First Test: England v Pakistan, Lord's.

[budgetmeansbudget]

TBH sussexpop been critical, I been critical of it in the past few year, Newman starting to be this year, Dobell been doing it for the last year or so.
Plenty more on twitter as well.
Certainly the feeling is ecb been out of touch of what is going on.

Maybe, maybe not, putting all their eggs into the limited overs game.

Finalists in the world T20 and number one side in 50 over cricket suggest they are getting some things right.

[Durhamfootman]

But in his second innings he didnt come in and have a slog, he played sensible test cricket for most of his innings, defend the good balls and try to score off the bad.

that's true enough. It isn't why he's in the team though. I think he's been selected to put the icing on an England innings.... which is odd because it feels like a while since England's top 6 have actually produced enough of a score for someone to put the icing on

Perhaps give him the gloves, and call him an all rounder in the Gilchrist role.

I personally don't see a great difference between the keeping ability of him and Bairstow, and Bairstow can then concentrate on batting coming in further up the order.

that would be different and perfectly acceptable if his keeping was up to scratch. That Bairstow has the gloves suggests that the management don't rate Buttler's glove work

I just think that the inclusion of Buttler as a luxury player indicates that England came into this series thinking that their top 6 batting would be okay for a team like Pakistan.

It suggests to me a certain arrogance about the whole team selection process (and which has been around for a while now, imo) that cannot have any foundation to it after the winter that they've just had. Even the selection of Bess..... they couldn't have the one they wanted, so they took a punt on the new kid, because it was only Pakistan they were playing.

And it isn't as if this attitude is unusual for England in recent years and it's an arrogance that is based on nothing... apart from their own over-inflated opinion of themselves

[budgetmeansbudget]

I don't think it's arrogance, it's just a complete lack of players in the county game who fit the test match arena, and they've got a bit desperate with the selection process.

Almost pick and hope, and pray that eventually one or two will come good. Sadly over the last few years hardly anyone has come good.

[yuppie]

I don't think it's arrogance, it's just a complete lack of players in the county game who fit the test match arena, and they've got a bit desperate with the selection process.

Almost pick and hope, and pray that eventually one or two will come good. Sadly over the last few years hardly anyone has come good.

Stokes? anyone else?

[budgetmeansbudget]

I don't think it's arrogance, it's just a complete lack of players in the county game who fit the test match arena, and they've got a bit desperate with the selection process.

Almost pick and hope, and pray that eventually one or two will come good. Sadly over the last few years hardly anyone has come good.

Stokes? anyone else?

Bairstow, but not much else.

[m@tt]

that would be different and perfectly acceptable if his keeping was up to scratch. That Bairstow has the gloves suggests that the management don't rate Buttler's glove work

Buttler keeps in white ball cricket so they must rate him. I think in this case, firstly they don't want to upset and distract Bairstow by taking the gloves off him and secondly they may be conscious of making Buttler keep in all three formats.

[Dr Cricket]

Good article this.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... ing-happen

[sussexpob]

Good article this.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... ing-happen

I might sue Dobell for copyright, its basically what Ive been banging on about for 5 years.

[yuppie]

Looking from the outside and from what i am reading here and on other sites, nothing seems to be changing in England. Is this the case? If so then cricket in England is in real trouble.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Good article this.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... ing-happen

Covers the issues well, but it takes some stamina to keep writing that article.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well, Jennings is back and Stoneman is out.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Mixed feelings for Durham fans.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's the only change.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I think his career record suggests that Jennings is an average player who happens to be in form. But at least he is in form.

[yuppie]

I think his career record suggests that Jennings is an average player who happens to be in form. But at least he is in form.

Got to try something. Can not keep picking the same people if they are not performing.