England's ashes squad

This is what I think it will be-

Batsmen-

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Morgan
Bell

Keepers-

Prior
Davies

Fast bowlers-

Anderson
Broad
Finn
Shahzad
Sidebottom

Spinners-

Swann
Rashid


Pretty much as we would all expect, except I reckon they'll go with either Rashid, Tredwell FFS, or a wildcard (Parry?) as the second spinner, but not Panesar, because I don't think they'll want to risk a 9, 10, 11 of Anderson, Finn, Panesar if Swann gets injured. The only other possible wildcard could be Mark Footit as the left arm pacer (to add variety) ahead of the injury prone Sidebottom. Unlikely though.

Not sure if Shahzad or Sid will go at this stage.

Bresnan might be favoured for one spot.


And my guess would be they will go with Tredwell.


I'm not saying these would be my choices.

The message with Bresnan seems to be- If you're pretty crap, a little overweight, but try hard, we'll pick you. The guy just doesn't take enough wickets.

Don't look at me ....

Im with Pete - think they'll go with Bresnan & Tredwell.

Wouldn't take Tredwell myself, Rashid offers much more as 2nd spinner but I don't think they fancy him as the no.1 if Swanny gets injured. I hope they will and think they'll take Shazhad.

Mark Footitt - WTF did that come from? Perhaps performing for Direby would be a start!!!

Tredwell - the new FFS!

I'd go with Monty as reserve spinner, simply because he's the best available after Swann.

But Anderson at 9 is too awful to think about.

Sidebottom FFS ........... NEVER as a Test bowler ... not now, not ever.

Monty did well on the last whitewash tour having finally dislodged the qunt Piles ...so yeah, a good option as second spinner - not that we'll need one - as the Cons seem petrified at the sight of Swann warming up for a spell... !!

I still worry at the sight of Cook at 2 ... and the lack of a recognised opener in the squad.

3 - 1 England ... I'm getting more bullish by the day.

What I want:

Same batsmen as above + Carberry
Rashid
Same fast bowlers

What will happen:
Batsmen as above
Tredwell
Bresnan for Shahzad

They won't want to pay for Shahzad to go because he won't be in the ODI team and Sidebottom + Bresnan will.

I think England really need to guard against lazily picking the same old faces and need a bit of competition in the squad. I'd like to see Lyth, Gayle or Moeen Ali taken as batsmen (you can't get enough northerners or beards) and one of the ensconsed top 7 getting the flick (probably Cook although I think Morgan's a risky option). Tremlett if fit might be a good horse for a course on hard Aussies tracks- probably more useful than Sidebottom ot Bresnan.

There isn't an obvious second spinner- they all have their pros & cons. Panesar will be far and away the best actual bowler so take him.

Anyone care to predict what sort of a tour Cookie will have?

He made 1 ton and not much else on the last trip, seems to be his speciality at the moment.

He probably won't do much but one day he might turn a corner and become brilliant...or end up at Surrey.

JKLever wrote:Anyone care to predict what sort of a tour Cookie will have?

He made 1 ton and not much else on the last trip, seems to be his speciality at the moment.

3, 141, 59, 2, 6, 53, 5, 8, 97, 9

Avg. 38.3

England spinners in FC cricket this year (min 25 wickets)

Adil Rashid (Div 1), 53 wickets at 31.32, batting average = 49.92
Monty Panesar (Div 2), 48 wickets at 25.06, batting average = 11.64
Dean Cosker (Div 2), 44 wickets at 22.13, batting average = 18.85
Gazza Batty (Div 2), 42 wickets at 40.38, batting average = 23.54
Ian Fatwell (Div 1), 41 wickets at 27.78, batting average = 38.21
Gary Keedy (Div 1), 30 wickets at 18.26, batting average = 12.71
Graeme Swann (Int), 30 wickets at 18.90, batting average = 10.11
James Tredwell (Div 1), 29 wickets at 38.17, batting average = 28.93
Shaun Udal (Div 2), 27 wickets at 33.96, batting average = 12.00
Danny Briggs (Div 2), 27 wickets at 40.11, batting average = 8.66
Jigar Naik (Div 2), 26 wickets at 18.34, batting average = 34.25
Samit Fatel (Div 1), 26 wickets at 40.15, batting average = 26.16
Simon Kerrigan (Div 1), 25 wickets at 35.48, batting average = 4.50

An obvious choice for me. Tredwell shouldn't even come into the reckoning, a 41 year old Shaun Udal has outbowled him this year. Maybe the left-field choice would be Blackwell, if the selectors continue to defy all reason and ignore Rashid.

29 wickets at 38, FFS

Even Gashley Piles at least did it in FC cricket

Merlin wrote:Sidebottom FFS ........... NEVER as a Test bowler ... not now, not ever.

