sussexpob wrote:Adi wrote:Is that because Footbal is now number 1 sport in your country ? that the Cricket loss and horrible batting averages of specialist batters are getting ignored. I can't imagine what Indian cricketers with average of 23, 27 and 33 will have to go through if he is selected even in squad, lest the playing 11.
The whole England setup is about justifying its large salary's than making honest and tough decisions. At some point, Ali was picked left field to bowl spin and that decision is still trying to be justified as he trotts out every game, while Leech is overcoming all kinds of obstacles, but climbs a mountain to find another one staring at his face.
Flower made a decision that Leech wasnt good enough. So we now have to wait 2-4 years for there to be a soft cover up of that decision, and for it to be presented not as a failure of Flower's eye, but for Flower to be responsibile for all his positive maturity in the game. So with every passing county season, Lions tour etc, Flower will throw a soundbite about Leech "really improving", when his county average is steady. Once enough water is under the bridge the decision will be reversed and repacked as a Flower masterstroke. Flower created him in his lab. And while that process is going on, England will pick an inferior spinner to save face. Thats what its become.
Most probably, Leech will get picked after Crane has another 10 caps to fail. Then the accompanying narrative of Mason "not really being capable of learning those lessons he was taught" will be leaked to the press, and Leech will get a chance.
And so it goes.....
Remember when Hameed had every England fan talking about him like they were witnessing a 16 year old Sachin? For all the development speeches we get from Herr Director, about player pathways etc, I wonder what part says pick a teenager, let him go to the toughest away tour to the planet and average 40 while showing mental application in a disaster series, then never pick him again after he fails in a few county games.
England are like a cancer patient that reject chemotherapy, and instead double down on heavy drinking and 40 a day smoking habit.
Haseeb Hameed did his job in India well imo, even though it was his first international tour here. He has ability to stay till the ball gets old enough to say that the opener has survived it till it got old enough for middle order batsmen. His technique was good. He also had second line of defense for some deliveries. Temperament was there to see. Yes he did not punish couple of full tosses but so what. He has not yet stayed on wicket like Cook or Chet or Virat or Rahul or Sachin but he has shown he can be least bothered about being bored of following the monotonous pattern of keeping an eye on ball, judging the line and length, leaving it. Only in cases it was a rank bad ball he punished it, which is what Chet does. To me he showed the test match requisites. I know his SR was also like that of Chet. One has to remember that the whole Indian dressing room smiled and joked when Chet took the first run against SA in recent test series after playing 54 dot balls in 3rd test. Team India knows how valuable it is even though at times he has been asked to score fast in test matches since Virat became captain. There is nothing wrong to waste 9 overs if a batsman like Chet or Cook or Haseeb Hameed scores nothing in those. When such players get set they will make opponent bowl 180 overs. The middle order can still milk most of the 180 overs against a tired pace attack and old ball. With the flashy expansive batsmen like Mark, James, Ben, Jonny, Dawid there has to be someone in team around which an innings has to built. Someone who can stay for 400 or more balls on his day. At least one such batsman is required. England need that. India have Chet and Virat. SA had Amla for most part of his career and now Elgar is trying to be the sticky batsman. Aussies had Clarke and now Smith. England need someone once Cook stops staying 400+ balls. I am in no way saying Haseeb is next Chet,Virat,Sachin,Amla,Cook ,Clarke type long inning player. But he imo is surely the player with immense temperament with a huge value on his wicket. I don't see James, Dawid, Ben, Jonny survive for 400 balls or so. But Haseeb shows that he has temperament and can be one player who can stay not out for a day or more.He might not actually do it but still the average of 43 that too in home of India and Team India's peak was an achievement. Surely he did better than what other have. I would like to see him play again. Drop him if he flops , that is understandable. But a selector really drops someone with an average of 43 on his first tour that too given the adverse conditions and a home team at it peak. And if that 43 is not good how suddenly 24, 27, 34 is acceptable ?
India Series:
Test 1: 31 and 82 runs (82 and 177 balls)
Test 2: 13 and 25 but he did see new ball enough. (50 and 144 balls)
Test 3: 9 and 59 ( 31 and 156 balls)
Clearly it says he is not a walking wicket or is prone to get out even if new to the crease. My question to England selectors is how many modern day batsmen tcan be said to possess such a quality. Please name them even from all cricketing teams. Okay it was just one series but still it was a successful one. Apart from that, runs were also there at average of 43. Where he failed given the debut series and other factors.
Even the sky high confidence after a good debut series will plummet southwards given the way he was treated.
As for Jack Leach i did not see him bowl so i will not comment on his subjective bowling skills. But from discussion here few months back i do remember he was the highest wicket taking spinner in domestic season. Moeen Ali is not a specialist spinner. He has to work in nets on his batting as well as bowling. Have some specialist spinner who only has to concentrate on bowling and fielding in nets and someone who can take five fers like Swann and Monty. Not Moeen's fault that he does not runs through sides. he isn't a specialist bowler. In this case the selectors are expecting an all rounder to bowl like a specialist bowler. Only rare allrounders could do this and Moeen is surely not of those types/class.
England are like a cancer patient that reject chemotherapy, and instead double down on heavy drinking and 40 a day smoking habit
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I agree to this analogy, doing totally opposite things. Need better averaging player and have one but dump him and continue to play someone averaging very lesser.