England players and selection discussion thread

[Prince EWS]

Do you like the balance of that side?

Woakes at six just necessary unless he's next best bat available (I love me some Woakes, but probably not) or Stokes isn't entirely fit to bowl (which admittedly does seem to be happening more regularly now).

Crawley opening and Root at three is something I can see happening in Asia but as much as England's opening options are... less than impressive, I'd much rather see them at 3 and 4 at home.

 

[wpdavid]

Do you like the balance of that side?

Apart from being a spinner light for matches in the SC? tbh I don't think any of us could come up with an England side who we'd confidently predict to be competitive in India, so any changes I'd make to your side are offered with that in mind. Leach comes in as the other spinner. The idea of Rashid is appealing, but in practice is unlikely to work given his lack of red ball cricket. Such a shame how Moeen's game has deteriorated. I'd play Foakes as we can't afford our keeper to be missing chances. Buttler probably stays as a specialist bat. Stokes as a number 4 or 5 batsman who can send down a few overs as a bonus. Apart from question marks over his fitness to bowl, he's one of our few batsmen who has demonstrated the build a really big innings, which is vital out there. From memory, we spent much of the last tour congratulating ourselves for passing 400 until India replied with something closer to 700. I don't really get the Jos for skipper line of thought, whatever my misgivings about some aspects of Root's captaincy. Burns would be the obvious alternative if he hadn't had such a rotten series against Pakistan. He'll probably start in India actually, given the absence of Pope. The quicks will probably be rotated, so it's not really a case of picking who we think are the best two or three for the whole series.
Something like:
Burns, Sibley, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Foakes, Bess, Leach and two of the quicks.
Maybe Woakes for Burns if we think Rory's a busted flush, with Crawley to Buttler all moving up a place. But Foakes or Woakes at 6 would both be too high imo. Or one of the middle order alternatives (Bairstow, Lawrence?) instead of Burns, with Crawley to Buttler all moving up a place.
But like I said, picking an England side to be competitive in India is one of life's more challenging tasks.

 

[Nintendo]

Also why on earth do England need Woakes and Stokes batting top 6 if you already have 3 seamers. Just play what we did last summer and replace Pope with buttler and give foakes the gloves.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I hadn't heard too much debate over Burns's spot, but if his position is under threat I suppose Jennings might come into the debate, especially with an expanded squad.

He's toast against the moving new ball, but he has done his best work in the subcontinent. In fact I'm pretty sure he's never passed 50 outside of it.

Does bowl slightly too if we need a fill in 4th seamer in the event of Bess and Leach getting the gig, as I think they should.

 

[Bijed]

I hadn't heard too much debate over Burns's spot, but if his position is under threat I suppose Jennings might come into the debate, especially with an expanded squad.

He's toast against the moving new ball, but he has done his best work in the subcontinent. In fact I'm pretty sure he's never passed 50 outside of it.

Does bowl slightly too if we need a fill in 4th seamer in the event of Bess and Leach getting the gig, as I think they should.

Yeah, as awful as Burns was against Pakistan, I felt it put him in "needs to do something soon" territory rather than "should be dropped now".

Could live with us going back to Jennings if we did drop Burns though, as long as we don't then stick with him for subsequent non-SC matches if he does well. Not against a bit more horses for courses logic with batting selections generally, although I don't know how much difference it would normally make wrt the options we have.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Burns apparently could opt out of the Sri Lanka tour due to be around for the birth of his first child.

I guess that'd mean Jennings could get the opening gig as suggested above, or everyone shifts up a spot and we player a wk/batsmen middle order of Bairstow, Buttler and Foakes all together (assuming Pope is out).

 

[theegyptian]

Bairstow makes more sense if Burns and Pope aren't there.

If you are going to take Bairstow it should be with the intention of playing him. Otherwise he is better off improving his T20 game and getting experience of the conditions of Australia with the 2022 world t20 in mind. He doesn't benefit from hauling the drinks around Sri Lanka.

I'd certainly be inclined to go first to Foakes as keeper in SL and India, before returning Bairstow to the side.

I see in some places in the press Bairstow has been elevated to England's second best player of spin, an assertion of which I'm not entirely convinced of, although I'm happy to be proven wrong.

 

[theegyptian]

Haven't been watching this Aus India t20 series but looking at the scorecards I'm interested by Australia's use of two legspinners. Something I've been thinking about with regards to England in recent times given Moeen's poor form and the lack of other alternative conventional finger spinners, and the whacking that the fast bowlers that we pick tend to take in t20. They potentially have Stokes as a 6th bowler so it's fairly easy to pick two spinners under certain circumstances.

