The Cricket Thread 2014

[PaulWinch again]

Kerrigan added to the England squad.

[Villan For Life]

Kerrigan added to the England squad.

It's a step in the right direction but I don't think he'll play at Lords. He may play later in the series on more spin-friendly pitches like Old Trafford and the Oval.

When he is selected Cook needs to handle him better. His treatment in the Ashes test at the Oval last year was pretty poor regardless of how badly he bowled.

[PaulWinch again]

He needs to learn how to treat spinners better in general.

[paul_e]

The treatment of Kerrigan wasn't poor, it wasn't down right disgraceful.  8 overs in the 1st innings and then ignored for the rest of the match before being dropped for the next 2 series, no poor spell deserves that degree of contempt, particularly when he was picked as an option for the future with Swann still very much part of the team at the time.

For me he's the best option for a long term solution as the spinner but we need to let him learn how to bowl at this level, once he's had 5-6 innings and/or the best part of 150-200 overs then you can start to see how he's going to get on.

The use of Ali in the last 3 matches shows just how clueless Cook is with a spinner, they're always someone who fills overs rather than a tactical change. His lack of understnading was masked by Swann being very good for a while.

[peter w]

Must say I think Cook is starting to look a bit on the flabby side.

Anyway, that wicket Cook took may make all the difference for the next test. Instead of talk of poor batting and pressure the pictures are of him smiling and enjoying cricket. It is sometimes the extraordinary that breaks the cycle of poor form. He will be sitting their tonight having a laugh and a joke and generally feeling better about things because of his wicket. It may be the thing that he needs to go into the next test with feeling downright miserable. I think he'll bat well in the next test. If there was the normal 10 days or so between tests I doubt it would have had much of an effect, but only 3 days means there is little time to dwell on anything apart from his enjoyment of the moment.

[Dave Cooper please]

Cook's bowling average is 6.0, not far off his batting average this year.

[tomd2103]

Must say I think Cook is starting to look a bit on the flabby side.

Anyway, that wicket Cook took may make all the difference for the next test. Instead of talk of poor batting and pressure the pictures are of him smiling and enjoying cricket. It is sometimes the extraordinary that breaks the cycle of poor form. He will be sitting their tonight having a laugh and a joke and generally feeling better about things because of his wicket. It may be the thing that he needs to go into the next test with feeling downright miserable. I think he'll bat well in the next test. If there was the normal 10 days or so between tests I doubt it would have had much of an effect, but only 3 days means there is little time to dwell on anything apart from his enjoyment of the moment.

Agree Peter and in that regard, we could probably do with batting first so he isn't carrying any baggage of an innings in the field to the wicket with him. 

[ACVilla]

He still doesn't "look" like an England captain to me. I don't think he ever will.

[Villan For Life]

Jimmy's been charged with "abusing and pushing" Jadeja so we've retaliated tit-for-tat

No Love Lost

India always seem to look for something to complain about, to get under the skins of the other side. Whatever went on surely it could have been resolved internally particularly as the umpires saw nothing? This smacks of India trying to get a key England player banned.

[PaulWinch again]

Seems a bit over the top to me.

[taylorsworkrate]

Pitch is quite green, but I'll suspect that will be misleading

[PaulWinch again]

That is as green as I have ever seen a pitch. I think it's right that we're unchanged, we shouldn't be rushing Kerrigan back. He needs to go back to Lancs now. Bowling first hopefully we'll get some help.

[UK Redsox]

Aggers taking the piss out of Strauss as he walks by

[paul_e]

That is as green as I have ever seen a pitch. I think it's right that we're unchanged, we shouldn't be rushing Kerrigan back. He needs to go back to Lancs now. Bowling first hopefully we'll get some help.

I'd have swapped Jordan in for Plunkett but I agree it's not the pitch to bring Kerrigan in on.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah possibly Jordan would have been an option.