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England thread
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
Adders
Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah there is no doubt in my mind Ravi has to go. Ali has been ****ing excellent with the ball and is good for 10 overs every game IMO.
So we basically are looking for a proper middle order batsmen or another opener if you move Ali to 6 in place of Bopara. I'm not really fussed which way it goes but I do think we might get more out of Ali at 6.
Furball
Evil Scotsman
Moeen's fine tbh. A guy that goes at a run a ball is fine, he'll do one of 3 things - smash the oppo on the way to victory, set up an innings by putting the fielding side on the back foot or not waste time scratching around.
He's a bit more of a luxury when the middle order's piss but I think Taylor-Root-Morgan-Buttler is pretty decent in all fairness.
He's a bit more of a luxury when the middle order's piss but I think Taylor-Root-Morgan-Buttler is pretty decent in all fairness.
grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I know I must confuse (almost deliberately so) with my ironic fanboyism and genuine opinions, but I'm firmly in the Moeen should open camp. We've been crying out for someone to score quick in the opening overs.
He is just unorthodox and scores quickly whatever the situation, he's a great balance between Bell and Taylor. The fact he deserves his place as a bowler practically makes him a pinch-hitter too. Don't see why you need to change it, unless you honestly believe Hales will give you more solidity at the top of the order. Ballance-Bell-Taylor is just back to plodding.
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vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Love all the Warner comparisons he gets from the English cricket writers.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Just as I loved all the aussie posters on here spending the last couple of years on here telling us how Hales should be in the England ODI team and that it was outrageous that he wasn't it.
Scaly piscine
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Could whoever is going out with Bopara please dump him so he can mysteriously disappear from all cricket for the next month or so.
Howe_zat
Audio File
Where were your posts on the issue the last time Stokes and Bopara were playing the same opposition, and the former looked like complete arse in comparison?
All looks pretty simple when you're looking with maximum selective blindness.
Scaly piscine
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
What when they played about 3-4 games in the subcontinent? Where I already said what a completely ****ing stupid series it was to have when the conditions are the polar opposite to the World Cup?
And then to make it even better they went with Sadsack based on that series - knowing he is completely hopeless in Oceania, and shelved Stokes by picking him at 8 and using him as a 6th/7th bowler - again knowing he's suited to pacier conditions and not the sub-continent.
Everyone who actually knows what the **** they're doing can tell you what a complete bloody shambles it is the way England have handled Stokes. They've said it everywhere, if you pick him at 8 he'll bat like a tailender. Then we get the odd token move up the batting order after they've pissed him about basically saying right here you go, here's one or two chances to do something after we've messed up your form before we drop you again.
Get the current shower out and get Collingwood involved and England will finally look like they've a coherent plan.
Scaly piscine
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Meh, it may be unnecessarily insulting but I don't think it's inaccurate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cseHUKbwbHI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cseHUKbwbHI
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Yep.
Once it had been decided that Moeen would play and Bopara wouldn't really have a bowling role, other specialist batsmen should've been trialed at six. Bopara doesn't justify his place unless he's going to be the fifth bowler as well, but Stokes was abysmal in the lead up and has indeed been abysmal with the bat for his whole ODI career so he shouldn't have been near the squad either.
cnerd123
likes this
I hate this argument. As though being a number 8 grants you permission to bat like ****, and even if it did, that it's completely forgiveable to do so.
If he can't perform with the bat at 8 you do not deserve to bat higher up the order.
It's not like Stokes is a blocker and a nudger who needs time a lot of time at this crease till he can play the big shots. Nor is his terrible record due to batting selflessly at the death or something. He was just garbage. The way he was batting gave the impression that he was barely good enough to be batting at 8 to begin with.
Jarquis
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It does make you feel like ****e though when you see yourself as a top/middle order player and you bat down the order. Obviously the thing you need to do is see it as an opportunity to get some runs and red ink and force the selector's hands and not bat like a rabbit and completely vindicate them.
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Australia will be making the same mistake if we end up with Mitch Marsh at 7 or so to replace Faulkner. Seduced by the speed that Marsh/Stokes bowls with, rather than treating it as the extra on top of his batting.
Cabinet96
Global Moderator
I do have sympathy about the argument about him batting low down, especially in one day cricket where lower order batting is a bit of a specialist role. But it's worth noting that in his international career he averages 22 batting in the top 7, and his international batting career so far is basically two good innings and a heap of mediocrity/****e. The talent is clearly there, but he just hasn't been consistent enough with the stick to command a place in England's top 6/7 for a World Cup starting in two weeks. The reason he's batted at eight is because England have actually gone out of their way to give him game time, as a 3rd/4th seamer and someone who can lengthen the batting order. With Moeen taking the reign as spinner in the summer tests he was effectively fighting with Bell and Root for a middle order bat. Surely not even the Durham lads would argue he's a better bat than those two. Him batting at 8 is the equivalent of Arsenal playing Callum Chambers at RB even though they see his future centrally, because they want to give him game time and a chance to develop even when the place isn't there. Colly's argument that it's like Ronaldo playing RB would be like SL playing Sangakkara at 8/9. Hardly the ****ing same.
But fair play to the lad hitting 150 in 80 odd deliveries. Seems to have understood the reasons and is working hard.
But fair play to the lad hitting 150 in 80 odd deliveries. Seems to have understood the reasons and is working hard.
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
I just question the effectiveness when he's already had the taste where he should be long term, and think that his bowling has been overrated (esp. in comparison to his batting).
TBH it reminds me more of Bevan being picked as a specialist bowler for Australia; all it does is create issues about role definition.
EDIT: I don't disagree about him not being in the WC squad. I just think his handling over the whole summer was pretty ordinary.
TBH it reminds me more of Bevan being picked as a specialist bowler for Australia; all it does is create issues about role definition.
EDIT: I don't disagree about him not being in the WC squad. I just think his handling over the whole summer was pretty ordinary.
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