Now that Australia have trialled it succesfully, hopefully England too might consider the possibility. The contenders being Crane, Parkinson and Sowter probably to join Rashid.

The slow left armers actually had a good season in the blast t20 but I wouldn't say any of them standout as obvious picks at this point. If Danny Briggs was to have a good big bash then that would push him into the reckoning although England never seemed to fancy him much in the past.

 

[Jarquis]

Moriarty ftw

 

[theegyptian]

Squad for two tests in Sri Lanka in January 2021

England squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Reserves: James Bracey (wk), Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.

Seems a bit pointless taking reserves if you are just going to go home as England did in South Africa at the outbreak of covid. SUppose it allows England to put on intrasquad warmup games.

No Burns, Archer, and Stokes is the main thing to take from it.

 

[Nintendo]

Squad for two tests in Sri Lanka in January 2021

England squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Reserves: James Bracey (wk), Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.

Seems a bit pointless taking reserves if you are just going to go home as England did in South Africa at the outbreak of covid.

Ok so Crawley opening then based on the squad selection, any reason Jennings was ignored?

1.Crawley
2.Sibley
3.YJB
4.Root C
5.Buttler
6.Lawrence 5
7.Foakes+
8.Woakes/Curran 2
9.Bess 3
10.Broad/Anderson 1
11.Leach 4

Seems like the most likely team, YJB batted 3 last time we toured so he slots back in there. Not the strongest English lineup but think it's enough for a competitive series

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Bairstow's recall makes even more sense with Stokes (along with Burns and Pope) missing out.

No Stokes always hurts the balance of the side. Nintendo's lineup above seems likely, but if the pitches are looking flat they could push Foakes & Woakes up a batting slot and play a third seamer instead of Lawrence.

 

[chris.hinton]

Bairstow hasn't done it at Test level, And i dont think he is going to start now. Moeen isnt a test player either and i would like to have seen Matt Parkinson or Amir Virdi be given a shot as its a series we should win even when we are resting Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. I like the fact Dan Lawrence & Ben Foakes are involved in the squad.

I think Nintendo's lineup is what i would go with as well. Foakes IMO has to be our keeper

 

[Gremlin]

Squad for two tests in Sri Lanka in January 2021

England squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Reserves: James Bracey (wk), Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.

Seems a bit pointless taking reserves if you are just going to go home as England did in South Africa at the outbreak of covid. SUppose it allows England to put on intrasquad warmup games.

No Burns, Archer, and Stokes is the main thing to take from it.

Did you add the (wk) next to Foakes or is that inference that Foakes is penciled in as first choice keeper by the selectors?

 

[honestbharani]

If I were in the English camp, I will look to play 5 bowlers somehow. Maybe both Broad and Anderson with Sam Curran as the #7 and Foakes at 6. Or maybe you play Moeen Ali with Leach as the spinners, get Moeen to bat at 6 etc. I dont think Woakes is any more useful than Broad and Anderson and for a short series, it will make sense to play your best seamers.

 

[theegyptian]

Did you add the (wk) next to Foakes or is that inference that Foakes is penciled in as first choice keeper by the selectors?

copy and paste from bbc website - and they've now added (wk) to Bairstow and Buttler's names.

 

[Gremlin]

copy and paste from bbc website

Interesting!

Really hope the selectors don't try anything like opening / no.3 with Moeen. I have spoken on here many times about my admiration for him but he has to play red ball cricket before selection surely

 

[chris.hinton]

If I were in the English camp, I will look to play 5 bowlers somehow. Maybe both Broad and Anderson with Sam Curran as the #7 and Foakes at 6. Or maybe you play Moeen Ali with Leach as the spinners, get Moeen to bat at 6 etc. I dont think Woakes is any more useful than Broad and Anderson and for a short series, it will make sense to play your best seamers.

Leach and Bess would be our spinners, I cant see England playing 3

 

[chris.hinton]

Interesting!

Really hope the selectors don't try anything like opening / no.3 with Moeen. I have spoken on here many times about my admiration for him but he has to play red ball cricket before selection surely

Didn't play at all for Worcester last season. And the last red ball game was 10-12th September 2019 which was Worcester vs Glamorgan

 

[Gremlin]

And on the point about reserves, a reserve keeper may be one spot that's really not required!