Any changes for 2nd Test 🤔

[Voice of fair play]

I dont mind the odd punt. But I do think county performances still have merit, we can’t completely dismiss them.

Josh Hull for example, that was an absurd choice

Yeah I agree and also think picking a spinner who can’t even get in his county side weird as well.

 

[Eggman]

Yeah I agree and also think picking a spinner who can’t even get in his county side weird as well.

Not just can’t get a game, but he’s actually 3rd in the Somerset pecking order

 

[Parkside]

Well yeah, you would imagine with everything I read on here that would have been the wrong approach after all they had 3 days to knock of 200, so should they have batted more sensibly or did what they did and won the game easily?

Yeah think we have got to the stage of trying someone to replace Crawley in fact should have happened last year but still not remotely confident of any of the openers currently available stepping up but as I said earlier it’s hard for any opener anywhere in the world at the the moment.

Yeah it’s a fair point your last one I agree the domestic 4 day game should be a barometer to see if openers can cut the mustard, problem is the difference between county cricket and world class test cricket is as wide as it has even been imo, so it’s incredibly difficult more difficult than it was in the past to know who can make the step up, and everyone we tried with that method of picking the openers in county cricket with the best average in the 5 years or so before this regime failed miserably at they were many!

Burns, Robson, Sibley, Hameed, I could go on all failed

Therefore understandably you can see why they may be looking at a different way of identifying them

Yeh but your different way has reasonably to be an improved one -white ball cricket with it's limitations on bowling and fielding can't be a logical way to identify potential test batsmen.When you're established in the middle order at test level move up the order with an in form county opener introduced into the test batting down the order initially and gradually progress up the order.

 

[Voice of fair play]

Not just can’t get a game, but he’s actually 3rd in the Somerset pecking order

Yeah he should not be selected imo but again as with the opener (Crawley) the other spinning options I don’t think are very good.

Why have the worst spin options of any major test nation imo.

It’s another reason why contrary to some people I actually think McCullum overall has done a good job.

He has hardly any openers to pick from who are international standard imo, he has the worst spin bowling options we have had for a long time.

Yet overall through his period as coach he has in the main got the best out of the players ability he has had at his disposal.

And is still iirc unbeaten in all test series he has been as coach apart from in alien spinning conditions in Asia which our players struggle against massively and is actually a different game and standard they face in their own domestic cricket.

 

[chunkyshanhawk53]

Yeah he should not be selected imo but again as with the opener (Crawley) the other spinning options I don’t think are very good.

Why have the worst spin options of any major test nation imo.

It’s another reason why contrary to some people I actually think McCullum overall has done a good job.

He has hardly any openers to pick from who are international standard imo, he has the worst spin bowling options we have had for a long time.

Yet overall through his period as coach he has in the main got the best out of the players ability he has had at his disposal.

And is still iirc unbeaten in all test series he has been as coach apart from in alien spinning conditions in Asia which our players struggle against massively and is actually a different game and standard they face in their own domestic cricket.

Jaiswal aside I can’t think of any other good opener. Duckett would be in a world XI with him.

 

[Voice of fair play]

Jaiswal aside I can’t think of any other good opener. Duckett would be in a world XI with him.

Yeah yet many still have a go at Duckett.

And would prefer a ‘ proper test opener’

Whatever that means!

No doubt in my mind that McCullum has got and played a major part in getting the best out of Duckett.

By allowing him the freedom and confidence to play his natural game

 

[chunkyshanhawk53]

Yeah yet many still have a go at Duckett.

And would prefer a ‘ proper test opener’

Whatever that means!

No doubt in my mind that McCullum has got and played a major part in getting the best out of Duckett.

By allowing him the freedom and confidence to play his natural game

I doubt many really want rid of Duckett, he’s backed it up with runs

He’s about 300 runs behind Crawley, in 21 tests fewer.

 

[Voice of fair play]

I doubt many really want rid of Duckett, he’s backed it up with runs

He’s about 300 runs behind Crawley, in 21 tests fewer.

Well maybe not get rid of him, but certainly has received over the years more criticism than his record deserves.

And he is a example of getting the best out of a player.

If someone said pre McCullum that Duckett would have got into a world 11 as a opener we would have not taken them seriously

 

[The Breen Machine]

Jaiswal aside I can’t think of any other good opener. Duckett would be in a world XI with him.

Latham, Conway, Rahul in the last couple of years.

 

[Parkside]

Yeah yet many still have a go at Duckett.

And would prefer a ‘ proper test opener’

Whatever that means!

No doubt in my mind that McCullum has got and played a major part in getting the best out of Duckett.

By allowing him the freedom and confidence to play his natural game

Assume they mean a "conventional"test opener who spends time to look at how both the pitch and bowler are behaving before playing expansive shots. There's a difference between positive cricket and reckless cricket. Cook, Straus,Atherton would be examples of conventional or proper openers. Surprised you aren't aware of that. There's still a place for them in present day test cricket -Matches are still scheduled for 5 days.
No slight on Duckett-he has a very effective game play-off compact hence minimising risk

 

[GordonMuchallNo1Fan]

Yeah he should not be selected imo but again as with the opener (Crawley) the other spinning options I don’t think are very good.

Why have the worst spin options of any major test nation imo.

