There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[sussexpob]

McGrath wasnt that much of a patriot, I think he did (and continued) with the 5-0 predictions as a laugh or wind up.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I've only recently started watching Question Time, and become aware of the strong public interest in the ideas of 'talking Britain down' and 'talking Britain up'. Apparently the BBC talks Britain down and Boris Johnson talks Britain up. As if the rhetoric changes the reality. Maybe Freddie is coming from a similar perspective. Maybe people will warm to him for talking England up.

[Durhamfootman]

Is he on message? Or is he revealing himself a blinkered Botham/McGrath type patriot? Or is he merely wrong?

we'll find out soon enough. The England squad looks short on quality and short on experience. That said, the likely Aussie side doesn't look that strong either. It ought to be good enough to beat England fairly comfortably, but they are only a couple of injuries away from ending up looking as weak as England.

I think it will be an interesting series, but I'm not sure that I'll miss not be able to watch it (I'm not sure that that even makes sense, but it is very late). Could end up being a series that is remarkably short on quality

[Arthur Crabtree]

Finn comes into the squad in response to Stokes not travelling. But surely Stokes is a support bowler first and a support bowler second. The batting was already weak, but it has been weakened further.

[andy]

I would have called up Plunkett

[Arthur Crabtree]

Plunkett would be a popular pick. I suppose the selectors could point out he plays little first class cricket.

[Durhamfootman]

I think that Plunkett is fine where he is

I would have called up Colly

[Arthur Crabtree]

Colly's going.

[Durhamfootman]

he is. he may need to take his whites with him

[Slipstream]

I don't understand how Garton is called up. He and Tongue are with the Lions and both bowl fast. Tongue is taller and Garton has hardly bowled this year.

f/c in 2017

77.0 overs 10 wickets at 32.90 Garton
333.4 overs 47 wickets at 25.78 Tongue

Having a think about it, must be to bowl his left arm at the England players in preparation for Starc.

[Slipstream]

So England's fast bowling stocks

Anderson (35) 6'2
Broad (31) 6'6
Stokes (26) 6'0
Woakes (28) 6'2

Wood (27) 6'0
Roland-Jones (29) 6'3
Finn (28) 6'7
Ball (26) 6'4

T Curran (22) 6'0
C Overton (23) 6'5
Garton (20) 6'2
Tongue (19) 6'3

Also Porter, J Overton, Topley, Helm, Mahmood.
For the white ball - Stokes, Woakes, Plunkett, Willey, Jordan, Finn, Wood, Ball, Curran, Topley, Mills.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ben Coad is 18th in line?

[Durhamfootman]

he is. he may need to take his whites with him

and he did!

(forgotten I'd typed that)

[Slipstream]

Ben Coad is 18th in line?

Think Olly Stone is ahead of him.

[Alviro Patterson]

Ben Coad is 18th in line?

Think Olly Stone is ahead of him.

But not before Steven Patterson