Monty did well on the last whitewash tour having finally dislodged the qunt Piles ...so yeah, a good option as second spinner - not that we'll need one - as the Cons seem petrified at the sight of Swann warming up for a spell... !!

I still worry at the sight of Cook at 2 ... and the lack of a recognised opener in the squad.

3 - 1 England ... I'm getting more bullish by the day.

Bowlers who played for England in the last 10 years by bowling average (min 25 wickets).....

Steven Finn, 32 wickets at 23.21
Graeme Swann, 113 wickets at 26.55
Simon Jones, 59 wickets at 28.23
Ryan Sidebottom, 79 wickets at 28.24
Darren Gough, 229 wickets at 28.39
Dominic Cork, 131 wickets at 29.81
Andy Caddick, 234 wickets at 29.91
Matthew Hoggard, 248 wickets at 30.50
Graeme Onions, 28 wickets at 31.03
Alan Mullally, 58 wickets at 31.24
Jimmy Anderson, 188 wickets at 31.75
Steve Harmison, 222 wickets at 31.94
Andrew Flintoff, 219 wickets at 33.34
Stuart Broad, 97 wickets at 34.30
Monty Panesar, 126 wickets at 34.37
Alex Tudor, 28 wickets at 34.39
Robert Croft, 49 wickets at 37.24
Craig White, 59 wickets at 37.62
Phil Tufnell, 121 wickets at 37.68
Ashley Giles, 143 wickets at 40.60

And your point is ...?

If they want a bit of variety, then Sidearse is the only real choice. As far as I know Footitt is the only other left arm quick of note on the county circuit at the moment. He's not got great stats, but neither did Simon Jones when he was first selected.

Rashid should really go because at a push Prior is good enough to bat at six and Rashid or Broad are good enough to bat at 7, so it means England can if they want play 5 bowlers with either 4 quicks and 1 spinner or 3 quicks and 2 spinners (Adelaide and Sydney?) without losing a whole heap in the batting department. They may as well give themselves that option....

Gary 111 wrote:England spinners in FC cricket this year (min 25 wickets)

Adil Rashid (Div 1), 53 wickets at 31.32, batting average = 49.92
Monty Panesar (Div 2), 48 wickets at 25.06, batting average = 11.64
Dean Cosker (Div 2), 44 wickets at 22.13, batting average = 18.85
Gazza Batty (Div 2), 42 wickets at 40.38, batting average = 23.54
Ian Fatwell (Div 1), 41 wickets at 27.78, batting average = 38.21
Gary Keedy (Div 1), 30 wickets at 18.26, batting average = 12.71
Graeme Swann (Int), 30 wickets at 18.90, batting average = 10.11
James Tredwell (Div 1), 29 wickets at 38.17, batting average = 28.93
Shaun Udal (Div 2), 27 wickets at 33.96, batting average = 12.00
Danny Briggs (Div 2), 27 wickets at 40.11, batting average = 8.66
Jigar Naik (Div 2), 26 wickets at 18.34, batting average = 34.25
Samit Fatel (Div 1), 26 wickets at 40.15, batting average = 26.16
Simon Kerrigan (Div 1), 25 wickets at 35.48, batting average = 4.50

An obvious choice for me. Tredwell shouldn't even come into the reckoning, a 41 year old Shaun Udal has outbowled him this year. Maybe the left-field choice would be Blackwell, if the selectors continue to defy all reason and ignore Rashid.

Keedy has had a good season, bearing he missed about the first half through injury.

Otherwise only Steven Croft has had a good season for Lancs.

Fear not, I am not proposing Keedy though. Batting is ordinary, and more to the point, at 36 I think too old to be blooded at Test level and in Oz at that!


BATTY on the other hand ...

Do you keep bigging up Footitt simply because I mentioned him as one to watch a few years ago?

He's not even on the radar. Or the one next to that...

Great name though.

Gary 111 wrote:
Graeme Swann, 113 wickets at 26.55

Legend!

Ashley Giles, 143 wickets at 40.60

Wheeliebin!!

JKLever wrote:Do you keep bigging up Footitt simply because I mentioned him as one to watch a few years ago?

He's not even on the radar. Or the one next to that...

He hasn't had the worst season, and he's bowling at around 88mph. The raw gifts are there.

re: Footitt

Would come in handy when the bill comes at the end of the Ashes-winning banquet and pissup.

Or else for some species of sexual perversity if nothing else is worth writing home about on the tour.

Gary 111 wrote:
Darren Gough, 229 wickets at 28.39
Andy Caddick, 234 wickets at 29.91

Aww, that's who I grew up watching. Shame the backup was crap and the batting mediocre.

Gazza Batty (Div 2), 42 wickets at 40.38, batting average = 23.54