Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Probably just sneak it out this afternoon.

Maybe waiting for some bad news.

They said on SKY 12.45pm and they hope to talk to Whitaker.

The ECB will probably front Downton up.

Squad -

Cook Ali Anderson Bell Bopara Buttler Finn Gurney Hales Jordan Morgan Root Stokes Taylor Tredwell Woakes

So Taylor is added as the sixteenth player.

Jordan and Gurney are quite lucky.

ECB also named a performance squad. Some really talented players in there, more exciting than the main team.

dan08 wrote:Jordan and Gurney are quite lucky.

ECB also named a performance squad. Some really talented players in there, more exciting than the main team.

Same as the Lion's team this summer was more interesting than the ODI side. Good to see Taylor in the squad, I hope he's not there to carry drinks.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:So Taylor is added as the sixteenth player.

Yeah, just feels like a cosmetic selection to take the attention away from Cook and to pretend they are rewarding domestic form. Doubt he'll get a game and will probably miss out on the WC without being a chance, unless Morgan has a shocker. He is under the scanner according to that Newman article (and he did get this squad right, so must have some insight). Hales is another one that might be under pressure given their original reluctance to pick him. Cook and Bell are of course guaranteed a spot even if they get 7 ducks each!

Not sure why Gurney is lucky, dan08. He had a very good ODI series vs SL and bowls well at the death. Just had 1 bad ODI vs India whilst defending a mediocre total. Jordan is probably just keeping the bench warm for Broad. On the bright side, they didn't go back to Bresnan.

This squad isn't actually too different to the one I'd have picked but the biggest liability in this squad is also the most certain of a place in the XI. Chuck out Cook and Jordan and get in Broad, and you have my squad. If you want another aggressive opener alongside Hales, I'd probably prefer Lumb, who did well in the Caribbean and seems to have been completely forgotten about, rather than Roy, who looks more a t20 specialist at this stage or Vince, who has struggled for the Lions.

I would've picked Trott ahead of the other Warwickshire guy, but there you go..

shankycricket wrote:Not sure why Gurney is lucky, dan08. He had a very good ODI series vs SL and bowls well at the death. Just had 1 bad ODI vs India whilst defending a mediocre total.

His economy rate for England at the death is over 9... Very small sample size i know but he's hardly done anything special so far...

The issue I have with gurney is that he doesn't really offer anything with the bat and with the ball he looks limited in the opening/middle overs.
Not sure you can make a career in ODI by just bowling at the death.
For some odd reason Death bowlers always get found out by India, Dernbach the fine example here so I think the Sri lanka ODI series and maybe even the Australia tri series might tell us more about him.
Although he did bowl well in the T20 game.

Even Dernbach did well against Sri lanka, Pakistan, South africa
But only really got destroyed by india and NZ and only played one game against Australia and wasn't too bad against them.

bhaveshgor wrote:The issue I have with gurney is that he doesn't really offer anything with the bat and with the ball he looks limited in the opening/middle overs.
Not sure you can make a career in ODI by just bowling at the death.

Can't field as well.

I am a bit old-school I don't exclude players because they can't field.
Fielding only really comes into it if the Batting/Bowling abilities are equal and even then fielding might not be considered.
I would say even Attitude and character is important than fielding abilities when picking players.

Sometimes I think England are too harsh on players would people drop a batsman when he average 50+ in all formats with very good strike rates in limited over games but so terrible in the field.

bhaveshgor wrote:I am a bit old-school I don't exclude players because they can't field.
Fielding only really comes into it if the Batting/Bowling abilities are equal and even then fielding might not be considered.
I would say even Attitude and character is important than fielding abilities when picking players.

Sometimes I think England are too harsh on players would people drop a batsman when he average 50+ in all formats with very good strike rates in limited over games but so terrible in the field.

don't think we have anyone who has those averages to drop in the first place

"Leadership is unique and it takes time to develop. We believe Alastair still has the skills, the drive and enthusiasm, which are all great qualities, to instil the right direction and control of the players," Whitaker said. "He's fully respected within the group and, more than anything, we believe he is a very constant person.

"The highs and lows he's have over the last 12 months: it takes a unique sense of will to come through that. To keep getting up when you're knocked constantly and to show a degree of humbleness when you're doing well is unique in any leadership. We believe we have a unique leader and a unique person and that should not be underestimated."


Clearly in the eyes of the selectors (at least Moores and Whitaker) he is the Christ figure of England cricket. How over the top can one go.