It’s another reason why contrary to some people I actually think McCullum overall has done a good job.

He has hardly any openers to pick from who are international standard imo, he has the worst spin bowling options we have had for a long time.

Yet overall through his period as coach he has in the main got the best out of the players ability he has had at his disposal.

And is still iirc unbeaten in all test series he has been as coach apart from in alien spinning conditions in Asia which our players struggle against massively and is actually a different game and standard they face in their own domestic cricket.

Jack Leach is a far far better spinner than Bashir. Hameed is a far far better opener than Crawley. Regardless whether they are international standard (all about opinion) is irrelevant because Bashir and Crawley are barely division 2 standard.

 

[chopsfc007]

Jack Leach is a far far better spinner than Bashir. Hameed is a far far better opener than Crawley. Regardless whether they are international standard (all about opinion) is irrelevant because Bashir and Crawley are barely division 2 standard.

Yet Crawley average comfortably better in tests

 

[chunkyshanhawk53]

Yet Crawley average comfortably better in tests

Tbf he’s had 50 tests fewer, and he’s really come on as a player

 

[Parkside]

Tbf he’s had 50 tests fewer, and he’s really come on as a player

True but the fact that he's not even in the Lions squad suggests he doesn't fit the Bazball profile. The fact that McKinney didn't bat in the 2nd innings for the Lions points to him being called into the senior squad- no mention of any injury.

 

[chunkyshanhawk53]

True but the fact that he's not even in the Lions squad suggests he doesn't fit the Bazball profile. The fact that McKinney didn't bat in the 2nd innings for the Lions points to him being called into the senior squad- no mention of any injury.

They won’t pick Hameed, it’s not remotely on the radar

 

[Voice of fair play]

Jack Leach is a far far better spinner than Bashir. Hameed is a far far better opener than Crawley. Regardless whether they are international standard (all about opinion) is irrelevant because Bashir and Crawley are barely division 2 standard.

Well yeah most spinners better than Bashir, totally confused by his continuous selection.

However saying that Jack Leach and Hameed are hardly going to give Smith, Head, Starc and Cummins sleepless nights.

It’s says everything about their ability that the other two get selected in front of them.

It’s Hobson’s choice really as the two you mentioned would never make a difference in an Ashes imo.

In fact they both travelled and played last Ashes series down under and were terrible.

Hameed 80 runs in 8 innings last time

 

[GordonMuchallNo1Fan]

Yet Crawley average comfortably better in tests

Hameed deserves anoth and chance. Granted it wasn't all great the last time, he's gone away and proven himself at County Championship level, something Crawley wasn't doing at Kent and hasn't done at England for a very long time. With regards to some above saying Hameed doesn't fit into the Bazball profile, that's entirely a fair enough comment, however what profile does Crawley fit into because as I've said he's barely a division 2 standard. If we aren't selecting Hameed then Emilo Gay deserves a chance if people are purely obsessed with averages all of a sudden which with Crawley's form mean absolutely sod all. I'd even have Alex Lees in ahead of Crawley

 

[chopsfc007]

Hameed deserves anoth and chance. Granted it wasn't all great the last time, he's gone away and proven himself at County Championship level, something Crawley wasn't doing at Kent and hasn't done at England for a very long time. With regards to some above saying Hameed doesn't fit into the Bazball profile, that's entirely a fair enough comment, however what profile does Crawley fit into because as I've said he's barely a division 2 standard. If we aren't selecting Hameed then Emilo Gay deserves a chance if people are purely obsessed with averages all of a sudden which with Crawley's form mean absolutely sod all. I'd even have Alex Lees in ahead of Crawley

Everyone was slagging gay off last season

 

[GordonMuchallNo1Fan]

Well yeah most spinners better than Bashir, totally confused by his continuous selection.

However saying that Jack Leach and Hameed are hardly going to give Smith, Head, Starc and Cummins sleepless nights.

It’s says everything about their ability that the other two get selected in front of them.

It’s Hobson’s choice really as the two you mentioned would never make a difference in an Ashes imo.

In fact they both travelled and played last Ashes series down under and were terrible.

I've not suggested they would give anyone sleepless nights. I'm merely suggesting we apply common sense and select players based on merit and the Country Championship is a good merit indicator for selection. Hameed and Leech were top performers this year in th County Championship and therefore in my opinion should be in consideration. None of this England side will worry Australia and they've already demonstrated that with their school kid performance over the weekend. "Face fits" is what this regime is all about, there is no other explanation to it.

Everyone was slagging gay off last season

I'm not a fan yet however he's in Australia so they obviously think something of him and given your obsession with averages he should be in ahead of Crawley

 

[chopsfc007]

I've not suggested they would give anyone sleepless nights. I'm merely suggesting we apply common sense and select players based on merit and the Country Championship is a good merit indicator for selection. Hameed and Leech were top performers this year in th County Championship and therefore in my opinion should be in consideration. None of this England side will worry Australia and they've already demonstrated that with their school kid performance over the weekend. "Face fits" is what this regime is all about, there is no other explanation to it.

I'm not a fan yet however he's in Australia so they obviously think something of him and given your obsession with averages he should be in ahead of Crawley

3 Durham players have been suggested in this thread a team who's batting was awful last season