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Ben Stokes Test Captain

The Rat said:
Confirms he’s moving down to 6 in the order

I’ve been calling for this for 2 years! Hopefully Root moves to 4 too
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Makes sense. Don't think it would have worked having him be a bat heavy all rounder with less bowling as he'd undoubtedly keep bowling himself if we're struggling.

Definitely agree re Root to 4 as well. 3 is up for grabs. Malan started well with season of all else fails but I'd like to see Bohannan get a go
 

I am Boss said:
Makes sense. Don't think it would have worked having him be a bat heavy all rounder with less bowling as he'd undoubtedly keep bowling himself if we're struggling.

Definitely agree re Root to 4 as well. 3 is up for grabs. Malan started well with season of all else fails but I'd like to see Bohannan get a go
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Yeah I wouldnt rule out Malan at all, age makes no difference to me

he faded in the Ashes but there were good reasons for that

Covid bubbles for 3 months, missing the birth of his child, not easy

I think we will see results improve sloly from a lot of players now they dont have to live in hotel rooms
 
Stokes at 6 is good news for England provided he scores runs
Averages 39 at 5, 35 at 6 (5 hundreds against 6, 31 matches against 46).
Remember when Moores and Cook had him batting at 8....
The Rat said:
Aye mate says he wants to be an all rounder and that’s best place

Stokes is quality batsman in his day and utterly selfless however I don’t think he will ever be a consistent reliable run scorer in the top 5. Needs to attack from 6

He refused to be drawn on whether bairstow will just move to number 5

He will play as he’s scored 2 100s in his last 4 tests, really good 100s too

It’s just my view but I’m wondering if Stokes wants him as his keeper, I’d say it’s possi
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The Rat said:
They do; we have a leggy

My point isn’t that far fetched like don’t ever ever pick Chris Woakes abroad

There will be bowlers in county cricket more suited to playing in Pakistan this autumn than him

Just off the top of my head Jamie Overton bowled 94mph for surrey last week

It’s like people saying we’ve tried all the batsman these, burns, pope etc are our best players

We haven’t. Countless players with good records

There is talent in England the selection is all wrong overseas

We do have a leggy by the way, albeit in a leach fan
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Too much picking a team on pecking order, who's a 'good lad' and works hard in the nets. We pick Robinson, he demonstrates he has the talent for test level and the nomark England bowling coach has a go at him because he's a couple of clem overweight ffs.

We need to pick raw talent, like Fletcher did with Harmison. Harmy was rough as fuck but DF saw his ability to scare batsmen at test level and was determined to have him in the team.

Also, Central contracts are a disaster. The ultimate in sunk cost fallacy. You end up picking the same players regardless of form and they hardly get any cricket just nets because they're being wrapped in cotton wool by ECB.

Regarding spin Parkinson or Liam Patterson White should get a punt. I like Jack Leach but he isn't going to win you test matches in India. How many matches do players who don't look the part get to automagically come good ffs? If they don't perform after 3 or 4 tests they should be on the bus back to their counties.
 
smoker said:
Too much picking a team on pecking order, who's a 'good lad' and works hard in the nets. We pick Robinson, he demonstrates he has the talent for test level and the nomark England bowling coach has a go at him because he's a couple of clem overweight ffs.

We need to pick raw talent, like Fletcher did with Harmison. Harmy was rough as fuck but DF saw his ability to scare batsmen at test level and was determined to have him in the team.

Also, Central contracts are a disaster. The ultimate in sunk cost fallacy. You end up picking the same players regardless of form and they hardly get any cricket just nets because they're being wrapped in cotton wool by ECB.

Regarding spin Parkinson or Liam Patterson White should get a punt. I like Jack Leach but he isn't going to win you test matches in India. How many matches do players who don't look the part get to automagically come good ffs? If they don't perform after 3 or 4 tests they should be on the bus back to their counties.
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You make some decent points but I disagree on Leach

he was fantastic in India, then we just didnt pick him in one test till Brisbane

he should have been our spinners the last 4 years.

He hasnt been backed enough, came back India flying and then he didnt play as Silverwood picked 4 seamers.

No Warne but his record is decent enough, I am not against playing Parkinson at some stage just feel it will be more bad luck for Leach.
 
The Rat said:
You make some decent points but I disagree on Leach

he was fantastic in India, then we just didnt pick him in one test till Brisbane

he should have been our spinners the last 4 years.

He hasnt been backed enough, came back India flying and then he didnt play as Silverwood picked 4 seamers.

No Warne but his record is decent enough, I am not against playing Parkinson at some stage just feel it will be more bad luck for Leach.
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He averaged 29 on bunsens marra. Axar Patel and Ashwin averaged 10 and 14 on the same wickets.

I like him and he's not a bad player but he's a B tier spinner like Moeen. We need to find another S tier like Swann if we are going to win the world test championship.
 
smoker said:
He averaged 29 on bunsens marra. Axar Patel and Ashwin averaged 10 and 14 on the same wickets.

