England Tour Squad for Australia

[morgieb]

How long is Bresnan due out for?

[Howe_zat]

How long is Bresnan due out for?

It's supposed to be about a month, but the sudden swerve to playing Woakes in a Test makes me think there's worse to come for him.

[Cabinet96]

Woakes isn't as much of a like for like replacement as you might think though. Sure they're both in that, bowler, notorious for their runs at eight, group, but Woakes is a superior batsman and inferior bowler by some margin. I'd be very surprised if they picked Woakes as one of four bowlers in Australia, something Bresnan is all but guaranteed if fit. For now his place in the side is pretty much entirely reliant on five bowlers, and in most cases, two spinners.

They're also pretty different type of bowlers as well, IMO.

[jackbyrne91]

This is how I would go about the England squad. I would take 18 players. The 11 that start is made up of 6 batsmen, a keeper and 4 bowlers. 7 reserve players so I would say 2 batsmen, 4 bowlers (3 seam & 1 spin) and a keeper.

I would break it down the following way

Definites (5 bat, 1 WK, 3 bowl)
Cook - Bat
Root - Bat
Trott - Bat
Pietersen - Bat
Bell - Bat
Prior - WK
Swann - Bowl
Broad - Bowl
Anderson - Bowl

Probables (5 bowl)
Tremlett - Bowl
Bresnan - Bowl (Fitness depending)
Finn - Bowl
Onions - Bowl
Panesar - Bowl

Possibles (only space for 3 bats + 1 WK left)
Davies - WK/Bat
Compton - Bat
Ali - Bat
Bopara - Bat
Patel - Bat
Bairstow - Bat/WK??
Taylor - Bat
Ballance - Bat
Morgan - Bat



I would take Taylor, Compton and then I would go for Bopara. Davies I would take as a wicketkeeper, can't see Bairstow doing well in Australia.

[Furball]

Woakes isn't as much of a like for like replacement as you might think though. Sure they're both in that, bowler, notorious for their runs at eight, group, but Woakes is a superior batsman and inferior bowler by some margin. I'd be very surprised if they picked Woakes as one of four bowlers in Australia, something Bresnan is all but guaranteed if fit. For now his place in the side is pretty much entirely reliant on five bowlers, and in most cases, two spinners.

They're also pretty different type of bowlers as well, IMO.

AWTA.

Woakes' future is batting at 6 and chipping in as the 5th bowler IMO.

[Prince EWS]

Yeah I think Woakes has to live or die by his runs at this stage. His bowling is definitely good enough as a batting allrounder and, while he should keep working on it, it'll more or less take care of itself. There are big question marks over whether his batting is good enough to play primarily as a batsman but that's what he should be really judged upon at this stage.

[jackbyrne91]

I'd rather have Dernbach than Woakes.

[Howe_zat]

I'd be disappointed if Finn goes on the tour, because it means he'd play ahead of Tremmers.

[MW1304]

What makes you think that? Tremmers came in for Finn in the last series and performed infinitely better, and Finn's bowling hasn't really moved forward much since then. If they're both fully fit I'd imagine Tremmers would be picked first.

[Cabinet96]

I'd rather have Dernbach than Woakes.

See, it's post like this that piss me off. Woakes has played all of his tests, and probably will play all his tests in the forceable future, as an all-rounder, batting in the top seven. Dernbach is a terrible comparison because they're by no means like for like replacements. If you would honestly rather have Dernbach batting at six in a test match if it meant no Woakes, then, well...

[Prince EWS]

See, it's post like this that piss me off. Woakes has played all of his tests, and probably will play all his tests in the forceable future, as an all-rounder, batting in the top seven. Dernbach is a terrible comparison because they're by no means like for like replacements. If you would honestly rather have Dernbach batting at six in a test match if it meant no Woakes, then, well...

Haha I knew you'd bite; that's why I didn't bother.

It reminded me of Hinton's post the other day comparing Moeen Ali to Boyd Rankin.

[jackbyrne91]

See, it's post like this that piss me off. Woakes has played all of his tests, and probably will play all his tests in the forceable future, as an all-rounder, batting in the top seven. Dernbach is a terrible comparison because they're by no means like for like replacements. If you would honestly rather have Dernbach batting at six in a test match if it meant no Woakes, then, well...

I hate Jade Dernbach. He is a cock.

But while we are on the subject Chris Woakes opens the bowling for Warwickshire and bats at 7. And if I did want another bowler in the side it doesn't mean they would be batting 6.

[theegyptian]

Bopara booking his place on the plane for Australia today! Especially as Taylor and Ballance missed their only chance to shine. Can't wait to see Ravi walking out to bat at 6 at the Gabbatoir!

[BoyBrumby]

Steady on young man.

See how he shapes up versus ver crims first at least, eh?

All due etc to Ireland's attack, but their best bowler was in our XI. Plus it looked road central too, judging by the highlights.

Although part of me wants to see it happen just to see Scaly's reaction... ;whistling

[Howe_zat]

Steady on young man.

See how he shapes up versus ver crims first at least, eh?

All due etc to Ireland's attack, but their best bowler was in our XI. Plus it looked road central too, judging by the highlights.

Although part of me wants to see it happen just to see Scaly's reaction... ;whistling

That's not even slightly true, afaic. I'm not all that convinced Rankin makes their top three at home.