Second Ashes Test, Lord's, 14-18 August.

[yuppie]

Leach too?

ouch

[Durhamfootman]

Mo has been dropped. Leach comes in

At least half of that is the right decision, time will tell if the other half is as wise

[Durhamfootman]

well, thank goodness there was nothing anyone could do to prevent the Anderson injury

thanks Jimmy, I didn't realise... good of you to point it out

and because there was nothing at all that could have been done, they are going to do something different next time and he's resigned himself to accepting that he'll have to play some sort of cricket before he gets back into the test team.

he could perhaps play some T20 to make sure he's fit enough to bowl 4 overs when he does make his comeback

[Durhamfootman]

nothing they could have done.........

pfft

I can smell something.... can't quite put my finger on what it is..... smells faintly bovine

[ianp1970]

Vaughan advocating Stokes at 4

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/201 ... en-stokes/

[Arthur Crabtree]

Really he should be up there in terms of experience. But in terms of performance, not so much.

Stokes hasn't developed into a Test match bat. But as a batter-bowler-fielder he's worth his place at 6-7.

He has a nice looking technique and I'd guess he has the talent to make it. But maybe there's a query over the discipline and desire to bat for long periods. He averages 33.8. And 28.9 in the last two years with no tons.

[Durhamfootman]

Vaughan's an idiot

if he is advocating something that stupid, he might as well go the whole hog and put Stokes at 3 so at least Honest Joe can go back to his preferred position

[bigfluffylemon]

Really he should be up there in terms of experience. But in terms of performance, not so much.

Stokes hasn't developed into a Test match bat. But as a batter-bowler-fielder he's worth his place at 6-7.

He has a nice looking technique and I'd guess he has the talent to make it. But maybe there's a query over the discipline and desire to bat for long periods. He averages 33.8. And 28.9 in the last two years with no tons.

Like others, he's suffered from the single-minded focus on limited overs in the last two years. His ODI average is now over 40, and in the last two years is an impressive 55.7 with an SR of 89.

[alfie]

I guess Stokes has the technical ability to bat four. Seems a further step to filling the team with all rounders though instead of trying to find/develop specialist batsmen for the top five.

Neophyte/Whiteball opener/Reluctant skipper/Allrounder/Spare keeper/Keeper/Allrounder/Allrounder/Bowler/Bowler/Bowler...

You might get away with it on a day. But I don't think it is a serious template for future success.

And I don't think they will try it. Apart from anything else I doubt they need more than five bowlers as long as no one gets injured...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Pattinson has been left out the second Test with Hazlewood favourite to replace him, but Starc also in the squad.

[andy]

I would have picked pattinson again for lords and rest him for headingley...go for kill and go 2-0 up early

[Arthur Crabtree]

Don't reckon he's as good as Mitch2 and Haze.

[GarlicJam]

Pattinson has been left out the second Test with Hazlewood favourite to replace him, but Starc also in the squad.

FOX Sports has posted that there has been a leak of the final team and Starc is not playing.

I would have thought that Starc/Pattinson and Hazelwood/Siddle would have been the swaps, if there were to be any. I can understand not having Starc and Pattinson in the same team (atm), but one of those strike bowlers would be good.

[Durhamfootman]

question marks over Mitch2's fitness?

if there are, perhaps they should play him and hope it all works out

[Arthur Crabtree]

It seems years ago that CA started the idea of only allowing their pace bowlers to deliver a certain number of overs in a period. I thought it had long been shelved.

Siddle is getting on for 35. But Hazlewood is 28 which must be about a fast-medium bowler's peak. Starc and Pattinson are only a year older. Cummins has just turned 26. I realise these players mostly have a history of injury, but do actually rest for much of the time. Maybe the pressure this year is because the WC ran into the Ashes- but Australia do seem to be much more careful than most. Certainly more than England who have talked at times of resting A&B, but invariably don't.