There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Slipstream]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/englands-jimmy-anderson-ben-stokes-8386828

Nothing more than the musings of a bored sports writer.

He would have spoken to them both as he has written their books and is close to them. He was saying on CWOTV that both are ready. Stokes wanted to bowl today but Durham wouldn't let him. Probably instructed from the ECB otherwise they would look silly.

Wood was bowling in the high 80s and top speed 90.4. Will have loads of fast bowlers.. Anderson Broad Finn Wood Woakes Stokes Ball Roland-Jones Plunkett and Jordan. Pity not a queue of spinners.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Looks like Buttler won't replace Ballance, given his broken thumb. If Stokes is fit, maybe he'll come back after all.

[Slipstream]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke ... paign=1490

I think the selectors picked the squad they wanted and Bayliss didn't have much of a say.

[Slipstream]

Dobell says Stokes and Anderson hope to feature in Championship matches for their counties starting at the weekend. Lancs v Durham at Southport on Saturday. That will leave them 2 days before the OT Test. I suppose it's better to have more overs than no overs.

So since England are bringing them back at OT I wonder who the 2 players are to miss out? Will it be two bowlers or a batsman and a bowler.

[Aidan11]

Ball and possibly Finn.

Woakes has already guaranteed his place in the second test.


Finn or Ballance? Well he hasn't batted yet but even if he failed both innings are they likely to drop him again after one test.

[westoelad]

Dobell says Stokes and Anderson hope to feature in Championship matches for their counties starting at the weekend. Lancs v Durham at Southport on Saturday. That will leave them 2 days before the OT Test. I suppose it's better to have more overs than no overs.

.

Would imagine ECB will put a restriction on how much each can bowl- 10-12 overs each inns perhaps.

[m@tt]

Lions squad has been announced. Very young team as per normal. Some new faces too, including a few who were in the U19s WC squad.

Malan (c), Bell-Drummond, Duckett, Clarke, D’Oliveira, Billings (wk), Livingstone, Dawson, T Curran, J Overton, Mahmood, Garton, S Curran.

I've got tickets for the first game in Cheltenham a week on Tuesday.

Just realised. No Yorkshire players. Maybe a mistake?

Actually, based on recent performances, Azeem might be worth a go.

Not a surprise really. They already have so many players in the senior England squads that it doesn't leave many left!

[Slipstream]

Dobell says Stokes and Anderson hope to feature in Championship matches for their counties starting at the weekend. Lancs v Durham at Southport on Saturday. That will leave them 2 days before the OT Test. I suppose it's better to have more overs than no overs.

.

Would imagine ECB will put a restriction on how much each can bowl- 10-12 overs each inns perhaps.

Now it seems not.

Dobell
'It is possible, though unlikely, that Anderson could feature in the same Championship match as Stokes, as England are reluctant to allow him to play a full part in a match that ends a day later than the first Test. He is more likely to continue his rehabilitation in the nets and away from the cameras'.

But Stokes can?

I heard Fraser saying on a podcast they couldn't play Anderson without some match practice. They didn''t want to go into a Test with a player not completely fit. The funny thing is Finn is not completely fit. A few days ago he went for a scan on his knee. Also has had no f/c bowling since 3rd SL Test.

[Aidan11]

Doesn't make sense.

He's our main bowler. We need to do what we can to get him in the test side.

[hopeforthebest]

One thing in Jimmy's favour is that he invariably doesn't need a lot of bowling to bowl well.

[Slipstream]

One thing in Jimmy's favour is that he invariably doesn't need a lot of bowling to bowl well.

I don't know about that.

No bowling for 3 weeks before NZ - 6 wickets at 43.00
No bowling for 5 weeks before Ashes - first two Tests - 3 wickets for 71.00
85 overs with Lancs before Pak - 13 wickets at 15.61
No bowling for 8 weeks before SA - 7 wickets at 43.00
115.5 with Lancs before SL - 21 at 10.80

Now heard he is playing the first two days at Durham.

[The Professor]

Question: Have we found a long term proper replacement for Bell yet?

[ianp1970]

Question: Have we found a long term proper replacement for Bell yet?

I'm guessing it's Joe Root. What we need is replacements for Trott and Pietersen.

[backfootpunch]

Question: Have we found a long term proper replacement for Bell yet?

I'm guessing it's Joe Root. What we need is replacements for Trott and Pietersen.

And swann
and collingwood

And a keeper who can catch and looking forward to the winter one who can read rashids googly, I do find it bemusing that bairstow can't

We could really do with a nuggety collingwoodesque player to hold the strokemakers together

[Arthur Crabtree]

This is a side that won back the Ashes, won in SA, overwhelmed SL. Clearly they won't win in India, but I'm not sure they need to change much. In the last year, Bairstow, Woakes and (less emphatically) Hales have emerged. Cook pulled out of his tailspin. So there are positives.

Anderson, Broad and Woakes give them a good pace attack. Stokes will come back. Last year was a tough year and England survived.

Cook/Hales/Batter/Root/Batter/Stokes/Bairstow/Mo(or spinner)/Woakes/Broad/Anderson

Only great sides don't have queries over three players at any one time. I reckon every England side I've seen has (maybe not 1977?)