There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Slipstream]

Very good posting about the Lions.
Westley( 650) has scored more runs that Cook (523). Vince (275).

I think, I might be wrong though, that Ball and Vince were also the players who played the most (I think they both started all games, not sure anyone else did). It was clear the management were desperate for them to produce something, possibly because a decision had already been made for them to be the ones to make the step up, and the others had already been disregarded whatever they did. Really encouraging that......

This selection policy has Flower all over it. Id hazard a guess that Bayliss wanted to base selections on form as he has been keen to point out, but somewhere along the line the influence from around him has took over. Flower plays these two as the most prominent members of his Lions team despite failing, then they both get elevated to the next squad even though its inconsistency with the stated policy. It makes me wonder who is really running the show with selections?

Flower was always a guy who made judgement on players that werent based on actual performances. Its probably why he struggled to ever implement and adapt to losing members of his squad he had basically already inherited. I have always hated the "snap" judgement style of selection. Telling Chris Rushworth he didnt have enough pace to be selected and having the press rally around the opinion, but then having the press talk Ball up despite the fact by all accounts he bowls medium pace (although Selvey described it as the brisk side of Fast Medium) and has taken far few wickets at higher run rates than Rushworth. Flower destroyed the relevance of county cricket, I worry that his influence still exists.

After all, what can we say about this squad? It might be the right one, but it certainly ignored county form and ignored performances from the A team.

Not sure this message to guys like Robson is the right one. Id even had picked Robson as an extra man even if I wasnt going to use him, just to say "you did the right things, keep doing them, your in our minds".

At the moment the management are saying to players, dont bother scoring runs in county cricket becasue we dont care...... and dont bother performing for the Lions because we already made our mind up about who we want, based on certain arbitrary requirements?

Yes this has Flower's name written all over it. The selectors are Fraser, Newell, Whitaker and Bayliss. Cook sitting in on the meeting. What for? He was recommending Browne when at the other end Westley should have been the one. I imagine that Strauss and Flower were also sitting in the selection meeting.

Curran was better than Ball in the UAE but I can see Ball will be selected for the ODIs especially since Willey is injured. Malan better than Vince but Vince will be in the team.

I thought Strauss wanted a separation between the white and red ball cricketers but it seems we are getting more playing in all 3 formats.
Hales, Vince, Stokes, Root, Ali, Finn - playing all forms
Cook, Compton, Anderson, Broad, Bairstow - red ball

[Dr Cricket]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke ... gland.html
flower saying Vince might be a future captain.

England like the cut of Vince’s jib and, as well as being an elegant strokemaker, he is rated as an outstanding leader and tactician by former England coach Andy Flower, who has worked with him over the last two winters with the Lions.

[sussexpob]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3587629/Why-picking-Nick-Compton-Sri-Lanka-Test-series-big-mistake-England.html
flower saying Vince might be a future captain.

England like the cut of Vince’s jib and, as well as being an elegant strokemaker, he is rated as an outstanding leader and tactician by former England coach Andy Flower, who has worked with him over the last two winters with the Lions.

Flower coming out to say that now?

So Flower is picking the team again? How long before Bayliss is bumped and the ECB revert to Flower?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Flower has been drifting back into public view recently.

[Aidan11]

He has a 50/50 chance of being right. Just spouting stuff for journos to print.

[Aidan11]

I could say Stuart Broad could be next England skipper.


Doesn't mean it will happen.

[Slipstream]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3587629/Why-picking-Nick-Compton-Sri-Lanka-Test-series-big-mistake-England.html
flower saying Vince might be a future captain.

England like the cut of Vince’s jib and, as well as being an elegant strokemaker, he is rated as an outstanding leader and tactician by former England coach Andy Flower, who has worked with him over the last two winters with the Lions.

4/1 to Pakistan A

[alfie]

Not complaining about the team. Vince has been on the periphery for a while and with Bell carrying an injury and Ballance out of nick he was surely the logical selection. Ball is in form now and if good judges had already identified him as a prospect previously - well what are selectors and coaches for ? If selection was just to be based on form a computer could do it

Oh hang on

But seriously a Test Match is different from a "trial" limited overs contest.

