England in NZud

What a Shambles

Ok so they now go back to Strauss who may well bat at 3.

Drop Bopara and Shah tours again buit doesn't play?

What a bunch of monkies.

Mustard gets dumped for Foster, which is a good move IMO, but what has Foster done since October to deserve a call up?

Yet again proves our lot are losing the point rapidly!

It's not official though, is it - just a crocinfo musing.

Personally, I expect Shah to be dropped and Bopara to be retained for all of the "positives" he gained from the Sri Lanka tour.

If Strauss comes back, IMHO he should bat five. We need a middle order lefty to mix it up a bit.

Wonder if Jon Trott might be a wild-card, left-field pick to tour (probably the ODers rather than the Tests). He's done well with the Academy this winter, and has "previous" in New Zealand domestic cricket, where he was top dog a year or so back.

I agree, however, about Foster. What has changed since he wasn't picked to tour Sri Lanka? Has he got better?

Who are England's selectors now anyway? Isn't the position totally in limbo while the ECB take their sweet time sifting through all the job applications for Selectorial Uber God (before settling on David Graveney)?

Monty's in, Good Call. He'll destroy the Poor Kiwi batting as the Conditions are near exact to that of English conditions and all pitches in Land of K suit bowlers better so he should do quite well.

The way he's bowled in his last two series, he'll be lucky to get a game...

I'm sure, Graeme Swann will not get a game. Peter Moores will remember Monty can do it, he's had a couple of Tough series' but that should not deter PM from choosing MP.

People are too quick to judge to be honest, there is no other spinner who can do what Monty does in England, unless their too old, too injured or too young. MP know's he must improve after a severe Reality Check against two of the best teams against spin and the pitches weren't exactly helping him either.

Dello wrote:It's not official though, is it - just a crocinfo musing.

Personally, I expect Shah to be dropped and Bopara to be retained for all of the "positives" he gained from the Sri Lanka tour.

If Strauss comes back, IMHO he should bat five. We need a middle order lefty to mix it up a bit.

Wonder if Jon Trott might be a wild-card, left-field pick to tour (probably the ODers rather than the Tests). He's done well with the Academy this winter, and has "previous" in New Zealand domestic cricket, where he was top dog a year or so back.

I agree, however, about Foster. What has changed since he wasn't picked to tour Sri Lanka? Has he got better?

Who are England's selectors now anyway? Isn't the position totally in limbo while the ECB take their sweet time sifting through all the job applications for Selectorial Uber God (before settling on David Graveney)?

Trott - in God's name why? He looked out of his depth last season. If we're going to go for an untried player in the ODI's, let it be Hildreth.

Damn, I so could not be bothered whether 11 monkeys are called up to represent us given the carp served up in SL

JKLever wrote:Damn, I so could not be bothered whether 11 monkeys are called up to represent us given the carp served up in SL

No, we had our chance with Symonds, but he nailed his flag of convenience to Australia's mast.

I'm glad Strauss is (perhaps) back. On form, he is very effective in tests.

Rob I wrote:I'm glad Strauss is (perhaps) back. On form, he is very effective in tests.

But how does anyone know if he's back in form?

He was dropped because he was out of sorts, he hasn't played any cricket since then, now he's probably going to be recalled. On what grounds?

Not that I have any complaints - Strauss is a class act, poor form or not, he's a Test match cricketer of some substance. Unlike a number of England's current batting line-up...

Dello wrote:

Rob I wrote:I'm glad Strauss is (perhaps) back. On form, he is very effective in tests.

But how does anyone know if he's back in form?

He was dropped because he was out of sorts, he hasn't played any cricket since then, now he's probably going to be recalled. On what grounds?

Not that I have any complaints - Strauss is a class act, poor form or not, he's a Test match cricketer of some substance. Unlike a number of England's current batting line-up...

If he's picked, he'll already be in NZ anyway - so he should have had some competitive cricket behind him.

Get Strauss back in, drop Bell back down to 6 and get rid of Bopara. Lots of potential but shouldn't be anywhere the Test team as yet.

Foster would be a good pick. They seem to be coming round to the idea of having a wicketkeeper who can actually catch.

Hopefully we'll see some sanity and pick this team for the first test:

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Shah
Prior/Foster (don't give a fcku which to be honest)
Broad
Harmison
Hoggard
Panesar

Unfortunately, the ultimate FTB Collingwood has a place for life 'cause he scored a double hundred against Australia and walloped some other runs against crap teams.

I would leave Cook and Vaughan at the top of the order with Strauss at three. I like the idea of a left and right hand combibation at the top of the order. Bell should bat at 5.

