Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

It appears that the team do not even know what the strategy was for these remaining games before the WC. Luke Wright was keen to stress that the squad was set in stone when it was announced some time ago, and the Ireland games being scheduled to finish on the 26/09 when they have a game in India only 3 days later as prep for the WC, was obviously too close to get the team out to India and acclimatised before said matches.... so the Ireland series has seemingly been binned by the first team, and they will just send out some reserves to make the fixture.

But then Mott was very keen to counter Wright, and has come out to say places are not confirmed, and spaces are up for grabs. Which then makes you wonder why they have separated the challengers from the confirmed squad members? You end up with a situation where those not performing in the NZ series might be dropped based on the outcome of the Ireland matches....

I think it goes without saying that Ireland is a far easier fixture.... we could see players making a big contribution in a lower quality series being thrust on a plane at the last minute, and 1 or 2 players who were told their spots were guaranteed, being dragged off the plane and left at Heathrow. Surely, anyone who hopes to get to the WC should play v NZ in that series and perform? It seems very unfair that one or two players might get leapfrogged?

Id have thought it more prudent to schedule everything to finish a little sooner, have the first team in both series, and make the squad announcement after the Ireland game with everything live and everyone challenging.... it didnt make any sense to schedule the Ireland games when they did.

The middle of summer was cleared of international cricket, hence all the ODIs happening in September. Though fortunately, the weather is great.

Maybe the ECB wanted the potential interest built up by an ashes series to be channeled into the hundred. But the lack of international cricket after the Ashes feels to me like the public interest has been squandered.

sussexpob wrote:It appears that the team do not even know what the strategy was for these remaining games before the WC. Luke Wright was keen to stress that the squad was set in stone when it was announced some time ago, and the Ireland games being scheduled to finish on the 26/09 when they have a game in India only 3 days later as prep for the WC, was obviously too close to get the team out to India and acclimatised before said matches.... so the Ireland series has seemingly been binned by the first team, and they will just send out some reserves to make the fixture.

But then Mott was very keen to counter Wright, and has come out to say places are not confirmed, and spaces are up for grabs. Which then makes you wonder why they have separated the challengers from the confirmed squad members? You end up with a situation where those not performing in the NZ series might be dropped based on the outcome of the Ireland matches....

I think it goes without saying that Ireland is a far easier fixture.... we could see players making a big contribution in a lower quality series being thrust on a plane at the last minute, and 1 or 2 players who were told their spots were guaranteed, being dragged off the plane and left at Heathrow. Surely, anyone who hopes to get to the WC should play v NZ in that series and perform? It seems very unfair that one or two players might get leapfrogged?

Id have thought it more prudent to schedule everything to finish a little sooner, have the first team in both series, and make the squad announcement after the Ireland game with everything live and everyone challenging.... it didnt make any sense to schedule the Ireland games when they did.

Changes can be made to the WC squad till 28 September, so still can change anyone after the Ireland series but don't think they will. Archer started bowling again on the 14 August. Think he will be ready end of September as a travelling reserve. Should have tried Archer even at half speed so he would have match practice. Maybe they can take 4 or 5 travelling reserves - Archer, Carse, Ahmed, Brook.

The press are 100% convinced that Brook will end up in the squad, and I read somewhere (cant remember where) that David Willey is already mentally preparing himself for losing his place to Archer before 28th.

Ideally, you would have liked to see 2-3-4 players from that Lions Squad for the Ireland test put into the NZ series. Give your guaranteed certs to start the first game a couple of matches, but then those like Roy who badly needs runs get put against someone else looking for his place in a couple of games. And then if someone from that Ireland series squad makes a case, you throw both options against each other for the Ireland series.

Think we have 2 warm ups in India, so no one should go in cold with 8 matches in the next 29 days....

I have no idea why willey is in the squad in the first place.

I thought it would be Willey losing his place to Brooks not Archer.

Labuschagne came in as concussion substitute tonight ODI. Surely we will need some of those too in the WC.

Best news of all is Stokes is having his knee fixed after the WC.

Slipstream wrote:I thought it would be Willey losing his place to Brooks not Archer

The press seem to think its Willey v Archer..... Roy v Harry. If I were a betting man, I would say that Roy's form is a concern, so I could imagine a few failures early in the series and Harry will be drafted in.

In Archer's case, I totally agree with what Steve Harmison said today.... considering taking Archer, who has broken down continually after coming back recently, is not good for the player nor the team. And Willey has bowled really well in ODIs in the last few years, so deserves to go. Really, the maverick pick of Gus Atkinson is the one that I would consider changing. Not against a total maverick pick, but is a WC squad the place to do it?

He has played only 2 x 50 over games in his career, so its a real leap of faith.... and his record as a T20 bowler isn't really that good either.

Well Roy is not playing, and Brook is opening when he wasn't picked in the squad..... very strange. But I guess that settles it

Wiley didn’t do his chances any harm in that second NZ ODI. I know a lot of the media think he will be discarded - again : but I’m not sure it would make sense to cut down the pace bowling options just to squeeze in another batting choice. Brook has his attractions , sure. But I reckon if he comes in it has to be for Roy - if they were to decide he isn’t getting back to his old form. We will see…

alfie wrote:Wiley didn’t do his chances any harm in that second NZ ODI. I know a lot of the media think he will be discarded - again : but I’m not sure it would make sense to cut down the pace bowling options just to squeeze in another batting choice. Brook has his attractions , sure. But I reckon if he comes in it has to be for Roy - if they were to decide he isn’t getting back to his old form. We will see…

Brook hasn't seized the opportunity in the last two matches, and Willey has.... so unless something dramatically changes, it's looking like its back to the squad originally picked. Roy has become more selectable through not playing...

England have six specialist pace bowlers in a squad of 15 for a WC in India, so could easily lose one. Plus Stokes if he's fit. Maybe Atkinson could be an alternative to be dropped, but it feels sensible to lose one of them.

ODI MOM Awards

13 Buttler
12 Roy
11 Bairstow
10 Root
7 Stokes
5 Woakes, Rashid, Ali
3 Curran
2 Malan
1 Livingstone, Archer, Willey, Topley
0 Brook Wood

Roy has been dropped for Brook.

@StocksC_cricket

Here's the final 15:
JC Buttler (captain/wicketkeeper)
JM Bairstow
HC Brook
DJ Malan
JE Root
MM Ali
SM Curran
LS Livingstone
BA Stokes
DJ Willey
CR Woakes
AAP Atkinson
AU Rashid
RJW Topley
MA Wood

Maybe that means Malan is now first choice to open.

I'm sure it does

I feel a bit sorry for Roy. He's had no opportunity to make his case, at all. The original 15 announced was the WC squad until the whole world and his dog hit the roof that Brook wasn't in it and then suddenly it became a 'provisional' squad. Roy hasn't played and they've dropped him before the Ireland series in which he was supposed to play. The same voices calling for Brook were calling for Malan to miss out before the 'provisional' announcement, but he's had the opportunity to silence those voices. If the decision has been taken that he isn't going to be fit enough for the WC, then fair enough, but at this moment it rather feels to me as though he's been shafted

I hope he plays against Ireland and rattles off a shed load of runs.