The Cricket Thread 2014

[bertlambshank]

I see Warne has written another article saying Cook should quit. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts now.

Cook had opened the door,he deserves everything he gets off him now.And I can't stand Warne.

[PaulWinch again]

Changes needed for India obviously. Robson has been okay but I don't think he's ready. Given the resolute nature of his batting I think Ali could be piushed up to open but I doubt that will happen. Stokes needs to come back and it's obvious that we need more experience in the middle order but we've made a rod for our own back by saying Pietersen will not play again.

I don't think Jordan is either good enough or ready for the test team at the moment, but the team is lacking in the bowling department at the moment. A specialist spinner is needed but there isn't one out there. Panesar really isn't it. He'll have one good test and then bowl the same ball in every single over and every single game thereafter.

Problem for the team is the lack of consistency right through. Ballance, Root, Ali all played one good innings but technique and experience let them down otherwise. I'd like to take Root out but that's not possible at the moment. A middle order of Trott, Pietersen, Bell would allow Root to return to county cricket for some time away from the pressure of test cricket, which he has been found wanting at more often than not. But, he is there because he is now one of the more expereinced players and dropping him would just expose us even more.

Cook
Robson - simply because I don't think they'll only give him two tests
Bell
Root
Ali
Ballance
Stokes
Prior
Broad
Anderson
Rankin if fit and taking wickets if not then who's that Hampshire spinner? May as well try and few out until we find a dependable one.

Despite Plunkett's good return in the last test he was part of the poor bowling on the 4th day that led to the defeat. I'd ditch and move forward.

I think you're being a bit harsh on the younger players. The're the ones who HAVE performed so far. It's the senior players who have let us down.

Yeah I think you can argue a case for all the new players staying in. Robson got a really good century at Headingley, Plunkett(returning rather than new) did very well at Headingley, Ali's century was outstanding and he got a couple of key wickets, Ballance got a key century at Lords and Jordan was excellent at Lords and bowled really well in the first innings at Headingley without reward.

[Chris Jameson]

I can't wait for the second day of the first Test against India! My brother and Mike Procter are the lunchtime guests of Test Match Special where they will be discussing the work of the Sporting Memories Network, this will undoubtedly the greatest sporting achievement of any member of our family.

[peter w]

Ask him to get a Villa reference in. Thanks.

[Chris Jameson]

Ask him to get a Villa reference in. Thanks.

If they are doing a phone in I could remind him of the time we were kids arguing about football and his comeback was 'well there's only one Villa and that's Port Vale.' I've never let him forget that.

[PaulWinch again]

It sounds sensible that they want to rotate the seamers a bit more over the summer. I think Anderson and Broad have suffered in the past by being over bowled and we need others to step up.

[peter w]

I'd be tempted to give Woakes a go simply because of the reports about him being a yard and a half faster - his batting we know about. He's a better bowler than Stokes but the latter the better bat. But is it changing for chnaging sake? We lost against Sri Lanka and at times our bowling drifted so changes need to be made and we need solidity in the middle order which is where Woakes would come in for me.

Cook
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Ali
Prior
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

It's a bit of a tricky one that none of the top 6 from the Sri Lanka series can be dropped a sthey all scored 100s except of course for the captain. Being Nottingham I'd expect Broad and Anderson to play despite calls for them to be rotated and although we need one ther eisn't a spinner out there who can do the job so no point wasting a slot.

I'd drop Jordan because I don't think he's good enough and also Plunkett because when it wasn't going well he reminded me of all those English plodders who kept bowling short and without too much zip. If Woakes is going to be repeatedly selected they may as well have a look at him in an meaningful test match and not a dead rubber.

The team has one too many batsmen for me but the only one I'd drop is the captain. Or Root. Hopefully he can concentrate on being a batsman and not the team's agent provocateur.

[PaulWinch again]

Disagree on Jordan, he has a real talent and that should be harnessed. He has wicket taking ability, he's an excellent fielder and a very handy bat. We need to rotate the seamers so we don't run Anderson and Broad into the ground.

[peter w]

To be fair I think that's an excuse. The selectors are running scared. The reality is that behind Broad and Anderson on the World Stage there is little else.  I think that if the selectors do drop one or the other its more likely that they're doing to see what's behind and if they can cope and then exist, and hopefully excel, in the test arena. Otherwise, there is no point dropping one or the other of your two best bowlers. Anderson hasn't got many more miles left in him and Broad is injury prone. So, whilst he should now be looking to lead our attack who's on marginally better a bowler than he was when he first burst onto the scene.

[paul_e]

I also think it would be wrong to drop Jordan, 5wickets in his first 2 matches is ok and he scored some important runs at times.  There are other people who have been just as inconsistent  but who have had much more of a chance.

The argument for dropping one of Broad or Anderson is that both of them have Cook in their pocket. Part of our negativity is that they both insist on field placings which protect the boundaries unless they're totally dominating and Cook seems incapable of of forcing the issue, they need to know that they aren't untouchable.

Of the top 6 the only one you can justify leaving out is the only one who has no chance of being left out.

I think the only change will be to bring Stokes back in, but I'm not sure who for, Broad or Plunkett for this one for me, Plunkett did well but I worry he's a bit one-dimensional.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah I agree on Plunkett, he did well but he does seem a bit one dimensional. Jordan will develop consistency, but he's already shown he's comfortably good enough for international cricket.

[saunders_heroes]

Andrew Strauss overheard calling Kevin Pietersen a cu#t on Sky Sports earlier. Apparently it was during a commercial break but viewers in Australia were still viewing.

[Villan For Life]

Jordan has a spark about him, other players who had similar characteristics include Botham & Flintoff.

I'd pick him he's a potential game changer.

[Villan For Life]

Andrew Strauss overheard calling Kevin Pietersen a cu#t on Sky Sports earlier. Apparently it was during a commercial break but viewers in Australia were still viewing.

I'm surprised that Strauss even knows such colourful language! Then again he more than most would know the truth about Pietersen.

[adrenachrome]

Andrew Strauss overheard calling Kevin Pietersen a cu#t on Sky Sports earlier. Apparently it was during a commercial break but viewers in Australia were still viewing.

I'm surprised that Strauss even knows such colourful language! Then again he more than most would know the truth about Pietersen.

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend a lot of first class cricket at Edgbaston and New Road in the last 3 seasons, and I have met a lot of people who had dealings with KP. The vast majority have very little good to say beyond the obvious fact that the guy is extremely talented. And I am being diplomatic.