Next England Captain

[TopCat]

Bolded point is a farce. He was nothing like England's best player this series and at times looked a shadow of his former self.

Buttler has been excellent and now deserves his chance. Prior had a good knock in the first innings of the first test but thats all. If Buttler isnt given the opportunity soon we could be wasting a couple of years of his talent to accommodate Prior.

Cook should be allowed to go and find his form in county cricket away from the spotlight. He clearly needs to recharge his batteries after a nightmare year with the bat and nightmare 8 or 9 months as captain.

Cook will only get out of his slump by playing cricket against the top nations - plundering runs against average bowlers on the county circuit is a waste of time.
Prior does not deserve to be dropped just 'cos Jos Buttler is young and has showed some promise in the shorter forms of the game.
Anderson, 12 wkts @ 21.50 - hardly a "Farce" now is it?

 

[Deleted member 35923]

Cook will only get out of his slump by playing cricket against the top nations - plundering runs against average bowlers on the county circuit is a waste of time.
Prior does not deserve to be dropped just 'cos Jos Buttler is young and has showed some promise in the shorter forms of the game.
Anderson, 12 wkts @ 21.50 - hardly a "Farce" now is it?

Do you honestly think that James Anderson was England's man of the series?

He bowled a good spell in Sri Lanka's second innings at Lords but aside from that he has been average.

I have been a big fan of Anderson's and just as I dismissed his inflated bowling average when I believe he was one of the best in the world I will do the same with his bowling average of 21 this series. That really flatters him.

 

[TopCat]

Do you honestly think that James Anderson was England's man of the series?

He bowled a good spell in Sri Lanka's second innings at Lords but aside from that he has been average.

I have been a big fan of Anderson's and just as I dismissed his inflated bowling average when I believe he was one of the best in the world I will do the same with his bowling average of 21 this series. That really flatters him.

He took the most wickets, with the lowest average and batted courageously on the final day.

Putting aside your Anti-Jimmy agenda, who would you have named man of the series? Who else performed consistently across both tests?

 

[Deleted member 35923]

He took the most wickets, with the lowest average and batted courageously on the final day.

Putting aside your Anti-Jimmy agenda, who would you have named man of the series? Who else performed consistently across both tests?

anti Jimmy agenda? Whats that all about? I think he was poor in Australia and has followed it up with an average series against Sri Lanka, particularly in this second test. He has been a world class bowler for England in the past but there have been a few signs of decline in the past year (since the first test of the home Ashes series). Its hardly an agenda to suggest that he hasnt been good.

Gary Ballance man of the series for me. 23, 104* and 74. Trapped in front with a very good ball first up in the last innings. Very accomplished series by an inexperienced international player with virtually no experience of batting number 3 in first class cricket (his stint in Zimbabwe aside).

 

[TopCat]

anti Jimmy agenda? Whats that all about? I think he was poor in Australia and has followed it up with an average series against Sri Lanka, particularly in this second test. He has been a world class bowler for England in the past but there have been a few signs of decline in the past year (since the first test of the home Ashes series). Its hardly an agenda to suggest that he hasnt been good.

Gary Ballance man of the series for me. 23, 104* and 74. Trapped in front with a very good ball first up in the last innings. Very accomplished series by an inexperienced international player with virtually no experience of batting number 3 in first class cricket (his stint in Zimbabwe aside).

Fair point re Ballance, but you can hardly call Anderson's performance in the last 2 tests average. Most wickets, lowest average. He had a poor winter, but so did everyone else. Also, why would a poor series against Australia influence who should be man of the series against Sri Lanka?

He has been a world class bowler for England in the past but there have been a few signs of decline in the past year

Since the NZ series at the start of last summer he has taken 57 wkts @ 29.10 across 14 tests.

 

[Deleted member 35923]

Fair point re Ballance, but you can hardly call Anderson's performance in the last 2 tests average. Most wickets, lowest average. He had a poor winter, but so did everyone else. Also, why would a poor series against Australia influence who should be man of the series against Sri Lanka?

I was speaking more generally about Anderson and what I think is the start of his decline.

Anderson was poor in the second test, no doubt about that. His line and length were all over the shop. His spell with the new ball the other day was particularly dreadful and an average Sri Lankan seam attack showed Anderson, and the other English bowlers, how to do it.

 

[TopCat]

I was speaking more generally about Anderson and what I think is the start of his decline.

Anderson was poor in the second test, no doubt about that. His line and length were all over the shop. His spell with the new ball the other day was particularly dreadful and an average Sri Lankan seam attack showed Anderson, and the other English bowlers, how to do it.

England as a team were poor on Monday. All of the bowlers struggled because the captain didn't have a clue

 

[Deleted member 35923]

Fair point re Ballance, but you can hardly call Anderson's performance in the last 2 tests average. Most wickets, lowest average. He had a poor winter, but so did everyone else. Also, why would a poor series against Australia influence who should be man of the series against Sri Lanka?



Since the NZ series at the start of last summer he has taken 57 wkts @ 29.10 across 14 tests.

That stat is nothing flash for one of the worlds premier seam bowlers.