Berry apparently didn't like the team. I share his concern about Hales and Compton ; but don't follow the logic of wanting them replaced now in case they fail and the replacements don't have enough time before the next Ashes : apart from the fact that you can't base everything around the Ashes , what happens if the "replacements" (Lees , Robson recycled ) fail ? Go back to Hales ? I think Hales and Compton need runs against Sri Lanka , lots of them. But I have no problem with them getting the chance to do so.

[Making_Splinters]

England selection would be getting very silly if players were dumped after a single series away from home.

[sussexpob]

England selection would be getting very silly if players were dumped after a single series away from home.

Agreed. But then again there were questions on Hales about his style being suited to Tests.

[alfie]

If I'm honest , I am now more hoping than expecting Hales to crack the Test Match opening game...

But I still want to to see him given a reasonable chance to do so ; because there is so much upside to having a successful Hales at the top of the order. A free scoring opener alongside Cook would be a formidable combination.

[Arthur Crabtree]

They've got to give an opener a prolonged chance, after four years of constant change. Hales hasn't failed, it's not time to let him go. Give him at least ten Tests including games against different opposition.

Perhaps there should be more analysis into England picking him and then changing his method.

[Making_Splinters]

England selection would be getting very silly if players were dumped after a single series away from home.

Agreed. But then again there were questions on Hales about his style being suited to Tests.

To be honest, I don't think there is much credit to the argument that a player isn't, "suited" to Test cricket. The game has changed so much over the years that there isn't really a Test match player archetype anymore. Look at the likes of Warner who I'd wager very few could honestly say thought he'd make it. Hales has paid his dues in the LVCC to a fair bit of success in recent seasons, if anything U think he needs to stop worrying about being a Test player and just go out and play his cricket.

[sussexpob]

England selection would be getting very silly if players were dumped after a single series away from home.

Agreed. But then again there were questions on Hales about his style being suited to Tests.

To be honest, I don't think there is much credit to the argument that a player isn't, "suited" to Test cricket. The game has changed so much over the years that there isn't really a Test match player archetype anymore. Look at the likes of Warner who I'd wager very few could honestly say thought he'd make it. Hales has paid his dues in the LVCC to a fair bit of success in recent seasons, if anything U think he needs to stop worrying about being a Test player and just go out and play his cricket.

I meant it in terms of the general perception. Getting rid of Hales after South Africa could be done without seeming to compromise on the ethos of selection in place, simply because they can credit his dropping down to taking a punt on a player that had deserved his chance, but was probably not the traditionally suited type.

Personally I agree with your general points. I think I have made similar ones myself with regards to this idiotic notion of the "right type" of player. Performance proves if you are the right type, not style, textbook techniques or lovely actions.

For once England should stop banging on about grit and tell Hales, "see that Warner??? Just hit the ball like him and see what happens".

Joe Root scored a double hundred at ODI pace last week, no one will tell you he is the wrong type.

[Making_Splinters]

England selection would be getting very silly if players were dumped after a single series away from home.

Agreed. But then again there were questions on Hales about his style being suited to Tests.

To be honest, I don't think there is much credit to the argument that a player isn't, "suited" to Test cricket. The game has changed so much over the years that there isn't really a Test match player archetype anymore. Look at the likes of Warner who I'd wager very few could honestly say thought he'd make it. Hales has paid his dues in the LVCC to a fair bit of success in recent seasons, if anything U think he needs to stop worrying about being a Test player and just go out and play his cricket.

I meant it in terms of the general perception. Getting rid of Hales after South Africa could be done without seeming to compromise on the ethos of selection in place, simply because they can credit his dropping down to taking a punt on a player that had deserved his chance, but was probably not the traditionally suited type.

Personally I agree with your general points. I think I have made similar ones myself with regards to this idiotic notion of the "right type" of player. Performance proves if you are the right type, not style, textbook techniques or lovely actions.

For once England should stop banging on about grit and tell Hales, "see that Warner??? Just hit the ball like him and see what happens".

Joe Root scored a double hundred at ODI pace last week, no one will tell you he is the wrong type.

Aye, I'd go with that, Sussex.