columbo70
Midfield
Thought of another one
......get a bowling machine to bowl left arm over lol
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Ashes Inquest
- Thread starter scotch
- Start date
......get a bowling machine to bowl left arm over lol
Herr Lipp
Central Defender
Really interesting on one of the podcast, might have been Cook, talking about how he doesn't believe there is a high performance mentality in the team.
He said that even things such as pre-match the Australians are having intense warm-up, catching practice etc. where England aren't to been seen. Pretty damning indictment from an ex-pro that even the basics aren't happening.
I think it needs a fresh leadership team, Stokes looked burnt out at times and although he can put in the odd big performance, tactically we are a bit all over the place. His body can't take it anymore and I don't think you can rely on him to be consistently fit. Leadership is about getting your team through the tough moments and under Stokes we have consistently failed in the big moments.
I highly doubt McCullum will adapt and therefore has to go, we just won't win big series playing Baz Ball.
Feel for players like Smith and Jacks. You don't play those shots unless you are told to, there is having a positive mentality, but I just can't see those players playing those shots in a parallel universe where there is no McCullum. Take the brain farts out and silly shots, Smith probably makes a decent average at 7 this series. Brook likely averages over 50.
The ECB needs to address the lack of quality red ball players coming through. How Bashir and Jacks are the best spinners in the country just can't be true.
He said that even things such as pre-match the Australians are having intense warm-up, catching practice etc. where England aren't to been seen. Pretty damning indictment from an ex-pro that even the basics aren't happening.
I think it needs a fresh leadership team, Stokes looked burnt out at times and although he can put in the odd big performance, tactically we are a bit all over the place. His body can't take it anymore and I don't think you can rely on him to be consistently fit. Leadership is about getting your team through the tough moments and under Stokes we have consistently failed in the big moments.
I highly doubt McCullum will adapt and therefore has to go, we just won't win big series playing Baz Ball.
Feel for players like Smith and Jacks. You don't play those shots unless you are told to, there is having a positive mentality, but I just can't see those players playing those shots in a parallel universe where there is no McCullum. Take the brain farts out and silly shots, Smith probably makes a decent average at 7 this series. Brook likely averages over 50.
The ECB needs to address the lack of quality red ball players coming through. How Bashir and Jacks are the best spinners in the country just can't be true.
The Breen Machine
Striker
The county game is not the problem, the scheduling is, the lack of availability of the test players is and the culture within the set up is.
TallPaul
Midfield
You know that John Crawley is not Zak's dad, right?
Aidan11
Striker
His father is carpet fitter turned multi-millionaire Terry Crawley. A very good friend and golf buddy of Mr Key.
Waverley
Central Defender
Cook, I think is the most insightful of the group the current captain has dismissed as has beens.
On top of his stellar playing career, he comes across as thoughtful and engaging.
The current incumbents should be ******* ashamed.
Thunder Road
Midfield
Let's be honest, some of the players we have in county cricket aren't that good and don't prepare our best players for test cricket.
I don't mind genuine international stars getting contracts here as that can actually help develop our players but I hate it when average players come over and add nothing to our game.
Those very short term contracts are shit for player development aswell!
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England weren’t doing ground fielding practice at all. They used to have a stump with a net behind to throw at, but they gave that up. They don’t even have a fielding coach anymore.
Yeah i get that. I don’t know what the answer is.
Well for starters, it’s not playing the championship in April and late September as an afterthought
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VenisonsMullet
Central Defender
No. Never has been. Nothing will ever change in that respect. Country cricket used to be so relentless that it promoted 75mph trundlers over 90mph pacers. Now it's been shoved to the side, where Counties don't pick spinners because the majority of games are played at the start and end of the summer. None of the international players play for their counties, there's no meritocracy when it comes to test selection, so why would any young English (or Welsh) player want to forge a career at county level? Australia have it so right, we have it so wrong.
Thunder Road
Midfield
The scheduling of our CC games is shit. Everyone can see it but the problem is, the other competitions bring in more money.
