Leothebear wrote:OK I see your point. Any reason you can see for retaining Sibley?
Heaven knows what's happened to Crawley.
Probably whoever played in the England squad, they'd have struggled against their pace attack yesterday.
We're not as good as India, as we weren't against NZ. It happens.
taking those in order
- none at all. The only reason to retain him may be who then gets picked aside from a bunch of people already tried and dropped, or a new lamb to the slaughter at a time when nobody outside of the test squad has seen a red ball for weeks, and thats the wrong reason to keep him.
- I'm a kent support (MoK etc). its a real shame cos early doors he was shaping up to be the real deal, and justified the dropping of Denly ie Crawley was outscoring him in both numbers and speed. [1] TBH, Crawley has probably been around for longer than I'd have keept picking him !
- Maybe indeed. India is a quality side obviously, and their seamers really quality in English conditions too. Thing is if this was a one off display one could just say "well bowled, poor day at the office, move on". But this appears to be "well bowled, poor day at the office - AGAIN"
- Agreed. England have got very poor very quickly, or maybe for a while punched above their collective weight somehow. Assuming the series goes ahead this is looking like another potential 5-0 down under this winter.
[1] Joe Denly. The bloke who arrived at a time when the first three english wickets were a revolving door and Root and Stokes would be in facing a ball only half a dozen over old and fresh bowlers. That revolviong door then got less speedy at spinning and England had the luxury of root and stokes arriving at the crease with an old ball, second change bowlers etc. Then he had to go, apparently because scoring at an average of a shade under 30 at 100 balls a dig wasnt good enough. Cue Crawley who looked good for a year... and England are/were soon back to the revolving door, and now there's not even Stokes arriving .
Meanwhile we've had the Bairstow/Buttler/Foakes merry go round where eventually tiring of the two Bs the selectors returned to Foakes who then got out of form and got injured. So its a return to the 2 Bs and if Buttler gets the axe then wind back a few years and it is JB with the gloves again.
Deja vu anybody?
Then there is Root's captaincy. Not great, even awful - but again - who replaces him? Assuming that person has to be good enough for a place in the side (Thinks: how could anyone tell currently differently anyway?) and potential test players play little county cricket red ball to hone skippering. Its not far from the truth that future test captains could have last skippered red ball cricket at university or even school. [ Stokes is the obvious candidate but now we are back to over burdening the best player in the side (CF Botham). Im normally against such appointments but IF root is to lose the captaincy, then Stokes is the only real option. Or something like Buttler skippers and stays (batsman only?), or JA gets it for a year maybe? )
and breath...