England in South Africa - red ball



No one is saying he is better

the argument is that one has failed consistently, the other hasn’t yet. And has potential

And I didn’t say anyone did say he was better just they would rather have him in the squad than Bairstow

And that is what selections are about making them decisions, whether you think a player has the capability to turn around his form, or whether you think someone with potential would be better in the long term

I am saying is that imo, if I was selector I would still pick Bairstow for the squad which they have done, because replacement options are very limited imo.
In past years with better options, the way he has peformed like you said in the last 2 years would mean he would not make the squad, however currently don’t think better options.
 
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Wood selected despite being unfit and Bairstow back in after no red ball games :lol:

It's almost like a members club at times.
If Buttler gets injured, they'll probably persist with Pope as WK as if to prove a point to Bairstow
Bairstow will probably come back in as an opener if Sibley fails then they'll pick a half fit Wood and a half fit Stokes and wonder why we end up 120 all out with 2.5 fit bowlers

SMith and Taylor need binning
 
If Buttler gets injured, they'll probably persist with Pope as WK as if to prove a point to Bairstow
Bairstow will probably come back in as an opener if Sibley fails then they'll pick a half fit Wood and a half fit Stokes and wonder why we end up 120 all out with 2.5 fit bowlers

SMith and Taylor need binning
The coach and captain pick the team on tour generally. Not the selectors
 
The coach and captain pick the team on tour generally. Not the selectors
But the selectors pick the squad

Picking Bairstow is a joke - he was dropped for poor form in test cricket. He has played zero red ball games since. Why recall him?
Wood isn't even fit, yet he's in the squad (FWIW I think he's about 6 months away from retiring from red ball to concentrate on white ball cricket)
 
But the selectors pick the squad

Picking Bairstow is a joke - he was dropped for poor form in test cricket. He has played zero red ball games since. Why recall him?
Wood isn't even fit, yet he's in the squad (FWIW I think he's about 6 months away from retiring from red ball to concentrate on white ball cricket)

He is recalled because the selectors are of the opinion, he is good enough to be in the squad taking into account all the players available to choose from and I agree with them.
 
Who would be your starting 11 for the first test from those fit?

To me picking Wood is a bigger concern than Bairstow. At least the latter will be available for all tests. There's not even any guarantee that Wood will be available for any.
 
He is recalled because the selectors are of the opinion, he is good enough to be in the squad taking into account all the players available to choose from and I agree with them.
So what has changed since the NZ series and now? He was (rightly) dropped for poor form dating back over 12 months.
Who would be your starting 11 for the first test from those fit?

To me picking Wood is a bigger concern than Bairstow. At least the latter will be available for all tests. There's not even any guarantee that Wood will be available for any.
Burns
Sibley
Denly
Root (c)
Stokes
Pope
Buttler
Curran
Archer
Broad
Anderson


Sounds as though there is nothing inthe SA pitches for a spinner, Certainly not a finger spiner
 
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If Buttler gets injured, they'll probably persist with Pope as WK as if to prove a point to Bairstow
Bairstow will probably come back in as an opener if Sibley fails then they'll pick a half fit Wood and a half fit Stokes and wonder why we end up 120 all out with 2.5 fit bowlers

SMith and Taylor need binning
I’m probably Bairstows biggest critic. But Foakes hasn’t had a great year either so I get the logic

Wood is an additional seamer, doubt he will play even if fit
 
Fuck, look at that top 6 and think back to the days we had Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen & Bell.....
I’m probably Bairstows biggest critic. But Foakes hasn’t had a great year either so I get the logic

Wood is an additional seamer, doubt he will play even if fit
If the logic IS that he needed some time out of the team, then they should have taken him to NZ as backup keeper. Playing Pope at 7 was a joke in the last test. Typical muddled selection from england
 
Fuck, look at that top 6 and think back to the days we had Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen & Bell.....

If the logic IS that he needed some time out of the team, then they should have taken him to NZ as backup keeper. Playing Pope at 7 was a joke in the last test. Typical muddled selection from england
Won’t find me disagreeing there
 
So what has changed since the NZ series and now? He was (rightly) dropped for poor form dating back over 12 months.

Burns
Sibley
Denly
Root (c)
Stokes
Pope
Buttler
Curran
Archer
Broad
Anderson


Sounds as though there is nothing inthe SA pitches for a spinner, Certainly not a finger spiner

Nothing has changed, think he is good enough to get in the squad, and although he didn’t perform well over the last 12 months, nobody bar Stokes and Burns to a certain extent performed well against a exceptional Aussie bowling attack.

The bottom line for me is when you look at the best seven or eight test batsman in this country I would say Bairstow is in that top seven or eight.

I think you right about how bad our top 6 is compared to previous years and that is the reason Bairstow should be in the squad, in the era you mentioned he would be no where near it.
 
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Nothing has changed, think he is good enough to get in the squad, and although he didn’t perform well over the last 12 months, nobody bar Stokes and Burns to a certain extent performed well against a exceptional Aussie bowling attack.

The bottom line for me is when you look at the best seven or eight test batsman in this country I would say Bairstow is in that top seven or eight.
More than 12 months

 
More than 12 months



Yeah fair enough, but doesn’t change my view that in a sub standard era for English batsman, he is good enough to male the current squad.

Of course there is arguments the other way which I respect but in my opinion he is good enough to make the squad.

Like I said in previous eras he would not be good enough to make it
 
I wouldn't disagree with that. It's just an odd decision to recall him based on no cricket....

Hey ho, let's see what Dec/Jan brings

Yeah they certainly don’t help themselves dropping someone then picking them again with no cricket in between.

Me I just think with the other options we have got,he should not have been dropped in the first place.

That is probably a sad state of affairs that we have not got the quailty replacements to replace somebody like Bairstow who has no doubt performed under par, but that’s where we are with our batsman in the country at the moment.
 
I wouldn't disagree with that. It's just an odd decision to recall him based on no cricket....

Hey ho, let's see what Dec/Jan brings

I think we have a good chance of winning this series. SA cricket is in turmoil off the pitch and on it they’ve lost De Villiers, Amla, Steyn and Morkel in recent years with no real quality players coming through to replace them. Aside from Elgar, Du Plessis, De Kock, Philander and Rabada their squad is pretty weak now
 
Bairstow's technical flaws have been brutally exposed over the last two years or so. His lack of game time since being dropped for this very reason should have meant that he wasn't considered for this tour either. In a nutshell, if he's good enough to go to SA, then he was good enough to go to NZ & vice versa.
 
Bairstow's technical flaws have been brutally exposed over the last two years or so. His lack of game time since being dropped for this very reason should have meant that he wasn't considered for this tour either. In a nutshell, if he's good enough to go to SA, then he was good enough to go to NZ & vice versa.

You could argue he's been acclimatising in SA. He's been out there for weeks.
 

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