Roy in

[TopCat]

He’d have to bat 5-6 really, and it’s an area we are strong with Stokes, Buttler, Bairstow etc.

I can’t see it even if I see the captaincy logic

Same. It might be an emergency appointment if the first 2 tests go wrong and Root packs the job in but yeah, highly unlikely

Unless he can bat 3?

 

[mackembhoy]

Was Denly not an opener for years at Kent? I thought he got into the England setup all them years ago as an opener.

Anyway obviously it will be Burns and Roy.

 

[SuperMarcoRowell]

I wonder if Ed Smith has given any thought to bringing Morgan back into the test team. I know he has a modest record but so did Mike Brearley

I said exactly the same things a few months ago. Joe for me is nowhere near as good as Morgan however I suppose Morgan had a specific brief with specific players which is what Root will be working on now and I suspect even if England lose he’ll still not be replaced.

 

[rentaghost]

It really isn't mind. Don't get that opinion at all tbh. Just look at the stats man ffs. No one has posted consistently worse posts in the last year than The Rat.

Just find your opinion really odd mind

The most embarrassing cricket forum posts (and I cant remember who they were from) was the piss taking of Bairstow every time he got bowled while at the same time he had the best average, strike rate and most runs out of every England batsmen in the last 18 months. Missing the point that whether you are out bowled, LBW, caught at slip is hardly 'hilarious' when you are scoring more runs than everyone else

 

[Steak Pie]

Root seems more stressed as captain, maybe the job isn't for him.

By comparision, if you look at Morgan as captain, he's an island of calm, fully in charge and has a strategy. Exactly what you want in a leader. I don't see anything like that with root, I think he'll be far happier as simply a player.

But mind Buttler is on record as saying he didn't understand the dynamics of red ball cricket. Maybe he's learnt over the past 3 years.

Go back a few years on this forum and Morgan was being dismissed as a clueless captain and should be dropped.

It's almost as if thinking longer term has some benefits.

 

[SuperMarcoRowell]

I really like Bairstow he strikes the ball sweeter than anyone else in the game and he is a fine keeper, I’m sure his Dad would have approved!

Strange isn’t it that Buttler bats and keeps wicket in ODIs and the roles are reversed with Bairstow for the tests but both are in the team.

 

[Bri]

Go back a few years on this forum and Morgan was being dismissed as a clueless captain and should be dropped.

It's almost as if thinking longer term has some benefits.

I've always said captaincy or leadership is a skill like any other. It can be learnt but there also needs to be aptitude. Let's face it Root got the job because he's a great batsman.

 

[Ageing trundler]

I've always said captaincy or leadership is a skill like any other. It can be learnt but there also needs to be aptitude. Let's face it Root got the job because he's a great batsman.

Spot on. The thing these days is that very few test captains get the chance to lead their counties either before or during their international career. Counties, quite legitimately, are reluctant to give the job to a young player who will get an England contract in a couple of years time. Mistakes made at county level are much more low key.

 

[The Breen Machine]

Root should be batting 3, I could understand if we had a fairly solid option there but we don't. Smith and Williamson bat 3 for their countries with huge success, Root could replicate that.

Wood and Archer's injuries have at least meant I can drop Moeen from the line-up.

Burns
Roy
Denly
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Broad
Leach
Anderson

 

[Steak Pie]

Root should be batting 3, I could understand if we had a fairly solid option there but we don't. Smith and Williamson bat 3 for their countries with huge success, Root could replicate that.

Smith bats at 4, as does Kohli.

 

[The Breen Machine]

Smith bats at 4, as does Kohli.

Smith was batting 3 before his ban wasn't he? Either way, both have decent options ahead of them in Khawaja and Pujara, Root has Joe Denly.

 

[Steak Pie]

I've always said captaincy or leadership is a skill like any other. It can be learnt but there also needs to be aptitude. Let's face it Root got the job because he's a great batsman.

Bit more to it than that though, probably more that he was a cool head and was a fixture in the team. Not many other options at the time either.

Smith was batting 3 before his ban wasn't he? Either way, both have decent options ahead of them in Khawaja and Pujara, Root has Joe Denly.

Nope.

 

[The Breen Machine]

Bit more to it than that though, probably more that he was a cool head and was a fixture in the team. Not many other options at the time either.



Nope.

He averages 67 batting at 3, from 29 innings so he's had a decent spell there.

