England 2012 Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

He's retired from proffessional cricket, thanks for your service Andrew you've been a credit as a player and a person.

[UK Redsox]

He's retired from proffessional cricket, thanks for your service Andrew you've been a credit as a player and a person.

Wow, I wasn't expecting Strauss to quit cold-turkey like that.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19408311

[PaulWinch again]

We need a real rebuild now. I'm confident Cook can succeed as captain, but he needs to find his form again. The whole team, whether it's with or without KP, needs to find its hunger and desire and fight. Broad, Swann and Trott will all be under the microscope in terms of form and need to up their game, more so with the former two.

[TheTimVilla]

That's the third England captain that Graeme Smith has seen off...

[UK Redsox]

England players with most games as captain

PLAYER             DATES    MATCHES  AVERAGE      100
MA Atherton   1993-2001   54   40.58   8
MP Vaughan   2003-2008   51   36.02   9
AJ Strauss   2006-2012   50   40.76   9
N Hussain     1999-2003   45   36.04   5
PBH May           1955-1961   41   54.03   10
GA Gooch           1988-1993   34   58.72   11
DI Gower           1982-1989   32   43.59   6
JM Brearley   1977-1981   31   22.48   0
R Illingworth   1969-1973   31   28.62   2
ER Dexter          1961-1964   30   53.93   4


I know that more Tests are played these days but it surprises me that Brearley was captain for only 31 matches. As a kid, it seemed to me that he'd been captain forever.
The table also highlights that he really wasn't a very good player at Test level. Ray Illingworth had a better batting average and he was a bowler.

[Villan For Life]

The selection for the India tour in November will be interesting. Taylor and Bairstow will be automatic inclusions but who will step up as opener?

[TheTimVilla]

How long can Carberry stay fit? Joe Root opens for the Lions so I guess he's next off the conveyor belt.

[Villan For Life]

How long can Carberry stay fit? Joe Root opens for the Lions so I guess he's next off the conveyor belt.

I think that Carberry is too old now, he's 32 next month. Add to that his injury record and he seems to rule himself out. I'm sure that I read somewhere that the blood clot that he suffered in his lungs a couple of years ago means that he can't fly long haul.

Root looks a good batsman and he's worth a go. Chopra may warrant a look too.

[PaulWinch again]

Joe Root will be a very good player.

[Chris Jameson]

Joe Root will be a very good player.

Joe Root is a very good player. Yorkshire need him more than England at the moment though.

[TheTimVilla]

They can take Bresnan back... :op

[Chico Hamilton III]

Strauss is 16/1 to replace Louise Mensche as the Tory candidate in the Corby by election....

[spangley1812]

Joe Root will be a very good player.

I would go with that and he can bowl some off spin and India wouldnt be a bad place to start your career as a opener its either that or promote Trott and bring in Nick Compton IMO

[PaulWinch again]

Swann 'rested' again, after only recently being rested from a one day series. I'm wondering whether his elbow problem is potentially curtailing his career.

[Dave Cooper please]

I'd still stick Trotty in as opener in India and maybe move Bell up to three. Unfortunately that might mean Taylor, Bairstow and Root as a very inexperienced middle order (if Pietersen doesn't come back), but we have to blood these rookies at some point and I'd rather do it against India than expect them to play back-to-back Ashes series without much experience.