English Cricket Thread

[Arthur Crabtree]

Buttler's ODI vc.

[alfie]

Woakes would probably be able to play through the home summer affectively (though I have no idea what he'd be like as a captain ); but surely he would be unlikely to be picked to lead the team overseas given his appalling bowling record outside England ?

[sussexpob]

Anderson being pulled from the recent round of matches in the CC might make a lot of sense if he's currently being briefed for the role.

I know many will maybe think it crazy, but I think Morgan coming in is a tempting left field idea - he seems to be an excellent ODI leader, and his test average of 30 actually walks into this team right now. And even if he fails with the bat, I think what he might bring to others and the standards he seems to demand could be positive.

Agree with Alfie ....but would go further. I think you cant even consider picking him as a player, let lone captain (Woakes)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Presume Morgan is more likely to retire from ODIs than start playing Tests.

[sussexpob]

He did his best and certainly cannot be accused of failing to lead by example , whatever you think of his tactical expertise.

I just didnt think he had a leadership type personality (as well as an astute tactical mind). I dont want to make it sound like a character assassination because I truly believe Root comes across as a decent human being, but the refusal to commit or condemn Ballance made him look like a total coward, and when he finally decided to speak out against his teams performance after years of underperformance, he threw the bowlers under the bus in a series the batters couldnt get past 200.

I think you need more balls from a captain, especially in a team like England at the moment. Someone a bit less willing to be your friend, and more of a demanding authority figure. I just dont think Root had that abrasive side to him.

[bigfluffylemon]

Right decision, surprised it's taken so long.

I would favour Broad, and sp makes a good point about Morgan (although I doubt they'd offer it, or he'd take it. He's a great captain though). But I reckon they'll give it to Stokes, and it won't go well.

[alfie]

Morgan just might have been an acceptable choice a few years back (though he wouldn't have been high on my own list as I don't think he quite had it at Test level) ; but surely he is near the end of his run even in the white ball outfit ? Fitness and form would completely rule him out of consideration , I think.

No perfect choice around at the moment, really. But as we are constantly urged to admire the Australian approach (and , for the most part , it seems to serve them quite well) you would think that giving the job to someone who actually owns a secure place in the XI might be the first priority ?

A pity Burns (who not that long ago looked at least a serviceable opening bat ) has lost form and favour as he actually has captaincy credentials and might well have been the logical candidate. Hard to see him getting back in to the team though given his very poor display in Australia - and the fact that he wasn't given the opportunity to redeem himself in West Indies suggesting the management had moved on from him.

Of course that management has also "moved on " now , so

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes is vc. If there's a succession plan presumably it's that he will take over. However perilous.

[bigfluffylemon]

Rob Key appointed MD.

Let's see who he appoints. I've heard rumours they might be pursuing Langer for coach.

[sussexpob]

Didn't Rob Key once say Langer was a prat who rambled on about nonsense in the Test Documentary, and that Steve Smith was the reason for Australian successes under him? I guess that would be a funny start to his MD career - choosing someone he thinks is a moron for the job.

[sussexpob]

In general though, there is something about the appointment that I do like a lot.

Key is one of those classic county legends, with a specialty in old fashioned 4 day cricket. He played for a traditional county that by memory was the first to run into large problems with modern day financial trends, so he will have first hand experience of the maladies of modern county cricket, and no doubt have the required faith in the domestic game to want to positively impact it. I place those qualities well over any experience in the administrative side of the game, because I am sure if he needs people to draft contracts or do the business side, he will find 100s of such business minded people in the organisation to make up for it.

Add to that the fact that he was the anti-thesis of the modern day cricketer that the ECB think they can build in a laboratory, then his appointment comes with a lot of encouragement that his own pathway in the game might serve as an inspiration to a county scene who badly needs an ally. I'd love to see him tear apart the player pathway ethos that has for too long overlooked raw talent for other unnecessary factors.

He comes across as a decent and thoughtful voice on the game of cricket, and also comes across as a likable and personable character, and not the type of personality lacking robots we are use to.

I wish him all the best.... my only large concern is his health, as he had a stroke not that long ago.

[sussexpob]

Id very much love for England to give Ricky Ponting a chance as a coach too. It might be a gamble and a disaster, but no one in the current cricketing world speaks anywhere near as much sense about the game of cricket than Punter. Key is a gamble, so why not go all in.

[bigfluffylemon]

Didn't Rob Key once say Langer was a prat who rambled on about nonsense in the Test Documentary, and that Steve Smith was the reason for Australian successes under him? I guess that would be a funny start to his MD career - choosing someone he thinks is a moron for the job.

Who knows? As I said, just a rumour, and it was about before Key was appointed, so maybe not. In any event, Key is apparently of the school of thought that a coach is what you travel to the ground in, so he may not set much store by who gets appointed.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Wasn't it Ponting who made up that quote about a coach?

[sussexpob]

Wasn't it Ponting who made up that quote about a coach?

no idea what you refer to, so cant say