The International Cricket Thread

[dcdavecollett]

I agree, plus I thoroughly enjoyed watching a top-class 'keeper in action.

I find the notion that Bairstow will be given back the gloves when Brook returns highly disturbing!

[tomd2103]

Big positive from this tour is the emergence of the spinners and the consistency of Crawley (who has shown he’s learnt). But there are lies of areas for improvement and hopefully they’re a little more reflective internally than they appear from the outside.

Do you think any of the spinners we have seen on the tour will become a fixture in the side at home and in other countries Paul?

[PaulWinch again]

I think it’s tricky, but Leach’s injury could open the door for
Bashir, which in turn gives him a shot of being the sole spinner for England. Hartley will have a choice to make because Lyon is playing the whole summer for Lancs. On the one hand that’ll limit his chance of games I imagine, but also he’ll have a chance to learn from a great.

[dcdavecollett]

Bashir should replace Leach as he is a genuine wicket-taker.

[simboy]

England have three Tests v Windies this summer before heading down to NZ. It’s a chance to re-evaluate, assuming the main aim is the 2025/6 Ashes.

I thought we were a batsman light in India. My view is Stokes is in the wrong spot.  Without his bowling, he has to be played as a batsman. As such I wonder if he could bat at 3. He’s the best technically of all the English team bar Root. If he could turn his arm over if needed all the better, but he shouldn’t be relied upon to have to do so.

That would allow England to accommodate both Pope and Brooke where they both feel comfortable with a long view of Brooke batting at 3, Pope is far too nervy for that spot currently.

Bairstow will continue at seven I suspect. An inferior keeper to Foakes but if it spins prodigiously in either England or New Zealand I would be surprised.

That allows England to play four bowlers. Depending on how long Jimmy wants to go on then it’s perhaps time to encourage some of the new seamers in alongside Wood. Atkinson and perhaps Carse. I can see Bashir fitting in but, with an eye on a point of difference I’d persist with giving Rehan Ahmed game time.

[Villan For Life]

There’s also a home test series against Sri Lanka before they travel to New Zealand but the next test match isn’t until July, there will be plenty of white ball cricket before then though.

I think Bairstow should go, he will make way for Harry Brook. Foakes must keep wicket and he’s a good, gritty lower middle order batsman.

I don’t think that there’s much wrong with the batting line up and we have Dan Lawrence in the mix too. Yes they failed miserably in India but I think there’s enough talent there.

The ages of our seam bowling unit is a worry, they are all mid-30’s and above and I haven’t seen too much quality to replace them. It’s been great to have Jimmy and Broady for so many test matches, that has been a huge positive but there is a downside to having two of the greatest swing bowlers of all time in your side. It can stifle the development of the next generation.

For once we have options in the spin department, three good English spinners, when was the last time we had that level of choice?

[taylorsworkrate]

I'd be looking at someone like James Rew from Somerset being given a chance with the gloves.

[Gareth]

England have three Tests v Windies this summer before heading down to NZ. It’s a chance to re-evaluate, assuming the main aim is the 2025/6 Ashes.

I thought we were a batsman light in India. My view is Stokes is in the wrong spot.  Without his bowling, he has to be played as a batsman. As such I wonder if he could bat at 3. He’s the best technically of all the English team bar Root. If he could turn his arm over if needed all the better, but he shouldn’t be relied upon to have to do so.

That would allow England to accommodate both Pope and Brooke where they both feel comfortable with a long view of Brooke batting at 3, Pope is far too nervy for that spot currently.

Bairstow will continue at seven I suspect. An inferior keeper to Foakes but if it spins prodigiously in either England or New Zealand I would be surprised.

That allows England to play four bowlers. Depending on how long Jimmy wants to go on then it’s perhaps time to encourage some of the new seamers in alongside Wood. Atkinson and perhaps Carse. I can see Bashir fitting in but, with an eye on a point of difference I’d persist with giving Rehan Ahmed game time.

Would def still have Woakes in there as a senior bowler too.

[paul_e]

I'd be looking at someone like James Rew from Somerset being given a chance with the gloves.

I agree, I'm not sure about Foakes, he's a good keeper but as a batsman I think he's an 8 or 9 at test level.

[simboy]

Yeah. Rew is a good call moving forward. Perhaps as a batsman rather than keeper/batsman at the moment bearing in mind his age.

[PaulWinch again]

To be honest, and whether he wants to admit it or not, regardless of the position he bats Pope is going to have to address how frenetic he is at the start of innings. If he doesn’t he’ll never fulfill his obvious potential because he’ll get a proliferation of low scores. There’s a difference between proactivity and skittishness- Root does the former and Pope does the latter.

[dcdavecollett]

Pope has always been like this, making him unfit for the no.3 position.

Good player, mind; just in the wrong place.

[PaulWinch again]

I don’t think it’s about his position though - it’ll get him out early wherever he bats. He needs to improve on it if he’s going to have a consistently strong Test career.

[dcdavecollett]

I would have thought a 'twitchy' batting style might be more of a problem against fresher bowlers with a newish ball that is doing a bit.

[PaulWinch again]

No doubt, but it also gives an opportunity wherever he bats.