Jones dropped for Read

[Steulen]

I think Prior is out of the equation. He has a decent profile as he was a member of the ODI squad in the Winter but that was a position he had not earned and should not reclaim.

His batting is decent but needs work.

Maybe Jones has been dropped to give Read a chance. THe selectors then hope he fails in the next 2 tests and bring in Pothas for the Ashes (just after he has qualified).

Therefore they have got rid of the 2 pretenders without any controversy and introduce the man they really wanted.

JUST A THEORY

Is Pothas that good?

 

[Goughy]

Is Pothas that good?

To be honest Ive never really seen that much of him. We seemed to switch countries the same time as each other and I never saw that much.

From what I hear, he is highly respected in South Africa (Gauteng especially) and has a good reputation in the UK.

I don't really think he will be first choice for the Ashes but it would not surprise me if he was.

Look at the situation, Jones, the 1st choice, has failed and shown he is not capable of doing the job with the bat that Fletcher wants and Read has never been popular or trusted to do the job.

I would surprized but certainly not shocked if Fletch invites his to join the Ashes squad. He probably fits the ideal of what Fletcher wants in everything but age.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Davies of Worcs has a better chance of a surprise call up to the Ashes side than Pothas i reckon.

 

[marc71178]

it'd be hard to be worse than Jones with the gloves.

And what he done wrong recently then?

 

[marc71178]

I think Jones was very good keeping to the seamers in the last few Tests, but he still has issues keeping to the spinners. It's a bit too often that a Monty ball surprises him and goes for byes, or a stumping is missed.

12 byes in the last 2 matches - the 4 at OT he could do nothing about.

At Lords, 3 came off Collingwood, 5 off Harmison - so hardly a spinner issue there.

And when did he last miss a stumping?

 

[BoyBrumby]

It has been known, not least when Jones replaced Read in the WI. The other obvious example was Thorpe getting the chop last year.

Without wishing to tempt fate, it should be noted that we didn't win either of the tests immediately after Read & Thorpey were dropped...

For me the selectors should have said that Geraint was not considered because of his hand injury. We've invested two & half years in him so it seems strange we're turning round & telling him "sorry, old son, you aren't cutting it" now with only two tests before The Ashes.

As the selectors haven't come out & said that Read will be given a few games to establish himself it isn't a ringing endorsement of him either. Bad man management all round.

 

[superkingdave]

*goes to check the odds on a Chris Read pair*

 

[viktor]

Why can this not be discussed in the EngvPak thread?

 

[greg]

Why can this not be discussed in the EngvPak thread?

This debate's been going on a long time pre EngvPak and it'll be going on for a long time after.

 

[Goughy]

Why can this not be discussed in the EngvPak thread?

It could be, but it is really is a long standing issue that was relevant before the Pakistan series and is an issue for the future Ashes and is a seperate subject not directly related to the current series.

 

[Steulen]

Why can this not be discussed in the EngvPak thread?

Like others said, this is a topic that has been heavily discussed since Jones took over from Read, and I thought it wasn't a good idea to have the expected heavy discussion in the official Eng vs. Pak thread.

 

[Steulen]

12 byes in the last 2 matches - the 4 at OT he could do nothing about.

At Lords, 3 came off Collingwood, 5 off Harmison - so hardly a spinner issue there.

And when did he last miss a stumping?

vs. Sri Lanka, I believe.

Watching the SL and Pak Tests I was quite impressed with his work to the seamers (barring the odd idiot dive in front of slip), but thought he was less assured when standing up. Maybe the statistics disagree

 

[viktor]

Like others said, this is a topic that has been heavily discussed since Jones took over from Read, and I thought it wasn't a good idea to have the expected heavy discussion in the official Eng vs. Pak thread.

Okay..fair enough. I don't care much either way, just curious.
For the record, I think this is a good move; Read seems to be a better, cleaner, keeper than Jones, though I haven't seen the recent series...

 

[Bob Bamber]

Jones's keeping has been exceptional since The Ashes. Everyone has overlooked that.

Not like Fletcher to change a winning team either. Ah well, we'll see.

Theres Not much left of the Ashes Winning Side for Thursday

1st 4 Test Vs Aus:

M Trescothick
A Strauss
M Vaughan
I Bell
K Pietersen
A Flintoff
G Jones
A Giles
M Hoggard
S Harmison
S Jones

And Fri Vs Pakistan

M Trescothick
A Strauss
A Cook
K Pietersen
P Collingwood
I Bell
C Read
J Lewis (At Number 8...)/ S Mahmood
M Hoggard
S Harmison
M Panesar

A total of five changes.

It will be interesting to see how Read affects the way the tail looks. No Giles/Plunkett behind him the pressure will be on. I think it would be a good move and this is the only unforced change that Fletcher has made to the side that faced Australia last summer. I think Jones needed the kick up the backside and hopefully this will lead to more competition for the role.

This is Read's final chance really. I can't see him getting another one after this.

 

[Langeveldt]

Is Pothas that good?

Pothas > Jones and Read

 

[honestbharani]

so the english selectors finally grew a brain reg. this issue?

 

[adharcric]

finally

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, what an intelligent decision, dropping a Keeper whose keeping has been excellent

 

[andyc]

Yeah, what an intelligent decision, dropping a Keeper whose keeping has been excellent

When Read was dropped, how was his keeping?

I've no real idea about either of them, as I've only seen Geraint from the Ashes, but from all accounts, Read's glovework is better than Jones', and Jones only warranted his position due to superior batting, which now doesn't seem to be superior, given he's not scoring any runs, while Read made a fairly big hundred just recently. Sounds pretty justified to me.

 

[GIMH]

When Read was dropped, how was his keeping?

I've no real idea about either of them, as I've only seen Geraint from the Ashes, but from all accounts, Read's glovework is better than Jones', and Jones only warranted his position due to superior batting, which now doesn't seem to be superior, given he's not scoring any runs, while Read made a fairly big hundred just recently. Sounds pretty justified to me.

Well, fair point about Read (that's if your question was rhetorical) he probably didn't deserve to be dropped either - but two wrongs don't make a right.

Geraint hasn't been making runs lately, but then neither has Trescothick, at least geraint has performed his role to a high standard. I know it's a futile argument, because history would suggest tresco is much more likely to pull the goods out the bag anytime soon than Geraint, but if you look at our recent record, we've won three Tests this year, and in two of these the glovework of Geraint was crucial.

To me, the whole thing stinks. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but Goughy did get me thinking with his idea. Mine is that Jones has been dropped through injury, but they are giving Read this chance so that if/when he fails, Geraint can be brought back, and noone can say Read never got a chance. Obviously, I'm an idiot, but the fact that Graveney sounded like he wanted geraint back in the side asap, well it got me thinking, that's all.