Ashes 2013/14

[OCD]

I think if I were Morgan I would have smashed Lee round his head for that (and then topped myself).

[taylorsworkrate]

Incredibly, considering how inept the batting has been since the start of his tenure, the 1st article about his position  i've seen.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/dec/30/ashes-graham-gooch-england-batting-malaise

[tomd2103]

It'll be very interesting to see the line up for the 1st test of the summer against Sri Lanka. My thinking would be along the lines of:

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen - reluctantly
Ballance
Buttler - WK
Stokes
Borthwick
Broad - Captain
Finn
Anderson/Onions

Root would have to really work at his game in fairness, but has the talent.

Yeah that looks about right to me.  Maybe use Compton or persist with Carberry as a stopgap at opener (like the Australians have done with Rogers) and bat Root a little further down the order until he finds his feet.

[spangley1812]

It'll be very interesting to see the line up for the 1st test of the summer against Sri Lanka. My thinking would be along the lines of:

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen - reluctantly
Ballance
Buttler - WK
Stokes
Borthwick
Broad - Captain
Finn
Anderson/Onions

Root would have to really work at his game in fairness, but has the talent.

Yeah that looks about right to me.  Maybe use Compton or persist with Carberry as a stopgap at opener (like the Australians have done with Rogers) and bat Root a little further down the order until he finds his feet.

I would go

Robson
Root
Cook
Bell
Ballance
Buttler
Stokes
Borthwick
Broad - Captain
Finn
Anderson

[eastie]

It'll be very interesting to see the line up for the 1st test of the summer against Sri Lanka. My thinking would be along the lines of:

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen - reluctantly
Ballance
Buttler - WK
Stokes
Borthwick
Broad - Captain
Finn
Anderson/Onions

Root would have to really work at his game in fairness, but has the talent.

Yeah that looks about right to me.  Maybe use Compton or persist with Carberry as a stopgap at opener (like the Australians have done with Rogers) and bat Root a little further down the order until he finds his feet.

Not a bad team selection - cook for captain though- he's had a stinker this time but deserves another shot at it as this is his first series defeat .

[paul_e]

It'll be very interesting to see the line up for the 1st test of the summer against Sri Lanka. My thinking would be along the lines of:

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen - reluctantly
Ballance
Buttler - WK
Stokes
Borthwick
Broad - Captain
Finn
Anderson/Onions

Root would have to really work at his game in fairness, but has the talent.

Yeah that looks about right to me.  Maybe use Compton or persist with Carberry as a stopgap at opener (like the Australians have done with Rogers) and bat Root a little further down the order until he finds his feet.

Not a bad team selection - cook for captain though- he's had a stinker this time but deserves another shot at it as this is his first series defeat .

I don't like an opener being captain for the very reason that Cook has displayed in the last couple of series, a day in the field organising and then going in to bat straight away doesn't get you mentally right.  I'd rather see a middle order batsman take it.  In terms of importance to the side, expereince, etc Bell is the perfect choice, but I don't think he'd want to do it in the slightest.

[eastie]

Brearley, Strauss and vaughan were all captain and openers and coped well in the roles - he has lost one series in 6 and that's not too bad a record at all - when we won in India and beat the Aussies 3-0 there was no clamour about him - he has been poor this series but what can any captain do when 7 or 8 players are misfiring - he will have learnt an awful lot in this series about himself and the team.

Give him at least the summer .

[paul_e]

It's not about his performance as captain, i's about his performance as a batsman, which is being badly affected at times.  Wasn't Vaughan at 3 for most of his time as captain?  Strauss did ok but again his batting average went down when he was captain.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't like captains being openers either to be honest, I think number 3 is the best role.

[Dave Cooper please]

It shouldn't make a difference, after all the only time you are really doing the proper captaining and having to make decisions is when you are in the field.
Opening didn't seem to phase Cook in his early Tests as captain, in fact he thrived, and it didn't seem to bother Alec Stewart who managed to combine opening and wicket keeping with being a decent enough captain.

This is really the first time Cook has been under really intense pressure as captain and it has affected his form, it's how he bounces back from this that is the key, so he should definitely get the start of the summer tests and then the assessments can be made. Besides, at the moment I can't see a replacement I'd like to take over. Not Bell, he's never captained a side for any length of time, not Broad, he's too hot-headed from what I've seen. Who else is there? In the long term I can see Root as captain, he seems to have the combination of decision making and coolness that can be nurtured.

 England are going to have to bring in some youngsters if they want to start the rebuild, and the experience of Cook and Bell will be vital in easing the new batsmen into the side.

[paul_e]

I agree with all of that, I never actually said he shouldn't be captain, I just don't like openers as captains in general.  When we're bowling at the tail I want my openers in nice calm fielding positions where they can be getting a look at the pitch and thinking a bout what they're going to do to see off the first 25-30 overs.  In at slip or covering the straight drive on one side.

[OzVilla]

Yeah, it's got to be still Cook as Captain (if he wants it) and Flower to stay on (again if he wants to) but I'd like to see changes to our approach ad general intent.

The bottom line is, it's only 14 Tests till we play for the Ashes again in 2015 so if they don't think certain players will be around for then they should be moved out once the series is over.

I still see a future for Prior (he's 32 - Haddin is 36 and had to make a similar comeback) but the one who worries me now is Anderson moving forward.

Compton, Robson, Carberry and Root are all candidates to open along with AN Other who can stake a claim, quite like the thought of Cook at 3 (just not sure he will).

Australia where talking about this home Ashes series 2 years ago in a Mickey Arthur's first press conference - thats how long they've had it in their minds to the point that it seemed all other series where all trials for these two Ashes series. I'd be quite happy to see England do the same now tbh.

Not sure we should throw in another debutant into this nightmare series in Sydney. Injuries aside, would prefer this lot to take their medicine (5-0, 4-0, 4-1) hardly taters in the big scheme anymore and then rethink and rebuild at home.

And most of them will have to endure the one day series too which might not be much fun either. 

Oh to be a Pom in Oz right now - happy days!!!

(it'd also help if the Villa weren't so shite too).

[cheltenhamlion]

Fuck the Ashes, when is the H+V team doing a tour of somewhere like Somerset?

[OCD]

Strauss struggled towards the end of his reign of being captain and opener. Vaughan was no.3 when I started watching Cricket. I'm not one for having Captains open either and ideally we would have opener good enough to allow us to move him down to number 3. Cook could then do what Trott had been doing - being a solid lynchpin when we're in trouble. Of course, if we had been in the field long and then one of the openers lost a wicket, then there would be no difference. So finding good openers is going to be crucial.

[eastie]

Fuck the Ashes, when is the H+V team doing a tour of somewhere like Somerset?

I was rather hoping we would take in Barbados or somewhere warmer