England as a team were poor on Monday. All of the bowlers struggled because the captain didn't have a clue

The bowlers didnt struggle because the captain was clueless. It isnt down to the captain that Anderson and Broad bowled without control and discipline. Cook got a hell of a lot wrong but the bowling, particularly with the new ball, was very poor.

 

[TopCat]

That stat is nothing flash for one of the worlds premier seam bowlers.



The bowlers didnt struggle because the captain was clueless. It isnt down to the captain that Anderson and Broad bowled without control and discipline. Cook got a hell of a lot wrong but the bowling, particularly with the new ball, was very poor.

Maybe, but he has to captain the side, set the field and be strong when the likes of Anderson and Broad whinge about getting hit for 4. He needed to be braver and keep attacking and not worry about them getting hit for boundaries. He leads the side and is in charge on the field. If Broad and Anderson were bowling garbage, he should have changed the bowling and used Ali, plunkett, Root or Jordan

 

[Twisted]

I really think the batting line up lacks diversity and aggression. I know there are plenty doubts about his technique for Test match cricket but he has the right temperament and approach.

There has to be room for him and Stokes. If Ali is barely going to be used as a spinner then I see little point for him in the side

still feel the same way?

i think we are spoil for choice for middle order all rounder with ali, root, stokes all capable of batting and turning the arm, albeit stokes only the real wicket taking threat consistently.

cook, robson, ballance, bell, root, ali, stokes, prior, jordan, plunkett, broad, anderson

i've put down 12 there as one of root, ali, stokes has to miss out and it is cruel on whoever it is... personally i would have promoted bell to 3 and have all of them but ballance went and scored a very good ton recently so....

 

[smoker]

Not a lot to choose from once Cook resigns/gets pushed.

For me there's only four candidates - Anderson, Bell, Broad & Prior. I would rule out Bell as he doesn't seem to be the type and Broad is a major no no after the debacle of his limited overs captaincy. I also think Anderson is similar to Bell in that he doesn't look like captain material. That leaves Prior and he doesn't fill me with confidence to do the job either.

In short, we're fucked.

Because the Moores and Flower regimes would not tolerate the strong characters who would make future captains.

Rubbish.
Anderson just won man of the series and his bowling was generally excellent.
Promoting Buttler just for the sake of it is madness. Prior showed his form and fitness in this series and in a team full of new faces, his experience is needed.
Cook is out of form, he will find form by playing games. I'm not sure he needs the extra burden of the captaincy however

I would go with Stokes for Woakes in the next squad, last place in the team between Jordan and Stokes

It would appear Stokes is now on the naughty step with Monty, KP and Compton.

Moeen has the all-rounder spot and it will be hard for Stokes to get it back.

 

[chopsfc007]

stokes can come in for jordan

 

[TopCat]

It would appear Stokes is now on the naughty step with Monty, KP and Compton.

Moeen has the all-rounder spot and it will be hard for Stokes to get it back.

Compton was dropped because he couldn't score quick enough
Monty has personal problems
KP is a dick who was dividing the dressing room with his enormous ego

 

[Twisted]

It would appear Stokes is now on the naughty step with Monty, KP and Compton.

Moeen has the all-rounder spot and it will be hard for Stokes to get it back.

i think you might be reading too much into it there, they wanted stokes to bowl alot and he did that and took a 10 for. it will be hard for him by virtue of ballance, root, ali all getting tons this series and they are the players stokes is fighting for a place.

i just hope they leave stokes with us to get more cricket rather than have him as a 12th man if he is not going to start.

can't see him getting in ahead of jordan or plunkett

Compton was dropped because he couldn't score quick enough
Monty has personal problems
KP is a dick who was dividing the dressing room with his enormous ego

should not come into the equation IMO, should have gone to australia.

still, that is over now, ancient history.

 

[TopCat]

should not come into the equation IMO, should have gone to australia.

Well, when your opener is 2* from 100 balls and getting bogged down until his inevitable dismissal it does become an issue.
Agree with the second point though - taking and playing Carberry was ludicrous

 

[Twisted]

Well, when your opener is 2* from 100 balls and getting bogged down until his inevitable dismissal it does become an issue.
Agree with the second point though - taking and playing Carberry was ludicrous

2* from 100 balls from an opener would have meant a draw at headingley

 

[smoker]

Well, when your opener is 2* from 100 balls and getting bogged down until his inevitable dismissal it does become an issue.
Agree with the second point though - taking and playing Carberry was ludicrous

Err...so what happened in Australia? Opening batsmen getting bogged down and tossing their wicket away in their desparation to score.

We were crying out for someone to take the leather off the ball, make their middle-aged pace attack bowl long spells. They were always fresh.

 

[TopCat]

Err...so what happened in Australia? Opening batsmen getting bogged down and tossing their wicket away in their desparation to score.

We were crying out for someone to take the leather off the ball, make their middle-aged pace attack bowl long spells. They were always fresh.

True, but with his current SR, if Compton batted all day he'd score 92!

 

[smoker]

True, but with his current SR, if Compton batted all day he'd score 92!

England batting all day would have been an improvement.

92 would have been our second top score for the series.

 

[TopCat]

England batting all day would have been an improvement.

92 would have been our second top score for the series.

That's assuming he could bat all day, which he couldn't. The point is that he scored so slowly that he would make barely any contribution to the score