Ashes 2013/14

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah that's fine as long as they are aware, what Cook said today suggests he wasn't.

[PaulWinch again]

I think they deserve the chance, but Flower can't get rid of players just because he doesn't get on with them. Also it's got to become apparent pretty quickly that the style of the team is going to change.

[PaulWinch again]

I see Morgan has come out in support of KP, which is ironic because I think if KP goes Morgan could be an option to come into the side. I thought in the end Morgan was made a scapegoat for our failure against Pakistan, I think if he can find form we need a game changer in the middle order and he's an option.

[peter w]

I think that we have to keep our core together and start afresh.

Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Prior
Broad
Anderson

Then you work around it. Root and Stokes are definites.

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen
Stokes
Prior
Broad
Anderson

We're obviously one batsmen light so it's where do you go? Carberry, Compton, Bairstow, Ballance? It seems that the latter is the next cab off the rank so he'll get his chance.

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen
Ballance
Stokes
Prior
Broad
Anderson

A spinner is needed and there isclearly no-one who can replace Swann. I think the games up for Panesar and Kerrigan is nowhere near ready. Tredwell maybe? I don't think he's good enough for test cricket so with one trepid eye on the likes of Ian Salisbury andblooding a leg spinner because of Shane Warne, I think Borthwick will get a chance.

Andthe final bowling spot? Finn - maybe time for him now. Show that he canstart to deliver. Woakes, Bresnan, Rankin, Tremlett aren't test standard - although I've added Bresnan because I think his injury has done for him. Onions isn'tseemingly liked so despite his one 4 ball an over I'd give Finn a summer.

Cook
Root
Bell
Pietersen
Ballance
Stokes
Prior
Borthwick
Broad
Finn
Anderson

[OCD]

Always been disappointed that Morgan couldn't transfer his best ODI form into his test outings. He's a fantastic player the way he can find gaps in the field.

Regarding how long these problems go back, I agree that it goes back further than 3 months and the batting was poor in the summer. However, saying we've been on the slide for 5 years is a bit of an exaggeration too. We've completed 3 back-to-back Ashes series, won away in India and got to number one in the world in that time. Strauss's retirement started the period of transition but it didn't particularly become evident until the last year or so.

[PaulWinch again]

Always been disappointed that Morgan couldn't transfer his best ODI form into his test outings. He's a fantastic player the way he can find gaps in the field.

Regarding how long these problems go back, I agree that it goes back further than 3 months and the batting was poor in the summer. However, saying we've been on the slide for 5 years is a bit of an exaggeration too. We've completed 3 back-to-back Ashes series, won away in India and got to number one in the world in that time. Strauss's retirement started the period of transition but it didn't particularly become evident until the last year or so.

I don't think we've been on the slide for 5 years, it's about 18 months. I know we won in India but that was against a side in transition. It's ever since South Africa came to England we started to slip. I think Morgan deserves another shot at the middle order, we need dynamism in there especially if they get rid of KP which I don't think they should.

[eastie]

I don't think Morgan will be the man to replace kp - he's ok as a one day player but failed too often in tests - I expect them to look at younger batsmen and it may take time to get things right.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think Morgan will be the man to replace kp - he's ok as a one day player but failed too often in tests - I expect them to look at younger batsmen and it may take time to get things right.

He's only 27, and his failings in Tests were predominantly in the UAE he deserves a chance. 

[OCD]

I would also like to see Buttler get a proper run as wicketkeeper.

[OzVilla]

I hope I'm tempting fate now but I can see us going through this entire tour without beating Australia once - their ODI and T20 sides look way stronger than ours.

[OzVilla]

And the colored clothing doesn't seem to make much difference.

Two dropped catches, mis fields a plenty, 50/50's going against us, referrals overturned, bowling way too shrt and Australia are  0/162.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

The body language, even amongst the new players looks shockingly hangdog. Ho hum.

[PaulWinch again]

Good to see Cook and Root failing completely again. Morgan's innings backed up my belief he should have a shot at the test side though.

[OzVilla]

Cook desperately needs a break from he game after the Test series. Unfortunately as the ODI skipper he's stuck there in a reaccurring nightmare.

I feel quite sorry for him tbh.

Also beginning to wonder whether Root really is what we thought he was.

[PaulWinch again]

Jordan has bowled excellently and been very unlucky. He's another potential test player.