There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Same as England in this series? We dropped three in an hour at the MCG.

Who knows? I just don't get the assumption that we should drain that 300+ stand of merit. I suspect in some cases, it's down to England players involved. I've never heard anyone say that Cook's hundred after a bad summer wasn't for real. Or any of Jimmy Anderson's bowling heroics weren't merited. On this board, I''ve just heard (without evidence) Prior and Broad's innings questioned. My principal memory of that series is of how great Asif and Amir were, and how hard it was to stay in against them.

By the way, I don't think Pakistan cricket isn't/wasn't crooked. But I also saw how well they bowled at that partnership. Until they ran out of a normal amount of hope.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Akmal was a bad keeper. If he caught a great catch it was just one of those things that would happen eventually. What happened in Sydney wasn't the normal fluctuations within the range of player's ability.

[Making_Splinters]

Akmal has been cleared, as far as I am aware, of any wrong doing. Anyone who watched that test would completely disagree with that conclusion:



There is no way any keeper, well one playing the game properly at least, would miss that run out.

[shankycricket]

Can't help but feel this thread is digressing into a Spot Fixing debate.

[shankycricket]

http://jacksheldon93.tumblr.com/post/71 ... -test-team

Excellent article. I'd add - look for a young opener to partner Cook.

[Making_Splinters]

http://jacksheldon93.tumblr.com/post/71559813172/my-ten-point-plan-for-the-england-test-team

Excellent article. I'd add - look for a young opener to partner Cook.

There are at least three or four young players who could step up into that role; Reece, Lees, Chopra, Ali or there was that young Yorkshire lad we had before.

I'd be very hesitant to think about removing Carbs till at least next summer, England need to move into a period of stability to sort out at least one of the three problems we have before we start going after an opener.

[alfie]

http://jacksheldon93.tumblr.com/post/71559813172/my-ten-point-plan-for-the-england-test-team

Excellent article. I'd add - look for a young opener to partner Cook.

There are at least three or four young players who could step up into that role; Reece, Lees, Chopra, Ali or there was that young Yorkshire lad we had before.

I'd be very hesitant to think about removing Carbs till at least next summer, England need to move into a period of stability to sort out at least one of the three problems we have before we start going after an opener.

But is not Cook's opening partner one - arguably the first - of those problems ? The number three compounds it , yes. But with all due respect to Carberry's tenacity , the batting collapses have tended to stem originally from a period where the scoring rate has slowed to a crawl. Right from the Brisbane Test : yes once the tail was exposed Johnson demolished it. But a lot of damage was done before he really got started. Pattern has repeated since... Team has stuttered from total stagnation to poorly chosen aggressive action ...
Not fair to blame Carberry alone ; and elevating Bell - or even KP - to three might have helped (perhaps too late now) ; but going forward I am not sure either Carberry or Root belong in the first three.

Actually wouldn't change it for Sydney. Just swap Bell and Root in the order. But in the summer...

[alfie]

Can't help but feel this thread is digressing into a Spot Fixing debate.

Has rather

My fault for pointing out Broad's hundred had been overlooked I suppose. Was innocent enough ; though I did fear the no- ball stuff might be referenced as a reason for discounting it , however unjustifiably.
I think Arthur's recollections of the match tally with mine.

In any case , the Broad hundred was tangential to the issue I thought we were discussing...but I fear some people are less interested in sensible debate than in trivial haggling and endless negativity...

Think I'll fade out of this for a bit. Happy New Year all

[sussexpob]

Ok so have a look at the tests one by one.....

First test

Kamran, what have you done? Perfect outswinger from Aamer, Strauss edges and Akmal puts down the simplest of chances.

Danish Kaneria to Trott, (no ball) 2 runs, wow, this must have slipped out badly! A chest-high full toss from Kaneria takes Trott by surprise, and he can only tap it to midwicket. That was shocking

Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, no run, missed stumping! Kamran's really not having a good day... Collingwood charged down the track, was beaten in the air and by the turn. He was practically walking off he was so far down, but Kamran fumbled the take, and then couldn't pick the ball up before the batsman got back in

And Gul's over-stepped once again ....another no-ball!

the fielder could not hold on at first attempt, then parried the second attempt over first slip, only for none other than Kamran Akmal to slide in and take a superb reaction catch!

Kamran Akmal take a bow! Pietersen falls thanks to an absolute stunner from Kamran!