What is the ECB's priority?
Having the best possible test side or money?
VenisonsMullet
Central Defender
The weird thing is that at the start of Bazball, they went old school with the selection of Leach - he can't bat or field, but he's a steady finger spinner who cam hold an end and will take wickets on a helpful pitch - very unbazball. Then, for some reason they decided that wasn't funky enough so picked some kid they saw on YouTube, bigged him up for 2 years before dropping him and making him unselectable.
There has to be a balance. For me, finding standard times to play would help. I’m a Surrey member these days and I lose track. And don’t have time off on weekends and bank holidays at the height of summer
Thunder Road
Midfield
I completely agree!
3 divisions of 6.
Play everyone 3 times, 1 game at home, 1 game away and the other game at a neutral venue.
The venue of that neutral game to be taken over by the ECB so they can prepare the pitch to match* the type of pitch you'd expect to see in the next overseas tour.
*As close as humanly possible
I just want rid of the Hundred!
Put more into the T20 Blast and that gives us extra time to create a better schedule.
It'll never be perfect but it can be better
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The Hundred will become a 2nd IPL effectively with probably same number of English players as present IPL. So CC games could be played in August albeit on out grounds and/or a much stronger 1day competition. Win,win.I completely agree!
3 divisions of 6.
Play everyone 3 times, 1 game at home, 1 game away and the other game at a neutral venue.
The venue of that neutral game to be taken over by the ECB so they can prepare the pitch to match* the type of pitch you'd expect to see in the next overseas tour.
*As close as humanly possible
I just want rid of the Hundred!
Put more into the T20 Blast and that gives us extra time to create a better schedule.
It'll never be perfect but it can be better
Thunder Road
Midfield
I'd love that for the Blast rather than a competition that nobody else plays though
GordonMuchallNo1Fan
Striker
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Provider
Striker
I've being saying this for years and years. It's a nightmare trying to follow both domestic and international cricket nowadays because of the sheer number of games and the scattergun approach to scheduling.
It was a nightmare in 2019 and the ECB thought it was a good idea to add another competition into the mix.
IMO, we're never going to challenge the top nations in red ball or white ball cricket while The Hundred exists.
The one Englishman whose reputation has been enhanced in Oz is Stuart Broard, he was very well received as part of the channel 7 commentary team
smoker
Striker
I think Butcher hit the nail on the head: the purpose of a spinner in a team with four fast bowlers, in non turning consitions, is to hold down an end and build pressure. Despite his lack of wicket taking threat - Dawson is the most consistently economical bowler in county cricket.
Long term Farhan Ahmed looks destined to be England spinner, but he's only 17.
Paddy O'Dors
Striker
Need to have a zero tolerance for alcohol on overseas tours. How hard is it for a professional sportsman to go 6 weeks without a beer ffs?
Preparations need to be much much better. We did get marginally better for the last two tests which I don't think was any coincidence.
Need to get rid of the 'undroppable' culture anarl.
FWIW it's the first Ashes tour down under I've had no interest in since the late 70s. I only watched two days highlights of the whole series and that cos I stumbled across them on the iPlayer. I guessed how it was gonna play out and thowt there was nee way I was knackering my sleep/days up for nowt. Be interesting to see what the telly viewing figures are, the one-sided way it's gone must be more and more of a switch off for people. Gonna be tougher and tougher to get anyone to pay for the rights.
Preparations need to be much much better. We did get marginally better for the last two tests which I don't think was any coincidence.
Need to get rid of the 'undroppable' culture anarl.
FWIW it's the first Ashes tour down under I've had no interest in since the late 70s. I only watched two days highlights of the whole series and that cos I stumbled across them on the iPlayer. I guessed how it was gonna play out and thowt there was nee way I was knackering my sleep/days up for nowt. Be interesting to see what the telly viewing figures are, the one-sided way it's gone must be more and more of a switch off for people. Gonna be tougher and tougher to get anyone to pay for the rights.
