Predict the England side to play Sri Lanka

In the first Test in June. And I don't mean what you would pick, but what the combined wisdom of Willy Wonka, the King of Spain and Captain Cook of the sinking ship will come up with...

I think they will go cautious and stick with what they know:

Cook
Root
Bell
Ballance
Morgan
Stokes
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Anderson
Panesar

On the bench: Bopara and Onions. No new caps, a few getting another chance... any other thoughts?

Who the f*ck knows.

Cook
Robson
Bell
Ballance
Moeen
Stokes
Prior+
Broad
Jordan
Anderson
Onions

Maybe.

Well, it's hard to say at this stage. Too early to know, I mean.

a) Have the rumblings stopped yet?
b) Who do they, for want of a better word, fancy?
c) Irrespective of ideology (or trying to disregard it), isn't it possible a couple of others barely in the frame might prove some sort of worth?

With the whole ship listing and bits falling off (or being hewn off and thrown overboard), perhaps the ones considered on the way out (Carberry, ?Root?, Prior, Panesar, Tremlett until he defended KP) may have a route back, if only to shore up some "stability".

On the other hand, you could hardly imagine a better time and opportunity for those who were once briefly in but then rather out (E Morgan, J Taylor) - or indeed, have not yet been near the ECB's Raft of the Medusa (*) - or if you prefer, Ship of Fools (players such as Moeen, J Overton, Meaker, or whoever might consolidate some sort of claim in the first third of the CC season).

(*)



So basically I pass.

I haven't yet decided whether I'll find out.

The ECB have just sent an expeditionary force out to South Africa.

Alastair Drone *
Brian Kissass
David Companyman
Lenny Lickspittle
Xavier Submissive
Wayne Acquiesce
Milton Linetoe +
Aaron Agreeable
Randy Nice
Quentin Yessir
Jimmy Hugitout

How could you leave out the star all-rounder, Barry Brownnose?

Or indeed the captain-in-waiting, Eton, Cambridge and Middlesex batsman Tim Nastyanddim?

Pugh
Pugh
Barney McGrew
Cuthbert
Dibble
Grubb
Stokes
Prior
Broad
Jordan
Anderson

Actually, I don't give a fark. I hope the wheels come flying off in all directions. It's weird, I'm hoping for a coach to be sacked before he's even appointed and I don't even know his name! Except that it's obviously Ashley Giles.

Any more scapegoats to come or is KP it ?

Big Dog wrote:Any more scapegoats to come or is KP it ?

Looks like Prior to his backstabbing in, so he looks safe.

I think it's impossible to predict the team yet. I've never known so many places be up for grabs on the basis of early season form.

Three batting spots are there for the taking (if Bell moves to 3, that leaves an opening spot, #4 and #5 available). Possibly 2 bowling spots up for grabs too - presuming Broad and Anderson are shoo-ins, the third seamer and spinner are yet to be decided (surely Fat Timmy is done for? Surely?!)

Keeper? I think it'll be Prior, but it's not impossible that someone like Davies could force his way in.

Exciting time. And by "exciting", I mean "f***ing shambolic".

If it's Davies, I'd like to see him at 6 and Stokes at 7. I don't think Stokes is quite there. His runs so far have been a bit of an afterthought. Especially as he'll be playing a lot of spin this summer, one would imagine.

Neil D wrote:I think it's impossible to predict the team yet.  I've never known so many places be up for grabs on the basis of early season form.

Three batting spots are there for the taking (if Bell moves to 3, that leaves an opening spot, #4 and #5 available).  Possibly 2 bowling spots up for grabs too - presuming Broad and Anderson are shoo-ins, the third seamer and spinner are yet to be decided (surely Fat Timmy is done for?  Surely?!)

Keeper?  I think it'll be Prior, but it's not impossible that someone like Davies could force his way in.

Exciting time. And by "exciting", I mean "f***ing shambolic".

I know it's impossible to guess, that's the whole point... see how far away we are from what the muppets in charge actually do go with. I just hope they don't pick a bunch of players on county form who are as much international cricketers as Ashley Giles is an international coach...

Bresnan's in the side for as long as he wants to be. A "good team man" who won his first 11 Tests or whatever it was. Ticks all the boxes those in power seemingly want ticking.

Brass Monkey wrote:If it's Davies, I'd like to see him at 6 and Stokes at 7. I don't think Stokes is quite there. His runs so far have been a bit of an afterthought. Especially as he'll be playing a lot of spin this summer, one would imagine.

I'd have Moeen Ali at six as a specialist batsman and steady-ish spinner (in the absence of a proper spinner, which is going to be England's future for a good/bad few years), Stokes at seven. Then you can either go for keeper at eight whose glovework is top banana even if their batting isn't going to average 40+ (Foster, for example), or a "wildcard" like Buttler, who will probably fail in five out of six innings, but he comes off, it'll be a game changer.

Davies is wishy washy, to me. Don't rate the way he shapes up against seam bowling.

Cook
Ten Yes Men.

Precisely the diagnosis with Clarke before Boof took the helm and sorted out the 'junior school', on and off the field.

Now all we need is a Lehmann.

Vaughan picked his XI for the first Test on 5Live last night.

Cook
Robson
Bell
Root
Morgan
Stokes
Buttler
Borthwick
Broad
Jordan
Anderson

Wouldn't surprise me if he's on the money.

Jordan the token?

What about Moeen?

Root would be dependent on early season County form. He's another in a long line of players who has been crushed by the England environment in the last 3-4 months.

Henry wrote:Root would be dependent on early season County form. He's another in a long line of players who has been crushed by the England environment in the last 3-4 months.

Bumble's a big fan. Thinks the winter debacle will be the making of him and considers him one of six who are certainties to retain their place.

Henry wrote:Root would be dependent on early season County form. He's another in a long line of players who has been crushed by the England environment in the last 3-4 months.

Eh? I thought it was KP that poisoned the environment.

Dello wrote:

Henry wrote:Root would be dependent on early season County form. He's another in a long line of players who has been crushed by the England environment in the last 3-4 months.

Bumble's a big fan. Thinks the winter debacle will be the making of him and considers him one of six who are certainties to retain their place.

I'm not holding my breath with anyone. If Giles is the coach then he'll likely continue his downward spiral. I hope England start picking a few players for the WAY they play their cricket as much as their bare first class statistics.