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Ashes Inquest

scotch

scotch

Striker
Who goes and who stays

Out -
Crawley
Duckett (Go back to County cricket and get some form before the home tests, if he gets runs he starts the summer but can't be picked if his poor form continues - no scores in all formats for the last 6 months)
Pope
Smith (go back to county cricket, pile up runs and come back in either as a batter or WK for South Africa Tour)
Bashir
Jacks
Wood (think his body has had enough in tests)
Potts

In -
Root
Brook (pray this series is the making of him and not just a microcosm of his career)
Bethell
Stokes (Big decision for him on where to bat and how much to bowl going forward)
Archer
Atkinson
Tongue
Carse (not sure he should be a home test bowler, definitely a 4th seamer in overseas conditions)
 

scotch said:
Who goes and who stays

Out -
Crawley
Duckett (Go back to County cricket and get some form before the home tests, if he gets runs he starts the summer but can't be picked if his poor form continues - no scores in all formats for the last 6 months)
Pope
Smith (go back to county cricket, pile up runs and come back in either as a batter or WK for South Africa Tour)
Bashir
Jacks
Wood (think his body has had enough in tests)
Potts

In -
Root
Brook (pray this series is the making of him and not just a microcosm of his career)
Bethell
Stokes (Big decision for him on where to bat and how much to bowl going forward)
Archer
Atkinson
Tongue
Carse (not sure he should be a home test bowler, definitely a 4th seamer in overseas conditions)
Click to expand...
Crawley bats at 5 he isn't a opener.
Duckett stays.
Smith stays.

Scoring runs in the county championship means nothing. Unless we reduce it to 8 regional sides.

scoring runs against dibbly dibbly Derbyshire 74mph bowlers means anything anymore.

Stokes at 3

Bethell at 7. Has to become an the all-rounder tho.

He will come off 1 in 5 games like this series.

Archer has to go from test team.
 
Bethell should be left as number 3. Crawley has had his chances and needs to move on. Duckett and Smith should remain in the team I think. Pope could return much later on but not at 3 and may even be the keeper down the line. As exciting as Wood and Archer are as bowlers, I don't think their body can hold up to test cricket anymore. Jacks played as well suspected when he got called up, an old fashioned bits and pieces player who is more suited to white ball cricket.. he showed signs but not skilled enough in either discipline to play tests. Potts looked the shadow of what he has, the warning was there last county season like.

Bashir is the one I feel sorry for as he lost his county and looked ok last summer before his injury. I just don't get the mindset of backing him for years when he was getting a lot of stick, only to bottle it when they went down to OZ :eek:. Carse did ok and was expensive but had a decent wickets return and kept charging in.

A few of positives were the previously mentioned Bethell, Root and tongue.
 
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Crawley and Jacks out, the rest probably stay. Something like this for the summer:

Hameed
Duckett
Bethell
Root
Brook
Stokes
Smith
Rehan
Carse
Archer
Tongue
 
See the series averages below, you aren't going to win many games when you have all bar three batsmen averaging below 30

Crawley 273 runs @27.30
Duckett 202 runs @20.20
Pope 125 runs @20.83
Bethell 205 runs @51.25, 1 wicket @68
Root 400 runs @44.44
Brook 358 run @39.77
Stokes 184 runs @18.40, 15 wickets @25.13
Smith 211 runs @23.44
Jacks 145 runs @20.71, 6 wickets @53.66
Atkinson 73 runs @14.60, 6 wickets @47.33
Carse 99 runs @11, 22 wickets @30.31
Archer 102 runs @25.50, 9 wickets @27.11
Tongue 15 runs @5, 18 wickets @20.11
 
It’s not the personnel on the player side that needs changing one or two perhaps it’s more the approach and application.

It would be a mistake dropping half the team imo for replacements who are not as good as the players currently in the side.

Can’t remember mass changes working before when been stuffed in the ashes.

It’s time for clear heads not to make changes on anger.

Pick the best side for next test match and think at least 8 possibly 9 should come from this squad of players.

