The Cricket Thread 2014

[Villafirst]

No way should Bell be dropped!.... England's finest batsman.

[PaulWinch again]

Bell should be dropped and be solely playing Test cricket for the last years of his career.

[Chris Smith]

Really good game today. Didn't realise it was on until I got a call from my lad at 2.45 and he mentioned the traffic on the Pershore Road. Good to see a game that ebbed and flowed so well with both sides looking like they were on top at various times and a tie looking on the cards with three balls left.

Shame about Moeen being booed but I'm sure he can handle it.

[tomd2103]

Really good game today. Didn't realise it was on until I got a call from my lad at 2.45 and he mentioned the traffic on the Pershore Road. Good to see a game that ebbed and flowed so well with both sides looking like they were on top at various times and a tie looking on the cards with three balls left.

Shame about Moeen being booed but I'm sure he can handle it.

Strange comment that Chris.  Is it OK for sportsmen to be booed because of their background if they can "handle it"?  It is pretty pathetic, especially as many of those booing were  probably born in the same city as Moeen anyway.   

[Chris Jameson]

He didn't get any abuse at Headingley, strange and sad that he got it today.

[PaulWinch again]

Especially as he's a local lad. The booing was a disgrace.

[olaftab]

I was in the Pavilion stand fairly high up. The large section of Indian supporters to our right booed both Moeen and Ravi constantly. There wasn't any abuse  other than both being targeted for choosing England I think. Ravi got booed when he came out to bat. However I thought that was a bit silly as both are English born and only right that if they are good enough they should play for England. I didn't think there was any racist or religious element to booing but I guess racist could be argued as both were being targeted because they were playing for England specially by those who were not only born here themselves but probably their parents as well. Great match.

[tomd2103]

I was in the Pavilion stand fairly high up. The large section of Indian supporters to our right booed both Moeen and Ravi constantly. There wasn't any abuse  other than both being targeted for choosing England I think. Ravi got booed when he came out to bat. However I thought that was a bit silly as both are English born and only right that if they are good enough they should play for England. I didn't think there was any racist or religious element to booing but I guess racist could be argued as both were being targeted because they were playing for England specially by those who were not only born here themselves but probably their parents as well. Great match.

I thought Moeen was from a Pakistani background and that might have something to do with the booing, but if Ravi was getting it as well then I guess that there was something else involved.  I can't recall Monty ever getting that kind of treatment though and remember being treated like a hero when he played for England in India. 

[tomd2103]

Well Morgan has suddenly pushed himself forward to be ODI captain with that knock. Excellent finish from Bopara as well, why he wasn't in the ODI side is beyond me.

I was surprised when he was left out the ODI squad, as I felt he had been producing at number six and offered a different bowling option as well.  I wonder if him and Moores had previous from when the latter was coach before. 

[DaveD]

I was in the Pavilion stand fairly high up. The large section of Indian supporters to our right booed both Moeen and Ravi constantly. There wasn't any abuse  other than both being targeted for choosing England I think. Ravi got booed when he came out to bat. However I thought that was a bit silly as both are English born and only right that if they are good enough they should play for England. I didn't think there was any racist or religious element to booing but I guess racist could be argued as both were being targeted because they were playing for England specially by those who were not only born here themselves but probably their parents as well. Great match.

Are you kidding me ? Of course it's racist. They're being booed because they're British born of Asian extraction who have chosen to play for England.

Can you imagine the fuss if the people booing them wore England shirts rather than India ?

[peter w]

caucasians booing caucasians of the same colour can barely touch the racist seismograph, surely?

[DaveD]

caucasians booing caucasians of the same colour can barely touch the racist seismograph, surely?

Ah, so UKIP talking about massive Romanian and Bulgarian immigration *isn't* racist now ? Because hey, we're all caucasian, so its fine, right ?

[peter w]

Well unless you'd class Bulgarians or Romanians as a race, then no it's not racist. It may be bigoted or ignorant, but not racist.

[DaveD]

Well unless you'd class Bulgarians or Romanians as a race, then no it's not racist. It may be bigoted or ignorant, but not racist.

If that were consistently applied across the media, the country would be a less confused place.

[olaftab]

Can you imagine the fuss if the people booing them wore England shirts rather than India ?

Now that's completely different. That would be rejection saying you don't belong to us where as today I thought it was envy saying why are you not playing for us.
However as I said the people who were booing should be supporting England and Ravi and Moeen and not India and Dhoni and Co.