England v India, 5xODIs + 1xT20, 25 August - 7 September, 2014

England one-day squad: Alastair Cook (Essex, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Tredwell (Kent), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).


Chavi the notable omission... Hales gets his chance at last, if they play him. Didn't realise he hasn't even played an ODI, thought he'd at least had a Mickey Mouser against Ireland or Scotland, apparently not. Much as expected otherwise, Jimmy doesn't get a rest.

Wasn't Hales in the T20 WC squad that went to the Windies and played a couple of ODIs (for some reason) as part of their preparation?

What's Bopara done wrong then?

Strange, how England selection works. Moeen Ali and Michael Lumb opened in the West Indies. Both were dropped for the Sri Lanka series. Michael Carberry was considered to be ahead of both when Alastair Cook was injured during that series. Now, Moeen Ali's back. Although Michael Lumb was the last England opener to score a ODI century! Bizarre.

Not the most enthralling squad ever, mind. Virtually the same batting line-up that scrapped a few half-centuries + Buttler's sublime hundred versus Sri Lanka. I'd have given James Taylor a chance. Averaging over 50 in one-day cricket should earn you an audition for a World Cup place, at least.

Basil wrote:What's Bopara done wrong then?

The mind boggles.... perhaps he's not a Moores favourite.
Shame - I really did like his laid back style - which was effective too.

Merlin wrote:

Basil wrote:What's Bopara done wrong then?

The mind boggles.... perhaps he's not a Moores favourite.
Shame - I really did like his laid back style - which was effective too.

Had a poor year this year. Both with bat and ball (21.5 average, 72 S/R, 7 wickets @ 41.5), but that's after three quality years. Given that all and sundry have been shown more faith in, when their potential for improvement is minimal, I still think it's a real disgrace. It's almost certain that this move has been so Ronald J. Knickerson can have a snug middle order position, and Captain Fantastic can limitedly hack his way to a 40-ball 25, whilst Alex Hales gets a pop at the other end.

..but let's go through a few things, anyway. Let's start off with Moores:

"Alastair's record probably stands up with a lot of openers," Moores said. "With the way one-day cricket is going, there is a huge emphasis on the top of the order ... With two new balls, you've got to get through, but you've got to score at the right rate. So you've got to get a balance of people at the top end, the first half of the game, who score at the right rate."

Nope. We're not playing in England. Nope. That's not how it works. That is bullshit.

Let's move onto the bowling attack: Gurney, Stokes, Medioakes, Jordan, Ali and Tredwell all scream out 'MINCEMEAT' in Australasian conditions. Pretty naïve IMO. Bollocks overall. At least Jandy, Broad and Finn may go OK over there. May go OK.

Not sure who else there is though, in terms of the bowling attack, that we'd back to do well out there on a hunch. We've tried "horses for courses" in Australia before and they've all been three-legged donkeys, like past-it Tremlett and sicknote Bored Wankin' last year, going right back to "Martin McCaddick" in the 90s.

You're right. There's absolutely no-one to try. The cupboard is damned bare. I once liked the look of David Payne and David Willey, but although they're still performing, they've both dobbed up. They'd no doubts be just as tonkalicious.

I've never quite worked out what makes a good ODI bowler. England clearly haven't, either. Experience seems to be up there in terms of key attributes - Gough could bowl a reliable 10 overs when he could no longer manage the exertions of Test cricket, Freddie similar. Raw pace concedes runs, dobbly medium pace and non-turning spin doesn't take wickets. You need to take wickets and  not be twatted all round the ground. Unless you're playing England, who give you a 10-over start.

I haven't worked it out either. Basically, don't be shit, is the mantra.

And learn that a yorker is not a chunky chocolate bar targeted at a male demographic?

So, are we going with individual ODI threads or a collective 5xODIs + 1xT20 thread for this series? Thoughts?

Surely Cook and Anderson need a break. SURELY. I'd rest Anderson and Broad from all ODI cricket that isn't the World Cup, to be honest.

I think they should have taken a punt on Jason Roy as well. Pick a guy when he's in form FFS. They might have discovered a gem leading up to the World Cup. Woakes is not an ODI cricketer.

Also, you wonder whether they've already stamped James Taylor's file NTPFEA. They simply don't rate him. I must admit, I've never really rated him either. Still, his List A record is excellent, but he continues to be ignored.

Henry wrote:I think they should have taken a punt on Jason Roy as well. Pick a guy when he's in form FFS. They might have discovered a gem leading up to the World Cup. Woakes is not an ODI cricketer.

Also, you wonder whether they've already stamped James Taylor's file NTPFEA. They simply don't rate him. I must admit, I've never really rated him either. Still, his List A record is excellent, but he continues to be ignored.

Well, they keep picking him for the Lions, sometimes as captain, which would be strange if he wasn't in their thoughts at all. He's never had a fair crack in any format though, has been treated as badly as any England prospect I can think of.

If KP thinks he's crap, surprising they didn't make a point by picking him this season!

The trouble is, Andy Flower thinks he's crap too.

Brass Monkey wrote:..but let's go through a few things, anyway. Let's start off with Moores:

"Alastair's record probably stands up with a lot of openers," Moores said. "With the way one-day cricket is going, there is a huge emphasis on the top of the order ... With two new balls, you've got to get through, but you've got to score at the right rate. So you've got to get a balance of people at the top end, the first half of the game, who score at the right rate."

Nope. We're not playing in England. Nope. That's not how it works. That is bullshit.

Let's move onto the bowling attack: Gurney, Stokes, Medioakes, Jordan, Ali and Tredwell all scream out 'MINCEMEAT' in Australasian conditions. Pretty naïve IMO. Bollocks overall. At least Jandy, Broad and Finn may go OK over there. May go OK.

I might have been tempted to have had a proper look at Adil Rashid - not having the worst season ever, and he ticks the "something different" box

Basil wrote:
I might have been tempted to have had a proper look at Adil Rashid - not having the worst season ever, and he ticks the "something different" box

Rashid may go OK, but he's just as likely to be bobbins. Done OK this season, but not comparatively.

It's a worry that the only serious bowlers so far have been the foreign contingent. Otherwise you're looking at a Northants trio, Jack Taylor or Recordo Gordon. It's all a big pile of meh.

Dello wrote:The trouble is, Andy Flower thinks he's crap too.

I really can't work out whether Flower is still influential behind the scenes, or if he's just been shunted into a sideline role to run down his contract. Probably best if we move on and let him go and coach another national side, there's certainly one who might be looking for a replacement Zimbabwean ex-England coach...

Hurricanes will probably be without its star signing for the BBL now that Hales has been drafted into the England squad.

They could do worse than have a look at Jason Roy: his 50 today reminded me a bit of KP in his pomp.

I can change it to "1st ODI, Bristol" if anyone stinks up the joint, but interest doesn't seem to be booming in this soon-to-start series.

a page should see this series out

although Dhoni/India (and perhaps their fans) seem to like this sort of rubbish

If I'm honest, I'm done with international cricket for now. I'm more bothered about Pears getting the points we need to get promotion.

It doesn't help that England's ODI squad is a bit lacking in chutzpah. They could have picked guys like Roy or Vince who I think are seriously talented or even Adil Rashid who is maturing as a cricketer and is a good bet for the test tour to the Windies.