A final thought - Anderson's place in the squad to go to Kabir Ali. At least Ali stays fit and had a halfway decent season last year.

Augustus wrote:Hopefully we'll see some sanity and pick this team for the first test:

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Shah
Prior/Foster (don't give a fcku which to be honest)
Broad
Harmison
Hoggard
Panesar

Unfortunately, the ultimate FTB Collingwood has a place for life 'cause he scored a double hundred against Australia and walloped some other runs against crap teams.

That's not sanity - Strauss and Cook don't work well as an opening pair. Too crabby.

Would prefer:

Cook
Vaughan
Shah
Pietersen
Strauss
CollingBell (take your pick)
Keeper +
Bowlers...

Basil wrote:I would leave Cook and Vaughan at the top of the order with Strauss at three. I like the idea of a left and right hand combibation at the top of the order. Bell should bat at 5.

A final thought - Anderson's place in the squad to go to Kabir Ali. At least Ali stays fit and had a halfway decent season last year.

Pretty good odds it'll be swingy in NZ, though. And as that's the only scenario in which Anderson isn't total fodder, I suspect he'll be on board.

Dello wrote:

Rob I wrote:I'm glad Strauss is (perhaps) back. On form, he is very effective in tests.

But how does anyone know if he's back in form?

He was dropped because he was out of sorts, he hasn't played any cricket since then, now he's probably going to be recalled. On what grounds?

Not that I have any complaints - Strauss is a class act, poor form or not, he's a Test match cricketer of some substance. Unlike a number of England's current batting line-up...

He might well be in better nick than the oiks that "performed" with all the "positives" two weeks ago in SL.

Cook, Vawn and Bell were the only ones who made any decent runs.
Okay, they stay in - as should KP ... but what about losing Collingwood and/or Bopara for a few tests.
Dump them - just as Strauss was dumped for the SL tour. Get Strauss AND Shah in the side.
Or does Vaughan fear for his captaincy?
Also - with the Gob probably retained as keeper (another 6 to 8 spills guaranteed for a few fortunate Kiwi batsmen),
we desperately NEED a safe slipper - exactly what we didn't have in SL and ironically exactly what Strauss is.

Basil wrote:I would leave Cook and Vaughan at the top of the order with Strauss at three. I like the idea of a left and right hand combibation at the top of the order. Bell should bat at 5.

A final thought - Anderson's place in the squad to go to Kabir Ali. At least Ali stays fit and had a halfway decent season last year.

Wasim Akram on Ali last week -

Ali hasn't really improved since he last played for England. He bowls too short sometimes and his bowling is predictable.

Kabir Ali?

*English cricket in crisis* :|

Augustus wrote:
Unfortunately, the ultimate FTB Collingwood has a place for life 'cause he scored a double hundred against Australia and walloped some other runs against crap teams.

no way collingwood will be dropped. isn't he seen as the skipper in waiting?

MidnightCowboy wrote:

Basil wrote:I would leave Cook and Vaughan at the top of the order with Strauss at three. I like the idea of a left and right hand combibation at the top of the order. Bell should bat at 5.

A final thought - Anderson's place in the squad to go to Kabir Ali. At least Ali stays fit and had a halfway decent season last year.

Wasim Akram on Ali last week -

Ali hasn't really improved since he last played for England. He bowls too short sometimes and his bowling is predictable.

I'll take what Wasim Akram says with a pinch of salt if you don't mind. This week, articles have appeared in the Worcester News, Gloucestershire echo and South Wales Argus stating that Wasim would like to be bowling coach of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan respectively.

And I disagree with him about Kabir Ali - he matured a lot as a person last season, leading our bowling attack was apretty thankless task - he just kept running in. He's wiser and fitter than he was.

Ramprakash

The squad is to be announced at 12.

I had a few 'jar-age' with Steven Crook on New Year's Eve.... apparently the Tangoman 'has been on the phone' to David Sales a few times of recent. It could be some mutual masturbation pact between them, but it's mildly intriguing.

Squads for NZ:

England one-day squad to tour New Zealand

Paul Collingwood, captain (Durham)
Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Alastair Cook (Essex)
Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)
Phil Mustard (Durham)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
James Tredwell (Kent)
Chris Tremlett (Hampshire)
Luke Wright (Sussex)

England Test squad to tour New Zealand

Michael Vaughan, captain (Yorkshire)
Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Paul Collingwood (Durham)
Alastair Cook (Essex)
Stephen Harmison (Durham)
Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire)
Phil Mustard (Durham)
Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)
Andrew Strauss (Middlesex)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)