Has - beens, Ben Stokes

[Parkside]

I believe if they asked the current squad to play “traditional” test cricket, we’d score less and would get out equally quickly.

On what do you base that assumption? Many have never tried to play intelligently. Brook,Root and Stokes have played countless composed innings as has Pope occasionally. Smith has massive potential and should be young enough to adapt.I can see the logic in Crawley and Duckett playing Bazball.

Apart from Crawley they are picking our best team

Agree,the concern is that they're wholly 1 dimensional in their approach.

 

[DonaldDownTheWing]

On what do you base that assumption? Many have never tried to play intelligently. Brook,Root and Stokes have played countless composed innings as has Pope occasionally. Smith has massive potential and should be young enough to adapt.I can see the logic in Crawley and Duckett playing Bazball.

Pope you feel like there’s always a wicket round the corner, he never looks “in”.

Root clearly can play.

Brook is a whacker and always has been. He’s just very good so it works more than it doesn’t.

Stokes has a defence.

Smith is young yes, but much like Brook and Pope, I wouldn’t back either to get 20 off 100 balls if needed.

 

[Fats]

Pope you feel like there’s always a wicket round the corner, he never looks “in”.

Root clearly can play.

Brook is a whacker and always has been. He’s just very good so it works more than it doesn’t.

Stokes has a defence.

Smith is young yes, but much like Brook and Pope, I wouldn’t back either to get 20 off 100 balls if needed.

Brooke reminds me of Lance Klusner. In the main, brain dead, but when it works.......................

 

[Parkside]

Pope you feel like there’s always a wicket round the corner, he never looks “in”.

Root clearly can play.

Brook is a whacker and always has been. He’s just very good so it works more than it doesn’t.

Stokes has a defence.

Smith is young yes, but much like Brook and Pope, I wouldn’t back either to get 20 off 100 balls if needed.

Difficulty is younguns coming through nowadays have a T20 mentality.Brook and Smith have considerable natural ability and appear to be reasonably intelligent. I'm sure they could adapt.It's whether they have the desire to do so with the lure of franchise cricket to distract.

 

[DonaldDownTheWing]

Difficulty is younguns coming through nowadays have a T20 mentality.Brook and Smith have considerable natural ability and appear to be reasonably intelligent. I'm sure they could adapt.It's whether they have the desire to do so with the lure of franchise cricket to distract.

100%. Franchise cricket is what makes players money and even the blast is far better attended than county cricket, so it makes sense players focus on what can make them rich.

It’s not their fault, it’s a failing of the system.

 

[Eggman]

Brooke reminds me of Lance Klusner. In the main, brain dead, but when it works.......................

Yep and they made him vice captain.

What does that say about Key, McCullum etc ?

 

[Lawrenceslongthrowin]

100%. Franchise cricket is what makes players money and even the blast is far better attended than county cricket, so it makes sense players focus on what can make them rich.

It’s not their fault, it’s a failing of the system.

Test cricket is done I agree only this series makes any money

 

[DonaldDownTheWing]

Test cricket is done I agree only this series makes any money

Series between the big 3 and possibly NZ & South Africa are viable I think. The smaller nations complain we don’t play them enough, but invariably they’re one-sided affairs so interest is lower.

I think another issue with test cricket is no-one’s really playing for anything. The Ashes feels like a competitive match whereas most feel like friendlies. They’ve tried to change that by inventing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, but to me that’s a lot like the nations league in footy.

Yes there’s qualification for the world test championship, but teams are playing different number of matches, over rates completely ruin it too. I’d rather they docked runs in game than take WTC points off teams after the fact.

There should also be a 4-yearly test World Cup I think.

 

[Iamme]

On what do you base that assumption? Many have never tried to play intelligently. Brook,Root and Stokes have played countless composed innings as has Pope occasionally. Smith has massive potential and should be young enough to adapt.I can see the logic in Crawley and Duckett playing Bazball.

Agree,the concern is that they're wholly 1 dimensional in their approach.

Bazball. The Aussies scores higher run rates than using both innings.

I don't get it. 5th highest runnrate in 2025.

Bazball ok then.

 

[smoker]

Apart from Crawley they are picking our best team

I would question whether Smith, Jacks and Bashir are the best in their respective disciplines.

 

[chopsfc007]

I would question whether Smith, Jacks and Bashir are the best in their respective disciplines.

Bashir isn't getting in the team now,Smith is entitled to a bad run

 

[Hetty]

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[Parkside]

Bashir isn't getting in the team now,Smith is entitled to a bad run

Smith is very inexperienced keeping in the longer form of the game and he certainly looks jaded and lacking in confidence recently.Certainly seems incapable of reading match situations when batting.e It's a case of whether he should be rested for his own good. Folly is Pope was named as reserve wicketkeeper when they clearly have reservations about his test future.

 

[Hetty]

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[The Breen Machine]

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Absolute bollocks, Stokes would never not bowl due to tiredness. Archer on the other hand, did look absolutely fucked.

 

[Bri]

Bazball. The Aussies scores higher run rates than using both innings.

I don't get it. 5th highest runnrate in 2025.

Bazball ok then.

A good innings is paced and has phases. Defensive at times, attacking at times, watchful at times. The failing of bazball mentality is it's not that.

Also, reading reports it sounds like Stokes is overreaching, trying to do too much. He needs to draw back. But he's an intelligent and talented cricketer, the best in the team but he's got the strategy for this series all wrong unfortunately.

 

[rentaghost]

Absolute bollocks, Stokes would never not bowl due to tiredness. Archer on the other hand, did look absolutely fucked.

It sounds bad but ive got no issue with it really. He is an allrounder but had batted in 40 degree heat for 6 hours due to the haplessness of other batsmen. Of course he could bowl but he's not a machine, has had serious injuries and that would bound to effect his speeds and performance. If he felt Tongue, Carse and Archer were a better bet its his decision to make.

 

[The Breen Machine]

It sounds bad but ive got no issue with it really. He is an allrounder but had batted in 40 degree heat for 6 hours due to the haplessness of other batsmen. Of course he could bowl but he's not a machine, has had serious injuries and that would bound to effect his speeds and performance. If he felt Tongue, Carse and Archer were a better bet its his decision to make.

It's not that I would particularly take issue with it, I just don't believe it. When has Stokes ever put himself ahead of the team, he is stubborn to the point of being stupid at times and an absolute warrior. I can't ever see him, at such a crucial point in the series, saying "It's best I sit this one out, I am tired". He must be carrying a knock.

 

[Parkside]

It's not that I would particularly take issue with it, I just don't believe it. When has Stokes ever put himself ahead of the team, he is stubborn to the point of being stupid at times and an absolute warrior. I can't ever see him, at such a crucial point in the series, saying "It's best I sit this one out, I am tired". He must be carrying a knock.

Strong character that he is I think he's mentally knackered.

 

[Waverley]

No place in his dressing room for weak men.