The Cricket Thread 2014

[adrenachrome]

Just saw, in a a report from The Torygraph, that the remark was made to Nick Knight.

Imagine my surprise.

[peter w]

Didn't he say F not c? Anyway, I've met Pietersen and other than being slightly aloof I thought he was basically okay.

Back tot he team. It seems a strange reason for dropping Broad or Anderson in that the captain cannot use his authority over them. Says more about him than them.

[paul_e]

Didn't he say F not c? Anyway, I've met Pietersen and other than being slightly aloof I thought he was basically okay.

Back tot he team. It seems a strange reason for dropping Broad or Anderson in that the captain cannot use his authority over them. Says more about him than them.

Absolutely, I'd rather see Cook given a tour off to get some form with the bat and see if the confidence in his own game becomes reflected in his captaincy.

[PaulWinch again]

Trent Boult just took an incredible catch in the Twenty20.

[PaulWinch again]

Buttler called up as cover for Prior.

[Villan For Life]

Buttler called up as cover for Prior

Prior complaining of tightness in his thigh. I like Prior but with one eye on the future then this could be a blessing.

[paul_e]

More importantly I'm glad it's Buttler they went with, the guy is a special talent with the bat, I get Hales in at some point as well, we need to have some counter-attack options who come with a genuine threat, I don't really see that outside our lower order (Jordan is willing to do it which is one of the main reasons I like him), Stokes coming back will help though.

[PaulWinch again]

I actually think Ali is an attacking batsmen, he just played the situation brilliantly in the last Test.

[paul_e]

I'd put Ali more in the mould of Bell, steady, technically sound and able to play patient or positive depending on the situation, they're really important players to have (Michael Clarke is similar as well) but we could really do with a counter-attacking game changer.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah possibly, I guess a future axis of Buttler, Stokes and Jordan will be pretty useful at that.

[paul_e]

Yeah possibly, I guess a future axis of Buttler, Stokes and Jordan will be pretty useful at that.

Exactly, and all technically good enough to avoid be all or nothing.

I think in the past the default has been for the England team to build around the steady accumulators, which works if they're all in form but when you have a couple of them struggling you look under pressure all the time and don't have anyone capable of relieving the pressure.  That's why KP was so important for us and why with him in the side we were able to push on and be the best side in the world for a short time because he did the business to relieve the pressure more often than not (he did fail and gift wrap his wicket a few times but that's to be expected of someone playing that way.

[UK Redsox]

The crowd looks a bit sparse at Edgbaston tonight

[cdbearsfan]

It's ludicrous to play it on the day of a World Cup SF when both teams have been free all weekend.

Cricket seems to go out of its way to dissuade fans from attending games.

[PaulWinch again]

India win the toss and bat.

[PaulWinch again]

Stokes in for Jordan, I do worry about our slip fielders a bit now.