There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bairstow could have gone. I accept the explanation that they wanted to stand by the side that made so much progress since the WC. But Bairstow (and Billings, but he's never had a chance) has never much been part of that team. And he's got plenty on in Tests (where I'd have him batting at five).

[braveneutral]

I do find it a little but of a casting away.

[Making_Splinters]

My issue is not Duckett being replaced in the side, that was always going to happen, but dropping him from the squad.

Given his performances in Bangladesh and over the summer for Lions, he should be in the squad, especially over the likes of Billings.

It's the message it sends rather than anything else that troubles me. It doesn't matter how well you do as a place holder. When they come back you're done.

[Red Devil]

I expect the Eng test XI for next home series to be something like ...

Cook
Hameed
Jennings
Root
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Wood / Rashid - depending on pitch (or maybe just another batter, possibly Buttler but could be someone else)
Broad
Anderson

[Durhamfootman]

Take Red's side, then swap Moeen for Woakes at 8 and insert another batsman at 5, I reckon

[yuppie]

I think England have to decide on if they are picking Ali as a batsman, an all rounder or a bowler.

They seem to be throwing him around the batting order to cover up cracks forming everywhere. You can not expect a player to bowl 50 overs in an innings and then expect them to bat at 4. Just ridiculous. Is he a top 4 bat anyway? Bat him at 6 and use his spin when required. He is not good enough to be picked as just a bowler, or a top 4 bat.

I really think the best thing for England to do is to pick a settled team, and allow the players to get used of their position within that team. It is ridiculous for a player to be batting at 8 in one test series and then at 4 in the next. How does a player suddenly become an international top 4 batsman when picked in the team as a bowler? I understand that they have had problems with injuries.

And maybe someone on the Selection committee can justify some of the really strange selections that have gone on recently. Come out and speak to the press and tell them why they made the selections, at least give the fans a chance to try and understand why players were selected and what they are trying to do with the team. At present it just seems like a scatter gun approach.

Not that i mind though, takes the heat of the Australians for a bit

[Dr Cricket]

Been reading cook might stay on just because he think england might win the Ashes in Australia well all I will say they not winning the Ashes with him in charge might do with someone else in charge though.
Cook not getting the best out of the team and his captaincy making England a poorer side.
if they really want to give them the best chance of winning the ashes he needs to go as captain.

[Dr Cricket]

Lol the fact they crapping about Root batting declining if he becomes captain says everything about england mentality.
always baffling to see why England are always scared to try new things or players.
too scared to try leach after Kerrigan.
Too scared to change anything in the ODI setup for years.
Too scared to remove Cook from Captain.
Too scared to play Buttler as a batsman.
Really the list goes on.
More funny considering Nasser always goes on about how England need to stop looking at what players can't do but what they can do or what can go right but doesn't think Root should be captain because he might fail as a batsman even though he listed all the positives that changing the captaincy would bring.

Should be noted out of all the fab 4 only Root not captain yet.

[Dr Cricket]

Funny part is Flower and the selectors listened to an aussie and didn't pick him for a tour that leach should have been part off.
Rayner should have been in as well.
if Spin is a bogey area get 5 or 6 of them in the tour and make them learn in alien conditions.

[Dr Cricket]

England finally announce the proper lions schedule and squad.
Hameed and Duckett take part, Jennings to captain.
2 four day games and 5 1 day games included in the series.

"For first section, including four-day matches v Sri Lanka A: K Jennings (Durham, capt), H Hameed (Lancashire), N Gubbins (Middlesex), T Alsop (Hampshire), T Westley (Essex), J Clarke (Worcestershire), L Livingstone (Lancashire), B Foakes (Surrey), S Curran (Surrey), T Curran (Surrey), T Roland-Jones (Middlesex), T Helm (Middlesex), C Overton (Somerset), O Rayner (Middlesex), J Leach (Somerset).

For 50-over series v Sri Lanka A: K Jennings (Durham, capt), D Bell-Drummond (Kent), T Alsop (Hampshire), B Duckett (Northamptonshire), J Clarke (Worcestershire), L Livingstone (Lancashire), B Foakes (Surrey), S Curran (Surrey), T Curran (Surrey), C Overton (Somerset), T Helm (Middlesex), J Fuller (Middlesex), O Rayner (Middlesex), J Poysden (Warwickshire)."

[Arthur Crabtree]

Middle order options look the weakest (for four day games), or at least, furthest from the full team. Otherwise, pretty interesting.

Why no Ansari or Dawson I wonder?

50 over side looks a bit of a missed opportunity. Foakes is unbelievable far from an ODI call up. As is Jennings and a few others.

[Dr Cricket]

probably shows how poor the selection for the india series is if Ansari and dawson not good enough for the lions in Sri lanka.

[braveneutral]

And Duckett doesn't make the four day squad either.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Even given a lot of low profile batters.

Could have kept in the limited overs.

[braveneutral]

Yep. Flower picks the squads?