The International Cricket Thread

[olaftab]

Wedging in Stokes destroyed team direction and spirit. A shameful act that’s delivered the disaster it coveted.😡

[tomd2103]

It’s the lack of clear thinking that tells you how unprepared they are. They’ve not got a clue what their best team is. Livingstone playing 6 rings massive alarm bells, Willey at 7 in the last game the same.

When your first choice team gets blown away a few times then it is always going to impact on thinking.  I can see the thinking behind Livingstone's selection as that third spin option in Indian conditions, but he just hasn't fired with the bat at all. 

[PaulWinch again]

I don’t have a problem with Livingstone playing per se, although his pedigree of late is purely 20/20. It’s more that there’s no way he should be coming in at 6.

[PaulWinch again]

Wedging in Stokes destroyed team direction and spirit. A shameful act that’s delivered the disaster it coveted.😡

Yes I don’t think that’s helped, but mainly because it speaks to the attitude towards 50 over cricket. You either want to play it or you don’t, you can’t pick and choose.

Given their lack of cohesion and prep it is absolutely bonkers that they played a “B” team against Ireland. There were 3 potential games (I know there was rain) to work on the team structure, and they didn’t take them.

[taylorsworkrate]

Oldest squad in the tournament. Perhaps too much loyalty has been shown

[Rory]

"England are 147 for 9 with 18.1 overs remaining"

Jesus wept.

It's not even a decent T20 score! When England cricket do terrible, there really is nobody worse.

We have this incredible ability to just seemingly give up if things aren't going our way. Only WI & Pakistan at their worst rival it.

[PaulWinch again]

The whole contract thing was weird as well, announcing in the middle of the tournament. Bit harsh on David Willey to find out he’s the only one without a contract, but they want him to open the bowling the next day.

[Steve67]

It will be interesting to see who survives the post tournament inquest.  Whether the ECB blame themselves or Mott and Butler get pushed and bare the brunt of the blame.  To be fair, Butler has made some strange decisions and hasn't played well at all.  Utterly abject performance today but there has been a soft underbelly our batting for a while and we have lost too many wickets in quite a few games, often struggling to see the 50 overs through.  As for the bowling, we haven't learned to take the pace off the ball like other teams.  Won't always work of course, but other teams seem to do it much better than us.  As for taking Archer. WTF.

[PaulWinch again]

Same team, Livingstone at 6 - yikes. Choosing to bowl first as well.

[PaulWinch again]

This has 400 written all over it.

[PaulWinch again]

Blimey Woakes gets a wicket.

[PaulWinch again]

3 down we’ve actually turned up with the ball here.

[Monty]

That's plumb I think.

[PaulWinch again]

Root’s form isn’t great. Batting line up is very fragile with Livingstone at 6.

[Monty]

Given the low target that is a poor shot.