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*Official* England in West Indies

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Tremelett is no better than Broad and Harmison.
He's definitely better than Broad as a bowler. Broad's picked based on the allround package.

It's debatable over whether he's better than Harmison. Personally I'm inclined to believe he is but I can cope with people thinking otherwise.
 

Australia#1

Cricket Spectator
West Indies cricket is struggling big time, to see them go as good as they did in the 3rd innings in the first Test is great to see, England need to start picking on what they are, rather then what they were, Harmison needs to go.

Great to see West Indies playing well.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Its interesting that with all the other distractions we dont talk about Flintoff at 6 anymore.

It makes for a very fragile line up IMO.

IMO, there are not enough overs for a 5 man attack unless you are getting smashed around the park. If you are getting smashed around the park then you may as well get KP or Collingwood on as the main guys are not doing their job anyway.

Ideally, a 4 man attack with a batsman who bowls. Are KP and Collingwood upto that? would Patel have been a better option? I dont know. One things for sure though is that the 5th bowler must be a batsman first and foremost..
I have been calling for this for years. But even i have had to accept that we can't play a 4-man attack with Flintoff for the simple reason, that he could break down during a match.


Plus i dont think for the remainder of this series vs WI & the Ashes. Having Freddie @ 6 is that fragile at all. I'd certainky back him to make runs againts those bowling attacks especially with Prior batting well @ 7.

The problem with England now is solidifying the top 5 again & getting the right bowlers to back up Flintoff.
 

Steulen

International Regular
I have been calling for this for years. But even i have had to accept that we can't play a 4-man attack with Flintoff for the simple reason, that he could break down during a match.


Plus i dont think for the remainder of this series vs WI & the Ashes. Having Freddie @ 6 is that fragile at all. I'd certainky back him to make runs againts those bowling attacks especially with Prior batting well @ 7.

The problem with England now is solidifying the top 5 again & getting the right bowlers to back up Flintoff.
But funnily enough, Freddie is used as the stock bowler, bowling more overs than the other seamers. So the whole "we need a 5th bowler to protect Fred" argument should have no validity.
 

Australia#1

Cricket Spectator
Flintoff is not a genuine bowler, he has a average of 30+ and strike rate of 65 so I don't see why people rate him so highly. That is the simple fact why England need to select 3 quicks, because Freddy isn't a genuine bowler.
 

Uppercut

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He's definitely better than Broad as a bowler. Broad's picked based on the allround package.

It's debatable over whether he's better than Harmison. Personally I'm inclined to believe he is but I can cope with people thinking otherwise.
Tremlett actually had a shocking CC season that seems to have put him out of the reckoning (the tests he played were on the whole pretty impressive I thought). Dimi Mascarenhas, James Tomlinson and Imran Tahir took all of Hampshire's wickets, and Tremlett did nothing in a fairly successful team. In hindsight he maaaybe should have been kept in the side over Harmison back in the summer of 2007, but right now he shouldn't be considered.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
Flintoff is not a genuine bowler, he has a average of 30+ and strike rate of 65 so I don't see why people rate him so highly. That is the simple fact why England need to select 3 quicks, because Freddy isn't a genuine bowler.
I do think he's a genuine bowler. However, it's also true that he doesn't get the bigger hauls, although that's possibly partly due to being in a 5-man attack.

73 tests (128 innings)
5-wicket hauls: 2
4-wicket hauls:11

If Prior can solidify his place in the team I don't think it's really a problem with Fred in the top 7. I do think in the long run it's an interesting discussion about whether he should bat 6 or 7.
 

Australia#1

Cricket Spectator
Me myself would bat Flintoff at 6 and have the same team make up, just think about replacing some of there players with others.

5 batsmen, 1 all-rounder, keeper, 3 quicks and a spinner is the right make-up I do believe, I don't think they can afford to go with a 4 man bowling attack with Flintoff in it.
 
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Woodster

International Captain
As regards to Flintoff the bowler, I agree that he doesn't get enough 5 wicket hauls and considering how good a bowler he is, it's rather surprising. At times he is asked to play the stock bowler, run up and give his side 7 or 8 economical overs, of which he is very effective at, he's generally part of a five man attack, but even so certainly gets plenty of overs, and the back of a length he adopts is generally too good for most batsmen, certainly lower order, but is not full enough to induce an edge, or clean bowl/LBW, again I am referring mainly to bowling at the tail.

To suggest he is not a genuine bowler ? He is not just a bowler, but he is still one of the finest around, ask the Test playing batsmen!!

I personally would be happier with Freddie coming in the batting order at 7, I think Matt Prior is more than capable at coming in at 6, and I think he is more likely to make three figures on a more consistent basis.

The Ian Bell vs Owais Shah debate roars on. I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with England dropping a player after just one Test of a series, considering it has been quite a long run of poor results. Make the change early enough to make a difference in the series. However, I am still sticking by Bell to come good, maybe because I am such a fan of Bell's elegant style it is hindering my actual rational selecting process, but I do have confidence in him coming good in this series.

Bell is a good Test cricketer, but at the moment he is struggling to take his game to the next level. He needs to capitalise on his good nick, when he made 28 in the first Test, he looked a world beater for the first 20 runs. When he is in he needs to work out how he can go on and make a match defining contribution.
 

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Tremlett actually had a shocking CC season that seems to have put him out of the reckoning (the tests he played were on the whole pretty impressive I thought). Dimi Mascarenhas, James Tomlinson and Imran Tahir took all of Hampshire's wickets, and Tremlett did nothing in a fairly successful team. In hindsight he maaaybe should have been kept in the side over Harmison back in the summer of 2007, but right now he shouldn't be considered.
Yeah he was very dissapointing, was never really bowling terribly but when he is not at his best he just lacks a certain presence (which given his hegiht he should really have.) Unlike Harmison who often looks awful when he is bowling badly Tremlett just looks inocuous. Can't help that think injuries play a big role in this as I'm not convinced that he was 100% fit at any stage last year. Whatever the reasons, he needs to have a really good season next year.
 

Uppercut

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Yeah he was very dissapointing, was never really bowling terribly but when he is not at his best he just lacks a certain presence (which given his hegiht he should really have.) Unlike Harmison who often looks awful when he is bowling badly Tremlett just looks inocuous. Can't help that think injuries play a big role in this as I'm not convinced that he was 100% fit at any stage last year. Whatever the reasons, he needs to have a really good season next year.
I really hope he does, for Hampshire's sake but also because I absolutely love watching him bowl for some reason. It's almost like watching a robot.
 

Jigga988

State 12th Man
The suggestion of Tremlett>Broad in ODI's is a bit ludicrous isn't it, Broad's been a gem in ODI's and his variation regaring bowling seem up and pace is subtle and dangerous at times - just ask South Africa. Don't get it twisted people, just because the guy is an average test bowler doesn't meen he's the same in ODI's.... btw if you guys were talking about Broad in tests then you are bang on, personally think Tremlett is more of a test bowler than an ODI one and wouldn't mid seeing him replacing Harmy, from an England POV in the test squad when fully fit.
 

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