Gus Fraser becomes a selector.

Will keep his Middlesex job, so expect a rerun of the Giles/Warwickshire/dodgy inducements bollocks.

Oh nice. Another conflict of interest. The man is another one who is a bit of a cock whilst being portrayed as a smashing bloke. I expect him to take over the ODI and T20 teams in a couple of years.

Oh f**k !
 
Enough said.

Errrr. . . watch Robson and Flynn getting first gig in the England team V The Lankans.

Surely Robson is a given selection in any case, regardless of who is busy shining his posterior in the selectorial chair?

Look at the miracles AF has worked masterminding Middlesex's progress, and it's obvious why he has got the nod.

If we had to have a current county coach as selector, I would have gone for Mark Robinson on the basis that he has never been close to the England set-up before.

Basil wrote:If we had to have a current county coach as selector, I would have gone for Mark Robinson on the basis that he has never been close to the England set-up before.

Whoops - silly me! Robinson is involved with the Lions. Anyway, I don't think he's been closely associated with the set-up to be tainted by its recent failures.

He's Peter Moores' protege. That's taint enough.

Have you read Selvey today? He's making the case for Moores to get his old job back   

Can't say I have.

At a guess, is Shelvy suggesting he was only sacked because of Kevin Pietersen and therefore deserves to have another go, with the whole squad behind him, because he's a bloody good bloke?

Moores was justifiably shown the door - the manner of his exit wasn't too graceful, but the reasons were sound. England were going nowhere under him. The Pietersen stuff was just a sideshow. Like it always is.

It beggars belief that the ECB would even give Moores a second look never mind a second chance. The gist of SElvey's article is that Moores now knows what makes international players tick and wouldn't make the same mistakes he did previously - and also that he's been jolly successful at Lancashire.

Is it me or do I remember Lancs being in Div 2 last season, or is that some alternate reality where England won the Ashes 5 - 0?

Ah, so in leading Lancashire to relegation, Moores somehow developed the mystical knowledge of international management excellence.

That's how it works.

Glenn Chapple and Kyle Hogg opening the bowling, wicket keeper up to the stumps... I'd still take him over Giles.

I'd take Julian Clary, Piers Morgan or Theresa May ahead of Ashley Giles. In fact there's no-one I wouldn't put ahead of the Freeman of Droitwich to get the England job.

Basil wrote:Have you read Selvey today? He's making the case for Moores to get his old job back   

Dan will tweet him.

Colly was a decent appointment, though.

Surely you wouldn't put Jimmy Savile or Sir Allen Stampford ahead of that dear old thing Gilo?

Although on second thoughts, Savile no longer being able to do much damage would give him the edge, perhaps.

Anyone see Fraser interviewed on the Snoozer Test coverage last night?

Basically saying the standard things, that three of the players who started the Ashes are not available and changing a couple more would mean half a new team... I think we can probably add Prior, Root and Bresnan to the list of certainties then, so there's basically two batting places and a spinner (or additional all-rounder of some sort) up for grabs.

I didn't. But then, I didn't need to.

No-one seriously expected England to properly address their shortcomings. Not when all the squad are centrally contracted to the end of the summer.

The time for change, if it arrives, will be after the India series, when the ECB have had their money's worth from their drones. And by then, England will probably have won or not lost a series, so everything will be considered tickety boo, carry on as you were.

beamer wrote:Anyone see Fraser interviewed on the Snoozer Test coverage last night?

Basically saying the standard things, that three of the players who started the Ashes are not available and changing a couple more would mean half a new team... I think we can probably add Prior, Root and Bresnan to the list of certainties then, so there's basically two batting places and a spinner (or additional all-rounder of some sort) up for grabs.

so Trott is done?

Well, Sri Lanka will be 0-0, as the two most negative captains in the world and the early season English weather will ensure we barely get a second innings.

India, well, if they can bat reasonably in our conditions I still think they will win it, as there's no chance of us making 600 like New Zealand. Even in both innings combined.

taipan wrote:

beamer wrote:Anyone see Fraser interviewed on the Snoozer Test coverage last night?

Basically saying the standard things, that three of the players who started the Ashes are not available and changing a couple more would mean half a new team... I think we can probably add Prior, Root and Bresnan to the list of certainties then, so there's basically two batting places and a spinner (or additional all-rounder of some sort) up for grabs.

so Trott is done?

Not necessarily for good, but Fraser certainly implied he wouldn't be in a position to be considered for selection at the start of the season.

taipan wrote:

beamer wrote:Anyone see Fraser interviewed on the Snoozer Test coverage last night?

Basically saying the standard things, that three of the players who started the Ashes are not available and changing a couple more would mean half a new team... I think we can probably add Prior, Root and Bresnan to the list of certainties then, so there's basically two batting places and a spinner (or additional all-rounder of some sort) up for grabs.

so Trott is done?

If the previous cases involving Trescothick and Michael Yardy are anything to go by (one aborted comeback, and the other never seen again), you'd think it's unlikely Trott will be back - or if he is, back for long.

We will lose the India series. We're immensely gash. We will plumb some depths of complete shitness, previously unimagined by all but the most twisted of minds.

That series will be the equivalent of a snap quiz between Dumb and Dumber.

Maybe, but if we win more than one Test, I'll be very surprised. Especially as it seems like it'll shape up to be a wet summer.