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Ravi Bopara - another pretender?

Craig

World Traveller
Yes IMO.

Either England need to find another number 3 and punt Bopara down to find 5 or ship him back off to Essex to find his technique to see if he can perform other then against the West Indies. Nothing about him looks like he could be Test standard anytime soon.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Only Moore, Pietersen and Trott grew-up away from the British Isles.

Either way, Bopara scored runs against West Indies only because of dropped catches and has not scored against Australia. He had earned his go, but Shah would still have been a better bet for every Test Bopara's played bar one. Hopefully he'll be dropped after this series (no point not picking him for the last Test unless it's a winner-takes-all contest) and Shah will get another go.

BTW this should really be in Cricket Chat, it's not solely an Ashes issue.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Like Pietersen (and Moore I guess) the thought wouldn't have crossed their mind until they made the decision really. It'd be a pretty obviously seethrough statement if he'd said he wanted to play for England from the age of 8 or whatever.
 

superkingdave

Hall of Fame Member
Only Moore, Pietersen and Trott grew-up away from the British Isles.

Either way, Bopara scored runs against West Indies only because of dropped catches and has not scored against Australia. He had earned his go, but Shah would still have been a better bet for every Test Bopara's played bar one. Hopefully he'll be dropped after this series (no point not picking him for the last Test unless it's a winner-takes-all contest) and Shah will get another go.

BTW this should really be in Cricket Chat, it's not solely an Ashes issue.

Is Owais really the answer, i'm no sot Shah..:ph34r:
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Well the head of the current idea needs a Bop, we ara nation Ravinously hungry for cricketing success after all.

:ph34r:
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Ravi is still worth a go for mine, having earnt his place in the side he deserves more than 4 matches grace.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Ravi is still worth a go for mine, having earnt his place in the side he deserves more than 4 matches grace.
Earnt it by being dropped and then cashing in against an abject West Indian side. Four tests against a misfiring Australian attack is ample proof that he isn't an international number 3.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Earnt it by being dropped and then cashing in against an abject West Indian side. Four tests against a misfiring Australian attack is ample proof that he isn't an international number 3.
Michael Vaughan's form over the past 4 years would suggest he wasn't a world class cricketer at all.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
So who is then?

Beginning to think Joyce is next in line at 3, everyone else who's tried has failed.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
If Bopara was to be replaced, I would say I would prefer Joyce as his replacement, as opposed to Rob Key.
 

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Honestly can't see him being replaced for the 5th test, so I suppose we look ahead to the squad for South Africa.
Still expect Bopara will be on the plane tbh.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Michael Vaughan's form over the past 4 years would suggest he wasn't a world class cricketer at all.
Not sure what that has to do with price of milk but on the point of Vaughan, he had a great tour of Australia and he built a faux reputation of a world class batsman on that.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Honestly can't see him being replaced for the 5th test, so I suppose we look ahead to the squad for South Africa.
Still expect Bopara will be on the plane tbh.
I'll be astonished if he isn't, and it's possible that they'll take the "we've given him the hard yards so now we need to back him for easier times" line (neglecting thus the fact that the bowling in SA might easily be of higher calibre than that so far this series). But I do hope Joyce might take his place, he was so unlucky not to get a Test chance 3 years ago.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
Stuart Law (I think it was) was interesting on this last night. He said that an experienced player (KP or Colly or even Bell) absolutely have to take it upon themselves to bat at three, and that it wasn't right to put a new player in there straight away.
 

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