seamer - Finn was largely poor in NZ

c. The fitness of Anderson, Swann and KP - major issues as there are no replacements of remotely similar qualities

Opener could also become an issue as jury is still out on Compton who will probably get the gig for the first couple of tests
Our batting is so ridiculously reliant on Cook and KP it's not funny. It's seriously, seriously weak at the moment.

And we need to pray that Bres or Tremlett are fit and start the season well, Finn's not a Test bowler at the moment. Still bowls the garbage he did 2 years ago but has completely lost the happy knack of fluking wickets anyway.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Our batting is so ridiculously reliant on Cook and KP it's not funny. It's seriously, seriously weak at the moment.

And we need to pray that Bres or Tremlett are fit and start the season well, Finn's not a Test bowler at the moment. Still bowls the garbage he did 2 years ago but has completely lost the happy knack of fluking wickets anyway.
At least you have a series against NZ to sort some things out and it will undoubtedly be important for guys like Compton, Root, Bairstow, Monty, Finn, Onions (must come into consideration after Finn's showing), etc

Anyway, as it stands, Eng are in a much better position than Australia
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
What would a combined XI look like at the moment?

Cook
Warner
Trott
KP
Clarke*
Bell
Prior+
Swann
Harris/Siddle
Pattinson
Anderson

?
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
It's called hosting.

We're not the BCCI.
Quite.

I didn't want to warmonger his post either but the England Lions just toured here and CA pulled players out of the short Sheffield Shield and Ryobi Cup seasons to play for Australia A against them. I didn't really have a problem with that happening either (although I'd have preferred if it could have been arranged to not actually conflict) but either way you shouldn't be going out of your way to give the opposition the most diluted preparation you can get away with. I'm not saying that's what the ECB have done here at all, I don't know the circumstances behind who organised the tour fixtures and who requested what, but yeah.
 
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