England squad for Pakistan series

[rich1uk]

Could be the Sri Lanka odi series before wc.
He did pretty well if my memory serves me right although it was an odi and he wasn't tested like he would be in a test match.

still a sign he can handle spin in spin friendly conditions

btw looking above where did I say ballance couldn't play spin ? I said he was more effective against pace than against spin during his good period in the team so it must be a worry how he will cope with spin given his recent form issues

ballance against spin is very similar to cook , has a limited shot selection , can get bogged down very easily, especially if teams put a man in close at mid-wicket to stop him just dabbing the ball into the on-side for a single and at some point just not getting out isn't good enough you have to score runs as well

[Arthur Crabtree]

Woakes was good, with bat and ball, on that tour.

[Making_Splinters]

Cricinfo recently destroyed him, he only performed in 20 test matches

For a player with 22 Test centuries and 45 Test 50s that sounds like an awfully strange claim.

[Dr Cricket]

For someone with his ability should have scored far more runs abroad and consistently.

[Aidan11]

This is where we need the old Gillette/NatWest Cup Finals.

The selectors always seemed to pick someone to tour on the back of them having a good match in the final.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Could this be Hildreth's time? Stoneman has had a few mentions.

I can't find a reference to a Lions tour on the ECB website, but there could be a next generation squad if there is one, with Abell, the Currans, Hain, Leaning, the Overtons, Crane, Robinson, Patel, plus a few more established names.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Who should and shouldn't be included in the England squad for the Test series against Pakistan in UAE?

Quite a few positions probably still up for grabs.

What would your 16/17 man squad look like?

What's yours Dan? And a possible Lions squad?

[rich1uk]

get matt machan in , need some Scottish blood in the England team

[dan08]

Could this be Hildreth's time? Stoneman has had a few mentions.

I can't find a reference to a Lions tour on the ECB website, but there could be a next generation squad if there is one, with Abell, the Currans, Hain, Leaning, the Overtons, Crane, Robinson, Patel, plus a few more established names.

Tom Curran doesn't qualify until next year. I think he can still play in the Lions though.

[Making_Splinters]

For someone with his ability should have scored far more runs abroad and consistently.

Bell's ability seems to be a stone around his neck. Any other player with Bell's record would be viewed as a decent Test batsman, but because of this word ability he is viewed as a failure. Talent doesn't mean anything, it's the runs you score that count.

[Making_Splinters]

Could this be Hildreth's time? Stoneman has had a few mentions.

I can't find a reference to a Lions tour on the ECB website, but there could be a next generation squad if there is one, with Abell, the Currans, Hain, Leaning, the Overtons, Crane, Robinson, Patel, plus a few more established names.

Tom Curran doesn't qualify until next year. I think he can still play in the Lions though.

Hildreth will be 31 in a few weeks, for me he falls in to the category of players you would want to have in your County side but isn't quite at the level required to play Test cricket. Actually in many ways that's your perfect county player!

Hildreth has never really strung together the sort of huge season that puts you on the media's radar, in fact he's only once averaged over 40 for 2 consecutive seasons and that was back in 2009 and 2010.

I don't agree that Stoneman is a future England player, he has scored more than 1000 runs for the last few seasons but has always averaged in the mid to low 30s which simply isn't good enough to move up. He's also not a player known for grinding out runs, either seems to score or get out quicky, I doubt England have the patience for a player like that.

Kim seems to have been right on the money about Hain, I can see him playing for England at some stage in the next two years providing he doesn't go backwards in a big way.

[dan08]

Who should and shouldn't be included in the England squad for the Test series against Pakistan in UAE?

Quite a few positions probably still up for grabs.

What would your 16/17 man squad look like?

What's yours Dan? And a possible Lions squad?

England: Cook (c), Moeen, Bell, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Rashid, Broad, Wood, Anderson, Hales, Ballance, Ansari, Finn, Footitt.

Lions: Taylor (c), Davies, Browne, Borthwick, Duckett, Westley, Leaning, Hain, Billings, Woakes, C Overton, Coles, Harris, Robinson, Crane.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'm not sure Taylor should go on another A tour. Maybe Woakes to captain if not in UAE. Taylor needs to step up or make way for others. The selectors should decide.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Six pace bowlers to UAE, as a few have feels unnecessary. I'd only pick two, in the team, plus Stokes. The spinners will do most of the bowling an extra seamer won't get the ball.

[mikesiva]

Drop Jos Buttler, give Bairstow the gloves, and bat Moeen at six...after Root, he's been England's next best batsman. He's wasted at eight....

That way, Rashid could be drafted in at eight.