 

[TheRey]

I still don’t think captaincy is for Root. I’d much rather he just focused on his batting. I would though have Roy in at 3, Root 4, Bairstow 5, then stokes butler Ali Archer Broad and Anderson. Opening is a problem but I think Burns deserves a chance as he was the least crap of the ones we’ve tried and didn’t fail majestically. Other opening spot I wouldn’t be returning to the same filth roundabout we usually do - and would disregard Jennings, hameed, robson, balance, etc as they’ve had their chance. Pick some kid in the lions and stick with them for a while, literally cannot be worse than the others on rotation, or go back to Rocky

Rocky is absolutely shot unfortunately, would be cruel to put him in.

 

[Salem Street South]

Root should be batting 3, I could understand if we had a fairly solid option there but we don't. Smith and Williamson bat 3 for their countries with huge success, Root could replicate that.

Wood and Archer's injuries have at least meant I can drop Moeen from the line-up.

Burns
Roy
Denly
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Broad
Leach
Anderson

Why you dropping Mo? He went off the boil in the WC, but he's like that, bit of a hot and cold cricketer IMO. On his day, he's a match winner and he'd be in my side every time (more or less).

Although Smith's alleged weakness against left arm orthodox does make Leach interesting.

Also, who you giving the gloves to? If Buttler that's fine, however, if Bairstow, then he bats 7 for me, Buttler 5.

Can't have a keeper and all rounder above a specialist batsman in the order, again IMO.

I'd be very keen on Buttler at 5 as captain and a specialist batsman I reckon, and Root at 3.

edit. Buttler 4, not 5.

 

[TravellingMackem]

Rocky is absolutely shot unfortunately, would be cruel to put him in.

Put Jimmy in to open, as a “night watchman” role to see off the new ball and have Leach and Mo. Cannot do worse than the merry go round of openers we’ve had and would hopefully block a few out to protect the middle order better than the knackers we’ve tried

 

[Salem Street South]

Said it before, I wouldn't be averse to seeing Sam Curran up the order either.

 

[The Breen Machine]

Why you dropping Mo? He went off the boil in the WC, but he's like that, bit of a hot and cold cricketer IMO. On his day, he's a match winner and he'd be in my side every time (more or less).

Although Smith's alleged weakness against left arm orthodox does make Leach interesting.

Also, who you giving the gloves to? If Buttler that's fine, however, if Bairstow, then he bats 7 for me, Buttler 5.

Can't have a keeper and all rounder above a specialist batsman in the order, again IMO.

I'd be very keen on Buttler at 5 as captain and a specialist batsman I reckon, and Root at 3.

edit. Buttler 4, not 5.

He's totally out of form, he actually only averages 22 with the bat in tests in his last 21 test matches dating back to 2017. I know that his bowling in that time has been pretty solid but he looked out of form completely during the World Cup and I'd like to see Leach given the opportunity as a front line spinner. I think he's likely to be more capable of holding an end up than Moeen too in order for our seamers to be more attacking with the bowling and field placings. The only issue would be when Archer and possibly Wood both return it leaves us with a long tail as presumably Woakes will make way for one of them, but for now Leach should play IMO and Ali is dropped.

Not fussed on who keeps as they are both fine, would stick my neck out and say Buttler if I had to as I think he'll offer more coming in lower in the order and batting with the tail.

 

[Salem Street South]

He's totally out of form, he actually only averages 22 with the bat in tests in his last 21 test matches dating back to 2017. I know that his bowling in that time has been pretty solid but he looked out of form completely during the World Cup and I'd like to see Leach given the opportunity as a front line spinner. I think he's likely to be more capable of holding an end up than Moeen too in order for our seamers to be more attacking with the bowling and field placings. The only issue would be when Archer and possibly Wood both return it leaves us with a long tail as presumably Woakes will make way for one of them, but for now Leach should play IMO and Ali is dropped.

Not fussed on who keeps as they are both fine, would stick my neck out and say Buttler if I had to as I think he'll offer more coming in lower in the order and batting with the tail.

Fair points regarding Mo's form and the long tail, however he's got enough credit in the bank for me to be rightfully ahead of Leach for now.

As I say though, he's a very hot and cold type and I'd back him to come back into form at some point this summer, which could easily end up winning us a game.

I prefer Bairstow keeping and batting 7 with the tail as I, and I suspect he, believe it is what his game is more suited to.

 

[Steak Pie]

He averages 67 batting at 3, from 29 innings so he's had a decent spell there.

And in the 70s at 4, where he's batted the most and the vast majority since he's been captain.

Root's form fell off a cliff when he was captaining at 3, and it's no co-incidence that the majority of top class batsman/captains have gone in at 4. Purely psychological probably, or maybe it's as simple as just giving him 10 minutes before he has to put his pads on, but there you go.

We've been through this before though, and with Bairstow before that. You move people around to try and solve a problem, you end up not solving it and creating another. 4/5/6/7/8 are sound, leave 'em alone.