Alex Hales to play only white ball cricket

Yeah agree with first point massively with the talent he has it is now time for Bairstow to be batting up the order especially with the lack of depth with other batsman.

I am also a massive Buttler fan and would like to see him in the side.

However with his current situation of playing very little first class championship cricket ,it is very difficult to justify that maybe time to give another keeper ago with Bairstow higher up the order,

It is, but its also a situation England have caused themselves by handing out one day contracts, and letting him play all around the world.

Root has a lot of influence in selection IMO, I think he is behind Vince (a childhood mate) and Rashid decisions for Ashes, I am most surprised he isn't pushing for him

I accept all the arguments for why he shouldn't be called him and Foakes should, but I just think he has too much talent

He does want to be play test cricket too, unlike some of the others, wasted opportunity IMO
 


It is, but its also a situation England have caused themselves by handing out one day contracts, and letting him play all around the world.

Root has a lot of influence in selection IMO, I think he is behind Vince (a childhood mate) and Rashid decisions for Ashes, I am most surprised he isn't pushing for him

I accept all the arguments for why he shouldn't be called him and Foakes should, but I just think he has too much talent

He does want to be play test cricket too, unlike some of the others, wasted opportunity IMO

Maybe and Vince isn't a selection I would have made in a million years, however England had got themselves into a position where there were massive risks behind every batting selection bar Cook and Root. Vince was nowhere near good enough but I can't honestly say hand on heart that we had the options available that would have done better (or significantly better) than Vince with his 80 odd and 50 odd against that bowling in those conditions. We will of course never know.
 
It is, but its also a situation England have caused themselves by handing out one day contracts, and letting him play all around the world.

Root has a lot of influence in selection IMO, I think he is behind Vince (a childhood mate) and Rashid decisions for Ashes, I am most surprised he isn't pushing for him

I accept all the arguments for why he shouldn't be called him and Foakes should, but I just think he has too much talent

He does want to be play test cricket too, unlike some of the others, wasted opportunity IMO
If he wanted to play test cricket he would play more than 5 first class games in 2 years

I like him, he’s super talented. But he has got to play that form
 
There seems to be this daft belief that the 'inept ECB' are driving these talented players away from test cricket due to their own ineptitude. I am no fan of the ECB at all but just take a look at these players.

Rashid, Hales, Wood, Buttler, (probably one or two others that I have missed)

Two things in common.

1) They have all had a go at test cricket and have been found wanting - at least initially

2) They are all excellent white ball cricketers and know they can make fantastic money around the world in that form of the game and still represent their country.

They all know if they want to be successful test match cricketers they would have to dedicate a lot of time and energy to improving in that form of the game when what they really need to do to maximize their income is make even more improvements in the shorter forms of the game. It is the players that are making these choices and I can understand why. If they had made great initial impacts to test match cricket then things may well be different. Wood is a slightly different case (like Plunkett) in that the rigours of playing all 3 formats is more the problem.
 
Maybe and Vince isn't a selection I would have made in a million years, however England had got themselves into a position where there were massive risks behind every batting selection bar Cook and Root. Vince was nowhere near good enough but I can't honestly say hand on heart that we had the options available that would have done better (or significantly better) than Vince with his 80 odd and 50 odd against that bowling in those conditions. We will of course never know.

I mean, we can't know, Malan did well for example, and I doubt many called for him.

I just think the Vince selection was really unfair, and a kick in the teeth for a lot of county players who probably have out performed him for years
 
I mean, we can't know, Malan did well for example, and I doubt many called for him.

I just think the Vince selection was really unfair, and a kick in the teeth for a lot of county players who probably have out performed him for years

Yes from that perspective you are definitely right.
 
Yes from that perspective you are definitely right.
I think he's right about Malan too. I had him marked down as a orthodox good county player. He wouldn't have been a Test pick for me and he definitely wouldn't have been a white ball pick but he's been surprisingly great in all forms.
 
I think he's right about Malan too. I had him marked down as a orthodox good county player. He wouldn't have been a Test pick for me and he definitely wouldn't have been a white ball pick but he's been surprisingly great in all forms.

I really like the lad, seem him a bit at Middlesex and he looked good but surprised he has done well, he looked unreal in the 20/20s, through the off side.

I think he did well in the Ashes, although it's been exaggerated slightly, didn't he average less than Root?

