Bopara

I have now seen him in all forms of cricket this tour. So who is he blowing?

Well, never rated him as a player (at least after a few promising early performances 4 or 5 years ago) but his head is clearly not right after whatever personal issues affected him mid season.

Bopara's last 11 innings in all formats: 0, 6, 0, 16, 2, 3, 1, 0, 22, 0, 6. That's 56 runs at an average of just over 5! Might as well bat Monty Panesar at 3. Or indeed any cricketer who doesn't share his name with a member of Coldplay.

beamer wrote:Well, never rated him as a player (at least after a few promising early performances 4 or 5 years ago) but his head is clearly not right after whatever personal issues affected him mid season.

Bopara's last 11 innings in all formats: 0, 6, 0, 16, 2, 3, 1, 0, 22, 0, 6. That's 56 runs at an average of just over 5! Might as well bat Monty Panesar at 3. Or indeed any cricketer who doesn't share his name with a member of Coldplay.

Which begs the question, why are England not only still picking him, but royally hanging him out to dry in the key batting position of number three?

It can't possibly be doing him any good to be pushed out game after game to be a lamb to the slaughter.

Dello wrote:

beamer wrote:Well, never rated him as a player (at least after a few promising early performances 4 or 5 years ago) but his head is clearly not right after whatever personal issues affected him mid season.

Bopara's last 11 innings in all formats: 0, 6, 0, 16, 2, 3, 1, 0, 22, 0, 6. That's 56 runs at an average of just over 5! Might as well bat Monty Panesar at 3. Or indeed any cricketer who doesn't share his name with a member of Coldplay.

Which begs the question, why are England not only still picking him, but royally hanging him out to dry in the key batting position of number three?

It can't possibly be doing him any good to be pushed out game after game to be a lamb to the slaughter.

Refer the question in the original post.

One obvious answer, given who we were saying the same thing about a few years ago... (clue: he might have a palace in Madrid...)

Vicente del Bosque???

If he picked the England side we might have a chance.

PeterCS wrote:Vicente del Bosque???

beamer wrote:If he picked the England side we might have a chance.

No thanks. We already play tika-taka one-day cricket, when what's really needed it someone to give it a good old welly.

Dello wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Vicente del Bosque???

beamer wrote:If he picked the England side we might have a chance.

No thanks. We already play tika-taka one-day cricket, when what's really needed it someone to give it a good old welly.

Tony Pulis for England JAMODI coach, the campaign starts here!

Hilary.

What do you mean Hilary?

I mean s'wank.

Bopara'swank. Shouldn't be near the Northants side, let alone the England side. Joke.

I've run out of patience with Bopara and I wish England would too.He has the constitution of a chocolate teapot.

He did ok against Australia............oh....right.

Big Dog wrote:He did ok against Australia............oh....right.

That's not what I had in mind actually - but now you come to mention it

He certainly did well enough against your boys and had the opportunity to nail a regular place in the side in all forms of the game, but he's shown himself to be too mentally flaky. We've got enough options now not to have to pick him again.

Basil wrote:

Big Dog wrote:He did ok against Australia............oh....right.

That's not what I had in mind actually - but now you come to mention it

He certainly did well enough against your boys and had the opportunity to nail a regular place in the side in all forms of the game, but he's shown himself to be too mentally flaky. We've got enough options now not to have to pick him again.

Top order test batsmen?

taipan wrote:

Basil wrote:

Big Dog wrote:He did ok against Australia............oh....right.

That's not what I had in mind actually - but now you come to mention it

He certainly did well enough against your boys and had the opportunity to nail a regular place in the side in all forms of the game, but he's shown himself to be too mentally flaky. We've got enough options now not to have to pick him again.

Top order test batsmen?

Potentially yes, but that's irrelevant - his lift doesn't go to the top floor.