1st Test England v Pakistan, Lord's 14-18 July

[backfootpunch]

Looks like

Cook
hales
root
Vince
ballance
bairstow
stokes
woakes
rashid
broad
jimmy

Can't see why they would call up adil then not pick him

Moeen and fInn should have been sent back to there counties

Finn and ball were probably kept in for injury cover just in case

[Dr Cricket]

TBH you would only keep one of them for injury cover considering england are playing at home and can call the players up at short notice.
You would only keep both of ball and Finn if you think one of them should play at old trafford or if Anderson and Stokes are still not fit enough to bowl in the Test.

Think Ali in the squad just incase they play 2 spinner and with Pakistan having 3 left arm pace bowlers an off spinner is quite useful although Ali is not performing with the ball or the bat.

Think Ball and Finn selection is interesting since it does suggest selectors are still not sure on Anderson and Stokes.

Edit suppose it also backs up the claim they may drop one of the batsman and pick 6 bowlers IE this

Cook
Hales
Root
Vince/Ballance
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Ali
Broad
Finn/Rashid
Anderson

Although not really a fan of that team, too may bit and pieces cricketers.

[hopeforthebest]

Keeping one extra bowler is normal two is rather odd unless two bowlers are doubtful. Anderson and Stokes still????? It maybe that they're waiting for the medics to give the all clear after their (considerable) exertions this week. I feel sorry for Rashid as his bowling will be judged in direct comparison to Yasir Shah.

[captaincolly]

Keeping one extra bowler is normal two is rather odd unless two bowlers are doubtful. Anderson and Stokes still????? It maybe that they're waiting for the medisto givethe all clear after their (considerable) exertions this week. I feel sorry for Rashid as his bowling will be judged in direct comparison to Yasir Shah.

Ball apparently has a slight niggle.

[Dr Cricket]

Can't remember which person didn't believe Bayliss or the ECB coaches as access to all the county games and can watches every player he wants when ever he wants.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2016 ... ngland-sh/

They can see every ball a batsman has faced or bowler has bowled on their laptop through the cameras the ECB sets up at every championship match. On Sunday Trevor Bayliss would have been able to go on his ipad and watch the double hundred Aneurin Donald smashed for Glamorgan that day.

He can then ring the coaches at Glamorgan or send one of the specialist Loughborough coaches to go and watch him.

They also have plenty of opportunity to judge players when they are with the Lions squad and through the player pathway programme. It is an excellent set up giving the Loughborough coaches a chance to judge a player with their own eyes.

[bigfluffylemon]

I thought Stokes wouldn't be fit.

Vince can't have much longer. I guess the selectors were intending to give him a run all summer, but if England don't win at OT and he doesn't perform again, the calls for change will be too loud to ignore. The only saving grace is that there is no obvious outstanding candidate to replace him?

Robson? Already tried and failed
Borthwick? Having a decent season, but not outstanding
Northeast? Form player of the summer, no doubt, and had a good 2015, could be in with a shout, but hasn't even been near the Lions suggesting that England don't have him in their sights.
Bell-Drummond? Looks to have a lot of potential, but it's a bit early for him

[Arthur Crabtree]

You hear the quote from Bayliss mentioned quite often, about preferring to risk a chance too many, rather than one too few. Maybe they'll hold off change. Though if England lose the next match, that's the series.

Maybe Northeast and DBD need to get CC1 counties.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not sure Robson failed that much.

[bigfluffylemon]

Not sure Robson failed that much.

In retrospect, perhaps not, at least compared to other opening partners that have been tried for Cook since Strauss left the scene. And hey, people improve, just look at Woakes. But somehow I don't see the England selectors looking back to him - they'll probably give someone else the chance to prove themselves. Giving someone a second try usually requires evidence of substantial improvement and Robson's CC performances this year don't suggest that he's any better than when England last looked at him.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Robson's been a heavy scorer this season. Admittedly, mostly early season. But he's averaging 60 for the summer.

[hopeforthebest]

You hear the quote from Bayliss mentioned quite often, about preferring to risk a chance too many, rather than one too few. Maybe they'll hold off change. Though if England lose the next match, that's the series.

Maybe Northeast and DBD need to get CC1 counties.

Just signed new contract with Kent.

[Dr Cricket]

TBH not a fan of players moving counties to get a test sport, since it create an imbalance in the county scene which in turn makes the selectors, coaches question performances in Div 2, especially when performances in the county circuit is not 100 percent required to get selected since the players could be just picked on lions, loughbourough and Bayliss/Cook seeing the guy in the nets.

in the ideal world they shouldn't be much difference between the two division especially since barring international games the counties generally make the same amount of money in the season, unlike football or other sports divisional systems.

Personally don't think the standard between div 1 and 2 not that big really, the only big difference is the depth in the squad Div 1 teams generally can cope with the schedule and got more number of quality bowlers and batsman.
If the gap is as big like people think it is then Div 2 teams wouldn't do well in Blast or one day cups like they do now, their is probably 3-4 teams in Div 2 that are better than some teams in div 1 at White ball cricket.
looking at the current Div 1 tables and Middlesex not that great in white ball cricket seen them couple of time this season at lords and haven't really got a team that would go far in white ball cricket, lancashire and Yorkshire struggling this season as well and Hampshire, Somerset been struggling as well.

[Arthur Crabtree]

The scenario where the promoted county goes straight back down or struggles, which is the norm, suggests a difference in quality between the divisions. Obviously this is just in fc cricket. The top division was supposed to be stronger, with more concentrated talent to lessen the step up to international cricket. Players do report a difference in standards between CC1&2. Shame for supporters of CC2 teams, but most England players do come from CC1 teams.

As Colin Graves said of KP when he scored a triple century in an effort to get his England place back- you'd think he's get himself a first division county.

[hopeforthebest]

I think the quality of the bowling attacks is the most marked. I thought a comment I heard from a Worcester commentator was spot on. He said in div2 once the two opening bowlers have had a stint, the following bowlers are not so good whereas in Div1 when the first bowlers have finished the following bowlers are most often equally dangerous. This means batsmen are constantly under greater pressure.

[Dr Cricket]

Spot on hope, the depth of bowlers is the biggest difference.

Arthur that is lot of hogwash really considering lancashire won county championship and then relegated.
The great yorkshire got relegated, promoted, champions, champions.
the only reason for that myth was because few smaller counties got promoted from div 2 whereas the stronger div 2 teams chose to concentrate on White ball cricket.
Essex, kent, Surrey and few other team probably didn't get promoted because they rested players or concentrated on T20, 50 where they would make more money or are money likely to win trophies.

Derbyshire went from div 1 to being the 2nd worse county in a few years, all this really suggest the gap isn't that big to actively tell people to move counties to get picked for england which all it does is widen the gap and not reduce it.

Sussex are mid table in div 2 and they were expected to get promoted easily 2 season ago they were close to winning the county championship.