There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not officially.

[Making_Splinters]

England have likely seen enough of Ansari from his time in Bangladesh and India to know all they need to know about him as a spinner, Dawson has also been part of a fair few squads now.

Wouldn't read much into it really.

Good to see England's continued interest in Livingston. If he can develop some consistency he'll be a fantastic player.

[backfootpunch]

It does seem cook is preparing to step down

Personally I think the captaincy will make root a better player

His batting in 2016 has been irresponsible, generally looking good then getting himself out

Hopefully the captaincy would make him slightly more disciplined

The one time he batted with control he made a double century vs Pakistan, then for some reason he went back to taking lots of risks again and constantly getting out between 40-80

He still had a good year averaging 50 but I think he should see it as a year of missed opportunities, he could easily have averaged 70 had he been more ruthless

Ruthless like kohli has been in this series

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's a bit depressing the constant expectation that the captaincy will ruin the player cursed by it. It doesn't have to be that way at all, and that is just reflex negative thinking. Most long term skippers manage pretty well. Some are transformed by the job, like Gooch and Clarke.

Cook averaged 46.9 as captain, 46.4 as a player. Strauss averaged 40.8 as captain, 41 as player. Hussain 36 as captain, 38 as player. There was a big difference with Michael Vaughan, 36 as captain, 51 as player, but that is surely more likely to be down to his ongoing injury problems as a captain. Root may well not be the best captain available to England, but 'ruining him' shouldn't be a consideration if he is. It seems to be one of those objections that are raised without any evidence to justify them.

[rich1uk]

the one aspect that concerns me that doesn't really apply to any of those is that root plays all three formats and we play far more ODI and t20 cricket now than any of them had to deal with

[Arthur Crabtree]

If/when Root becomes captain, I hope they make a bit of a break, and give the responsibility to the younger players. That is, Cook isn't a vice captain, and Anderson doesn't have to be quite so influential. Shame Taylor isn't there (and obviously that he is ill at all) but Woakes, Stokes, Moeen and Bairstow can assume more leading roles.

[Arthur Crabtree]

the one aspect that concerns me that doesn't really apply to any of those is that root plays all three formats and we play far more ODI and t20 cricket now than any of them had to deal with

I guess it'll be easier to give him games off as he's not captain in ODIs. T20 is hardly a format really at international level.

I thought Cook might have been given BD off, by the way. Though it was made more difficult by BD and the India tour being treated as one, and perhaps because the ECB didn't want to allow players to be rested for a tour that all might have had misgivings about going on. Given his long service and personal situation, it would have been kind and deserving for him to have stayed at home.

[rich1uk]

the one aspect that concerns me that doesn't really apply to any of those is that root plays all three formats and we play far more ODI and t20 cricket now than any of them had to deal with

I guess it'll be easier to give him games off as he's not captain in ODIs. T20 is hardly a format really at international level.

I thought Cook might have been given BD off, by the way. Though it was made more difficult by BD and the India tour being treated as one, and perhaps because the ECB didn't want to allow players to be rested for a tour that all might have had misgivings about going on. Given his long service and personal situation, it would have been kind and deserving for him to have stayed at home.

if they hadn't treated the bangladesh games as a warm-up for india then i think you are right

that kinda bit us in the ass tho, losing the second test after just scraping through in the first and causing all sorts of issues with what our best XI was for India

[hopeforthebest]

Cook was never going to miss the BD series as he was the rallying figurehead of the security claim that the tour was secure. If he hadn't gone how many others might have joined Morgan and Hales.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's what happened. Does it doesn't feel necessary.

[Dr Cricket]

Sussex will enjoy this.
ECB supposedly don't like loughbourough so thinking of making another base in Spain.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/articl ... Kohli.html

The ECB are considering setting up a second academy abroad following research that showed their Loughborough base, from which four coaches have recently been axed, was not delivering to its full potential throughout the year.

Two warm-weather locations in Spain — La Manga and Desert Springs, Almeria — are under consideration.

interesting 4 coaches have been sacked as well.

[ianp1970]

If we accept that half-a-dozen bowlers in a test team is at least one too many, and Stokes will be an all-rounder batting at 6 with JB the wicket-keeper batting at 7, where does that leave Moeen?

[Making_Splinters]

I'd play Moeen as a batsman, his performances over the year have hinted he has the ability, so I'd give him the summer at 5 and let Rashid have the summer as the lead spinner.

[ianp1970]

I'd play Moeen as a batsman, his performances over the year have hinted he has the ability, so I'd give him the summer at 5 and let Rashid have the summer as the lead spinner.

If that works, would you look to play something similar next winter?

[Making_Splinters]

I'd play Moeen as a batsman, his performances over the year have hinted he has the ability, so I'd give him the summer at 5 and let Rashid have the summer as the lead spinner.

If that works, would you look to play something similar next winter?

I don't see why not, we need a spinner and a top order bat. The ECB should say to Ali that he's in the side as a batsman who can bowl, he'll be judged on his batting performances over the summer.