That’s not to say a lot of soul searching should be done because absolutely it should and change the approach.
 
I'm all for medium term planning but I think (and it's not just the ECB here) the obsession with the ashes is part of the problem.

They say the planning for this tour started 4 years ago (clearly worked well) and our player development strategy,especially with bowlers,has been about pace for Australia.It's why Anderson wad binned off earlier than he wanted to be.

There will no doubt be talk about 2027 now but why?

They should be focussing imo at the various comps,tours and domestic oponents in the next 12 months (in all formats) and not thinking about the next two ashes tours. Key,Baz and Stokes wont have anything to do with the next tour down under so planning is pointless
 
Reading McCullum's comments this morning I think he needs to go:

He clearly won't be changing his approach, so the ECB need to decide whether they want to see another 3 years of this shite.....

"I am not against assistance but have a firm belief in how to get the best out of these players,"

"I will look at it individually and say 'what could I have done better?'

"Am I for being told what to do? Of course I am not. But at the same time I'm not thinking there won't be areas to improve."
Click to expand...
scotch said:
Who goes and who stays

Out -
Crawley
Duckett (Go back to County cricket and get some form before the home tests, if he gets runs he starts the summer but can't be picked if his poor form continues - no scores in all formats for the last 6 months)
Pope
Smith (go back to county cricket, pile up runs and come back in either as a batter or WK for South Africa Tour)
Bashir
Jacks
Wood (think his body has had enough in tests)
Potts

In -
Root
Brook (pray this series is the making of him and not just a microcosm of his career)
Bethell
Stokes (Big decision for him on where to bat and how much to bowl going forward)
Archer
Atkinson
Tongue
Carse (not sure he should be a home test bowler, definitely a 4th seamer in overseas conditions)
Click to expand...
I'd say every player in the squad should be told to go and play for their county and show some form ahead of the test series. It's ridiculous for these lads to play franchise cricket, fly in a couple of days before a test and be expected to perform. We need to go back to basics, show some respect to the game and play some actual red ball cricket.

As for ins and outs I largely agree with your outs - Crawley has had more than enough chances, he's not what we need opening the batting. Duckett has credit in the bank, but needs a good start to the summer. Pope is done for me, just not good enough. Smith needs some runs, but I'd also say he needs to start keeping wicket for his county too, unless he can be considered good enough to play as a batsman only.

As for the bowlers, the cupboard looks bare - Wood certainly won't play test match cricket again, Jacks and Bashir just aren't good enough. Never rated Potts and Carse is never a new ball bowler. Tongue comes out the series with credit and I think Atkinson will come again. Could Ollie Robinson be integrated back into the team? His stats suggest he is too good to ignore. I want to see any end to these funky vibe selections like Hull, Bashir and Jacks.
 
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VenisonsMullet said:
Reading McCullum's comments this morning I think he needs to go:

He clearly won't be changing his approach, so the ECB need to decide whether they want to see another 3 years of this shite.....
Click to expand...

Absolutely, Agnew has raised doubts of his own whether McCullum will change at all, given his "relaxed" style goes years back to when he captained New Zealand.

He and Key should go IMO. They were responsible for the poorest preparation you will ever see for a major sporting series.
 
Voice of fair play said:
It’s not the personnel on the player side that needs changing one or two perhaps it’s more the approach and application.

It would be a mistake dropping half the team imo for replacements who are not as good as the players currently in the side.

Can’t remember mass changes working before when been stuffed in the ashes.

It’s time for clear heads not to make changes on anger.

Pick the best side for next test match and think at least 8 possibly 9 should come from this squad of players.

That’s not to say a lot of soul searching should be done because absolutely it should and change the approach.
Click to expand...
I think the core of the team stays:

1.
2. Duckett
3. Bethell
4. Root
5. Brooks
6. Stokes (c)
7.
8. Atkinson
9.
10. Tongue
11.

But there are question marks over the keeper and the bowling attack. Desperately need to find a spinner from somewhere
 
Like Donald seems to know how to prepare a team for a major away fixture. Wonder if he fancies a go for the next away Ashes series.
 
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