Sidebottom retires from international cricket

http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/477923.html

Didn't really see that coming. I guess he knows his body just isn't up to it anymore. Nice career, with 2007 being a golden patch.

I wonder if he'd been told privately that he wasn't going to Australia. If that's the case, you can see the logic behind his decsion.

Good servant but slow as an old wet week.

He wasn't that slow. Got it up around 90 mph at times.

Unless you're talking about his intellect?

Think skulls meant his fielding Trev - lets be honest, he's no hare in the outfield is he ?

And in winter - a quick fielder like Anderson with a good arm can turn a possible four into a hurried couple. We will, in all probability need that kind of agility over and over.

Australia aren't a shadow of the team we faced last time down there, but we'll still need to be on top form to stay level, let alone win.

He had a rather bizarre international career really - called up for a single wicketless Test in 2001, his only claim to fame being as the answer to the question about the father and son one-Test wonders - before an unexpected recall six years later set in progress one of the most remarkable years for an English player in recent memory.

After that purple patch finished then he struggled with injuries but generally seemed to stay around the fringes of the squad in all formats for the next couple of years - culminating in being part of that World T20-winning side. He effectively succeeded Hoggard as England's leading swing bowler, and kept things ticking over when nobody else was really performing in the seam attack. On the whole a good honest pro who out of nowhere had a spectacular year at international level, but probably has a good couple of seasons left in him in county cricket and it's a shame it won't be with Notts.

He must have also been told that he won't be considered for the WC.

Good news.
The End.

Will be a miss in the T20's mostly, with that useful slower ball bouncer that made everyone look silly in the caribbean

Wasn't deliberate - that's just as fast as he can bowl now.

JKLever wrote:Will be a miss in the T20's mostly, with that useful slower ball bouncer that made everyone look silly in the caribbean

He had a quicker ball?

Didn't you read Trev's earlier post. Apparently Krusty could get it up to 90 mph. I don't know why how fast he can drive is important, but his 75 mph loopy non-swingy deliveries would've posed no threat in Ashes 10-11 if he was picked.

75mph? Was bowling a good 10mph+ more than that

skully wrote:Didn't you read Trev's earlier post. Apparently Krusty could get it up to 90 mph. I don't know why how fast he can drive is important, but his 75 mph loopy non-swingy deliveries would've posed no threat in Ashes 10-11 if he was picked.

Apparently he was deadly in Wales, or some such country

Siders definetly hit the 90 mph mark occasionally, and I think that was his undoing - his body couldn't take the strain of bowling that quickly. If he had bowled within himself, he might still have a couple of years in him.

But he wouldn't have taken any wickets if he'd paced himself.

It was Alan Donald (England's then bowling coach) who gave Sides the gee-up to give it the beans or go home. And it worked out. For a while. Until he went ping. And crunch. And rrrrrrip.

His bowling has lacked zip (regardless of the odd ball in the late-80s) for a long time now. And the wickets have dried up. It's all connected. Hip bones, thigh bones, knee bones...

All in all, he's timed it right - there's no more gas in the tank, or side in the bottom.

So who will be the topbottam now?