Bears/Pears/Domestic Cricket Thread 2016

[Villan For Life]

Ian Bell has been confirmed as Bears captain with Chopra standing down to concentrate on his batting.

I think that's a great move and, subject to motivation etc, he will make an excellent Bears captain. I've always been impressed by his captaincy when he's lead the side in the past.

[AVH87]

Very happy with that, Chopra's form has been poor, so either needs to improve now or he gets dropped. Bell will lead from the front.

[PGW]

Must agree with that decision...good luck Belly!

[simon ward 50]

Good move all round. Probably suggests that Bell thinks his international career is over, but I'm sure he won't chuck in the towel just yet!

[tomd2103]

He always said it was his intention to captain the Bears after finishing international cricket.  I am a big fan of his and just wish he had retired at the end of the Ashes and gone out on his own terms.  A middle order of Trott, Bell and Hain looks pretty good if they can find their form.   

[ACVilla]

That's great news, hopefully Bell can add some innovation to what has been a very ordinary brand of cricket for the past couple of years.

[kippaxvilla2]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a strange move.  I really liked Chopra.  Plus has Bell retired from test cricket?

[Villan For Life]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a strange move.  I really liked Chopra.  Plus has Bell retired from test cricket?

As AC Villa says, watching the Bears under Chopra's leadership has been very dull and clearly the pressure of captaincy has affected his batting. Bell has not retired from test cricket, he's tweeted today that his appointment as Bears skipper does not detract from his desire to get back into the test side.

I'd be surprised if he does get back in the test side. His game has been in decline since the 2013 home Ashes series and he was close to retirement at the end of the 2015 Ashes. I would imagine the desire for test cricket is not what it was, regardless of what he tweets.

The test side has moved on in his absence and whilst there are questions around a couple of the top order, it would take some really drastic loss of form from a few of them for Bell to get back in. Happy to have him back full-time with the Bears though!

[Rotterdam]

Good luck Belly; as said, I doubt he'll get back in the England set up unless he scores a hat full of runs at a average of 60 or 70 plus and one of the current squad get injured or are dropped.
COYB!

[kippaxvilla2]

In terms of the one day game though Chopra was quite an innovative captain I thought anyway - we won the 20/20 for the first time.

[ACVilla]

In terms of the one day game though Chopra was quite an innovative captain I thought anyway - we won the 20/20 for the first time.

How we won that I will never know but win it we did and credit must go to the captain, in some part, for that.

[manic-road]

I have just heard that former Bears player Jack Bannister has passed away, a bit before my time as a player but listened to him commentating on the BBC and Talksport.
He played 19 years for Warwickshire.

[tomd2103]

I have just heard that former Bears player Jack Bannister has passed away, a bit before my time as a player but listened to him commentating on the BBC and Talksport.
He played 19 years for Warwickshire.

Sad news, didn't know he was ill.  I don't know if it is still accessible, but hew was on "My Sporting Life" with Danny Kelly on Talksport a while back.  Worth a listen for any Bears fan or cricket fan in general.

[The Left Side]

RIP Jack

[Villafirst]

Very sad news on Jack Bannister. Excellent journalist and Commentator. His match analysis in the Birmingham Post used to be fine reading, especially in the mid nineties in the Lara/ Donald era. RIP Jack.