Two balls later

Kamran has gone from hero back to zero! Dropped! What is that

Second Test

first slip drops a sitter! That was a gentle, regulation chance. Thick edge, it went to Farhat at the perfect catching height and wasn't travelling too quickly either. "An absolute dolly," says Bumble, and that's what it was! Inexplicable

Umar Gul made a half-hearted attempt to take the catch, but ended up just palming the ball away for four

no run, oh no! Dropped by Haider! Almost identical to Pietersen's second-innings dismissal at Trent Bridge, length ball outside off stump, Pietersen tried to force it through cover and got a big inside edge, Haider dived down the leg side but spilled the chance. Bring back Kamran

actually it's dropped. Oh dear, gully ran in and made a half-hearted effort to take it. That really was the easiest catch you'll see, but he didn't seem bothered

dropped by Hameed at slip! It was full, took the edge and went at a regulation catching height to slip, who just put it down! Ajmal looks as though that's really hurt his feelings. Another chance goes begging for Pakistan

Salman Butt has dropped an absolute sitter at mid-off! It was another switch-hit from Swann, but he didn't execute it well at all, and the ball lobbed gently towards Butt... but he put it down! Inexplicable.

Saeed Ajmal to Strauss, no run, dropped, the keeper has shelled one. Strauss forces off the back foot and it's a big edge

Saeed Ajmal to Strauss, 1 run, dropped by Haider! a thick edge that found the edge of Haider's glove but burst through and looped over the slips!

Key to note here that England only scored 261 and 117, so no large innings in this test, yet SOOOOOOOOOOO many drops



Cant even be bother to go to the last two tests, I think you get the point

[D/L]

...My fault for pointing out Broad's hundred had been overlooked I suppose....

...Happy New Year all

More discounted (and rightly so) than overlooked, I think, alfie.

Happy new year to you too.

[Making_Splinters]

http://jacksheldon93.tumblr.com/post/71559813172/my-ten-point-plan-for-the-england-test-team

Excellent article. I'd add - look for a young opener to partner Cook.

There are at least three or four young players who could step up into that role; Reece, Lees, Chopra, Ali or there was that young Yorkshire lad we had before.

I'd be very hesitant to think about removing Carbs till at least next summer, England need to move into a period of stability to sort out at least one of the three problems we have before we start going after an opener.

But is not Cook's opening partner one - arguably the first - of those problems ? The number three compounds it , yes. But with all due respect to Carberry's tenacity , the batting collapses have tended to stem originally from a period where the scoring rate has slowed to a crawl. Right from the Brisbane Test : yes once the tail was exposed Johnson demolished it. But a lot of damage was done before he really got started. Pattern has repeated since... Team has stuttered from total stagnation to poorly chosen aggressive action ...
Not fair to blame Carberry alone ; and elevating Bell - or even KP - to three might have helped (perhaps too late now) ; but going forward I am not sure either Carberry or Root belong in the first three.

Actually wouldn't change it for Sydney. Just swap Bell and Root in the order. But in the summer...

You're advocating dropping a player who has only had four tests to make a case, four tests in what has been England's worst series collectively arguably since the 99 home series against New Zealand.

England's biggest problem is the lack of consistancy, planning and forward thinking in selection. If Carbs gets dropped for the first series in the summer, following on from the way Compton and Root were treated, what message does that send out to any new player coming into the side?

Our first priority has to be sorting out the spinner, followed by the wicket keeper, followed by number six, and then and only then should we even think about looking at the opening slot.

[sussexpob]

If Carbs gets dropped for the first series in the summer, following on from the way Compton and Root were treated, what message does that send out to any new player coming into the side?

They have to score a decent amount of runs and look like test players? Is that such a large demand?

[Making_Splinters]

If Carbs gets dropped for the first series in the summer, following on from the way Compton and Root were treated, what message does that send out to any new player coming into the side?

They have to score a decent amount of runs and look like test players? Is that such a large demand?

A fair piont Sussex, but one that is completely redundent when applied to a player who has only been given four tests, and for the most part actually looked more like a Test player than his opening partner.

[hopeforthebest]

If Carbs gets dropped for the first series in the summer, following on from the way Compton and Root were treated, what message does that send out to any new player coming into the side?

They have to score a decent amount of runs and look like test players? Is that such a large demand?

A fair piont Sussex, but one that is completely redundent when applied to a player who has only been given four tests, and for the most part actually looked more like a Test player than his opening partner.

If England had been putting totals on the board regularly above 350 Carberry's performance would look poor but in the context of what really happened he's done OK. He's certainly looked more like an opening batsman than either Compton or Root.

[sussexpob]

If Carbs gets dropped for the first series in the summer, following on from the way Compton and Root were treated, what message does that send out to any new player coming into the side?

They have to score a decent amount of runs and look like test players? Is that such a large demand?

A fair piont Sussex, but one that is completely redundent when applied to a player who has only been given four tests, and for the most part actually looked more like a Test player than his opening partner.

If England had been putting totals on the board regularly above 350 Carberry's performance would look poor but in the context of what really happened he's done OK. He's certainly looked more like an opening batsman than either Compton or Root.

Root scored 180 at least as an opener, Compton scored 2 x 100's in a series England struggled in(and played in Asia, traditionally the place English batters struggle the most)... Carberry has 1 x 60 in 10 innings