But he looks like he should be around for a few years, although it will be harder for him on pitches where the ball isn't coming on the bat

There are lads out there, you just need to keep trying and chopping and changing. I don't like this mentality in the media where its "we have tried everyone, sometimes you have to just stick with someone". Just not true, we haven't even tried that many

Pick someone, if they don't perform, choose someone else. Don't waste 12 tests on someone.
 
I really like the lad, seem him a bit at Middlesex and he looked good but surprised he has done well, he looked unreal in the 20/20s, through the off side.

I think he did well in the Ashes, although it's been exaggerated slightly, didn't he average less than Root?

But he looks like he should be around for a few years, although it will be harder for him on pitches where the ball isn't coming on the bat

There are lads out there, you just need to keep trying and chopping and changing. I don't like this mentality in the media where its "we have tried everyone, sometimes you have to just stick with someone". Just not true, we haven't even tried that many

Pick someone, if they don't perform, choose someone else. Don't waste 12 tests on someone.

I don't agree with that like. For me you have to take great care in selection and genuinely pick players that you feel have the best technique and mentality for test cricket and trust them. Dropping them after 3 or 4 tests and trying someone else who you had deemed a few weeks ago as not as good isn't the right way to go IMO. Its what we did during our darkest times in the past.
 
I don't agree with that like. For me you have to take great care in selection and genuinely pick players that you feel have the best technique and mentality for test cricket and trust them. Dropping them after 3 or 4 tests and trying someone else who you had deemed a few weeks ago as not as good isn't the right way to go IMO. Its what we did during our darkest times in the past.

Where did I say 3 or 5 tests?

So you think we should be giving players 12 tests?

Also where did I say recalling players?

Try someone new

The selection policy has been very poor the last few years, we have wasted summers and big series by just sticking with lads who clearly aren't good enough

Would you keep picking a bowler if he was taking no wickets?

Its one think I agree with Vaughan about, it seems harder to get dropped than to get picked
 
Where did I say 3 or 5 tests?

So you think we should be giving players 12 tests?

Also where did I say recalling players?

Try someone new

The selection policy has been very poor the last few years, we have wasted summers and big series by just sticking with lads who clearly aren't good enough

Would you keep picking a bowler if he was taking no wickets?

Its one think I agree with Vaughan about, it seems harder to get dropped than to get picked

Well if 10 is too long it seems a reasonable assumption. Also no need to get aggressive - it ends your being your undoing on here. I made my point clearly and I felt reasonably in the previous post and I stand by every word. Agree to disagree - move on.

Also I never mentioned recalling players either. What I said was if you choose player A ahead of player B it should be done with great care, you should believe that the player you have chosen has the edge in the key areas of technique and mental strength. In my view shifting that player A out in place of player B without the player who you have judged as being better without giving him a really good opportunity is wrong.

You disagree - I respect your opinion.
 
The counties don't give a toss about championship cricket either.
Think Northampton and Leics. they have based their cricket 'strategy' on the T20 competition and now the new comp comes along from which they get only money and more than that will diminish the competition they are concentrating on. They'll get nothing except a cheque, soulless. You have to fear for them.
 
Well if 10 is too long it seems a reasonable assumption. Also no need to get aggressive - it ends your being your undoing on here. I made my point clearly and I felt reasonably in the previous post and I stand by every word. Agree to disagree - move on.

Also I never mentioned recalling players either. What I said was if you choose player A ahead of player B it should be done with great care, you should believe that the player you have chosen has the edge in the key areas of technique and mental strength. In my view shifting that player A out in place of player B without the player who you have judged as being better without giving him a really good opportunity is wrong.

You disagree - I respect your opinion.

Really wasn't trying to be aggressive or out

Think 10 tests its too much like, its how you end up with James Vince at 3 in an Ashes series
 
Think Northampton and Leics. they have based their cricket 'strategy' on the T20 competition and now the new comp comes along from which they get only money and more than that will diminish the competition they are concentrating on. They'll get nothing except a cheque, soulless. You have to fear for them.
It's about putting the effort in for the counties. Too easy to bang on about T20 as people turn up regardless. With the CC, you have to make it attractive and relevant. We've discussed letting groups of schoolkids in for a couple of hours during the day, letting them have fun on the outfield during lunch, free hot dog and chips, meeting some players, giving them a tour etc etc. All involve time and resources.
 

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