I like him and he's not a bad player but he's a B tier spinner like Moeen. We need to find another S tier like Swann if we are going to win the world test championship.
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Yeah but he was bowling at Kohli and Rohit not Dan Lawrence and Ollie Pope and Rory burns

His record for England is decent enough, I just dont agree that picking a lad from Notts with 90 wickets is remotely fair or the right thing to do
 
The Rat said:
I just dont agree that picking a lad from Notts with 90 wickets is remotely fair or the right thing to do
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Just an example of raw talent and potential. A spinner who can take five wickets in a first innings at CLS in April and bowls leg and off-spin. Has Leach ever done anything more than bowled 'quite well' on favourable wickets?

How many first class wickets did Shane Warne have when he was picked for Australia? IIRC Warner had never played a first class game.

It's all about identifying and picking the players international quality rather than buggering on with less capable players in the hope they step up eventually.
 
smoker said:
Just an example of raw talent and potential. A spinner who can take five wickets in a first innings at CLS in April and bowls leg and off-spin. Has Leach ever done anything more than bowled 'quite well' on favourable wickets?

How many first class wickets did Shane Warne have when he was picked for Australia? IIRC Warner had never played a first class game.

It's all about identifying and picking the players international quality rather than buggering on with less capable players in the hope they step up eventually.
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Yea Jack leach has done a hell of a lot more than him. He bowled out a 2nd division Durham side, spinner needs to learn his craft

Very disrespectful to leach

I don’t agree like if anything we’ve picked far too many young players lately
 
Voice of fair play said:
Root will score runs anywhere too good full stop, more of a question is who will score runs at 3?
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But he scores loads loads more at 4

So it’s just a no brainer

If you picked root at 3 you’d still need to find a number 4

Don’t weaken your strengthens to cover your weakness

Simple
 
smoker said:
Just an example of raw talent and potential. A spinner who can take five wickets in a first innings at CLS in April and bowls leg and off-spin. Has Leach ever done anything more than bowled 'quite well' on favourable wickets?

How many first class wickets did Shane Warne have when he was picked for Australia? IIRC Warner had never played a first class game.

It's all about identifying and picking the players international quality rather than buggering on with less capable players in the hope they step up eventually.
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Great post I agree totally
 
The Rat said:
But he scores loads loads more at 4

So it’s just a no brainer

If you picked root at 3 you’d still need to find a number 4

Don’t weaken your strengthens to cover your weakness

Simple
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I am of the opinion that he is a much more mature all round player than he has ever been before and will score runs in both positions.

Not sure I see the relevance of how he may have performed at three 6/7 years ago!

It’s about the here and now he has just two hundreds in the recent test series and imo that had absolutely nothing to do with his position in the order and everything to do with the fact he is a brilliant batsman.

There is no doubt the test side needs to stop letting the opposition take early wickets time after time and no doubt Root would be a better bet than some debutant imo at 3.
The Rat said:
I dunno how you can justify picking someone who you’ve never seen play because he got 5wickets against a 2nd division side
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It’s more of the principle he is trying to put across which is identifying future players who may take wickets.

Rather than someone who will always just be a hold up one end player and never a match winner.

Whether the bowlers he mentions will be good I have no idea but one thing for sure imo Leach will never be more then average bowler imo.
 
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Voice of fair play said:
I am of the opinion that he is a much more mature all round player than he has ever been before and will score runs in both positions.

Not sure I see the relevance of how he may have performed at three 6/7 years ago!

It’s about the here and now he has just two hundreds in the recent test series and imo that had absolutely nothing to do with his position in the order and everything to do with the fact he is a brilliant batsman.

There is no doubt the test side needs to stop letting the opposition take early wickets time after time and no doubt Root would be a better bet than some debutant imo at 3.

It’s more of the principle he is trying to put across which is identifying future players who may take wickets.

Rather than someone who will always just be a hold up one end player and never a match winner.

Whether the bowlers he mentions will be good I have no idea but one thing for sure imo Leach will never be more then average bowler imo.
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He’s got a long long way to go to prove he’s as good as Jack leach like

The disrespect he gets baffles me. His county record home n away in England is good.

Well the captain disagrees you with marra. I can’t get your logic, it’s just common sense to me. Root averages 10 less at 3. For me that’s just end of conversation. But I realise I’m not gonna change your mind on that!

I really really hope we don’t just stick pope at 5 mind, I just get the impression it’s coming
 
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The Rat said:
He’s got a long long way to go to prove he’s as good as Jack leach like

The disrespect he gets baffles me. His county record home n away in England is good.

Well the captain disagrees you with marra. I can’t get your logic, it’s just common sense to me. Root averages 10 less at 3. For me that’s just end of conversation. But I realise I’m not gonna change your mind on that!

I really really hope we don’t just stick pope at 5 mind, I just get the impression it’s coming
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Think Brook worth a try.
 
Voice of fair play said:
Think Brook worth a try.
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My only reservation with Stokes as captain was nothing to do with burnout and all that shite, its that he has been part of the think tank for years.

So I am kind of expecting it to be the same batsman, and back to 3 right arm medium quicks too.

I'd like to see Brook over Lawrence and Pople who have had more than enough chances

it also seems like one of Pope, Lawrence and Crawley are going to be vice captain judging by his comments today, which I find ridiculous
 
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