*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[Red]

Bell is incredibly talented and a very good test player but I cannot stand watching him bat

He reminds me of kids I used to see at Barry Knight's and the Kingsgrove Sports Centre - style but limited substance

I know that this is ridiculously unfair but he really ****s me

I hate the fact that he holds a pose after every single delivery

It totally pisses me off that he makes the most ordinary delivery look like a hand grenade because of his desire to look good

And I cannot stand how complicated he makes batting for someone with his talent e.g. that bull**** premeditated lap sweep he plays is so much nonsense when a single is all he hopes to get from it

Well summed up.

 

[NUFAN]

Who rates Hughes? I just can't decide on the ****.

I rate him when he makes runs but think he's a useless **** when he doesn't!

I'm joking... sort of. But I don't think there is another cricketer at the moment who I get excited about his long term prospects when he's doing okay in the Test arena but think he's completely gash and should be dropped when he fails and its without doubt due to his unorthodox technique.

 

[Adders]

Hmmmmm, Say what you like about Bell but he'd walk straight into the current Aussie side and be your second best bat. Fact.

Unless you've got anyone else tucked away that we don't know about that has or has the potential to achieve a test Ave of high 40's and make 17 test tons.

Bell has had a couple of lean years for sure, but still managed to ave 33.6 (2011) and 38.25 (2012)..........should we see how that stacks up against the Aussie top 6

 

[Adders]

PS LOL.......

In the last test Australia opened the batting and the bowling with a bloke that has 900 odd 1st runs to his name (1x 100) and 34 1st class wickets.

Me thinks the selection headaches are all Australias

 

[uvelocity]

I'm not saying he's a phenomenal batsman. I just don't think you can call him pea hearted.

he's a scared wierd little guy. also warner has had a better last couple of years tbh so he wouldn't come in as our second best. small comfort I know

 

[Scaly piscine]

he's a scared wierd little guy. also warner has had a better last couple of years tbh so he wouldn't come in as our second best. small comfort I know

Warner is a home-track bully though, so as well as his batting average well below Bell's it also probably has a few more marks to drop before it befits his level.

Of course Warner could become a better batsman and earn an average of 40+, but he's a bit limited at present.

 

[Jono]

Bell would probably be Australia's vice captain.

That is hilarious.

 

[uvelocity]

Warner is a home-track bully though, so as well as his batting average well below Bell's it also probably has a few more marks to drop before it befits his level.

Of course Warner could become a better batsman and earn an average of 40+, but he's a bit limited at present.

god that is a rubbish statement

 

[Pothas]

god that is a rubbish statement

Not saying he is or will be but his away record is not very good so far. England will be a good test for him, going to be interesting to see how he will go. Imagine he will play at least one very good innings but expect plenty of low scores as well.

 

[uvelocity]

hey may or may not become one. but 3 tests on caribbean mudpits and 4 tests being his first experience of dusty turners in india does not qualify him one way or the other

 

[Daemon]

It's called hosting.

We're not the BCCI.

They gave Australia two strong teams in the Ind A and BP XI tbf. England got 3, 2 of them were **** sides (Mumbai A and Haryana) but they still managed to do well against them.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Bell would probably be Australia's vice captain.

That is hilarious.

Not half as hilarious as Watson being Australia's vice captain though.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Not half as hilarious as Watson being Australia's vice captain though.

Best bit is dropping him for disciplinary reasons then bringing him back as captain next match. Makes the KP affair seem like a storm in a teacup.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I'm really looking forward to this series. It makes a change to see both teams so full of holes with unproven Test players. I think one or two of the new Australian faces might surprise people. I think Compton might surprise a few people as well - but only if he comes out to bat wearing a red nose and funny hat.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Quick question which isn't so relevant nowadays: why did counties so often field 2nd XIs against touring Australian teams? Was it on decree of the MCC to give them less of a warm-up/hide Test players or was it just seen by counties as a chance to rest the starting players without jeopardizing their CC rank?

 

[Prince EWS]

Quick question which isn't so relevant nowadays: why did counties so often field 2nd XIs against touring Australian teams? Was it on decree of the MCC to give them less of a warm-up/hide Test players or was it just seen by counties as a chance to rest the starting players without jeopardizing their CC rank?

The latter.

 

[uvelocity]

Best bit is dropping him for disciplinary reasons then bringing him back as captain next match. Makes the KP affair seem like a storm in a teacup.

yeah because the watson dropping involved him giving dhoni inside info against his teammates and dragged on for weeks through the press

 

[Daemon]

Yeah, if anything, Watson's was the storm in the teacup because it all resolved so quickly and painlessly.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

On top of that, the respective "It's Tough Being Me" threads have 718 replies for KP and 55 for Watto.

 

[wpdavid]

Bell has had a couple of lean years for sure, but still managed to ave 33.6 (2011) and 38.25 (2012)..........should we see how that stacks up against the Aussie top 6

You sure about those averages? I thought his figures were pretty stellar in 2011 and probably worse than 38 in 2012.

Beyond that, his figures in the tougher series (Pakistan in UAE, SA and India) shouldn't be glossed over by the relatively easy runs in other series.