England's squad for the UAE

Lindsay no.2 wrote:

Dello wrote:Dread. Call off the tour. Phone in a bomb hoax or something.

Why bother with the hoax.

Can you phone in a bomb? That's technology gone too far, IMHO.

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote: Ansari has been mentioned.

What was the question?

Conversation overheard from ECB committee room.

"Have we uncovered a mystery spinner yet?"

"No."

"Damn. OK. How about one with a mystery spinner sounding name?"

"Check."

"He's in then."

Dello wrote:

Lindsay no.2 wrote:

Dello wrote:Dread. Call off the tour. Phone in a bomb hoax or something.

Why bother with the hoax.

Can you phone in a bomb? That's technology gone too far, IMHO.

It's terrorism by proxy - for guys who want to be suicide bombers but just can't be arsed to get off the sofa.

Henry wrote:You'd think they'll go with two specialist spinners plus Moeen. Ansari has been mentioned.

As a potential chucker maybe?

He seems to have a kink when I've seen him bowl. No kink off the pitch though. Dob.

On the subject of openers:

Nick Compton?
Daniel Bell-Drummond?

Basil wrote:On the subject of openers:

Nick Compton?
Daniel Bell-Drummond?

No, not Compton. I mentioned him once and got my arse handed to me.

Well, given the fact he doesn't open and he's averaging around 37 for the season doesn't give him the pizzazz he needs to break on through to the other side....

As for DBD - like him, like the way he plays - but he's averaging about 30 for the season. Phooey.

If you don't want to go Hales, you have to go down the Stoneman road or possibly down Burns lane. Either way, a whole lot of meh going on.

Maybe IJL Trott anyone?

Lindsay no.2 wrote:

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote: Ansari has been mentioned.

What was the question?

Conversation overheard from ECB committee room.

"Have we uncovered a mystery spinner yet?"

"No."

"Damn. OK. How about one with a mystery spinner sounding name?"

"Check."

"He's in then."

'Shane Warne' doesn't sound too mysterious...

Fat Julio does though and that's how everybody thinks of him.

Correct me if I'm wrong,but doesn't Hales bat at 3?

The argument in favour of Compton is that there are enough flash Harrys coming in after him, so if Cook and Compton take 40 overs to put on 100 - who's complaining?

Basil wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong,but doesn't Hales bat at 3?

The argument in favour of Compton is that there are enough flash Harrys coming in after him, so if Cook and Compton take 40 overs to put on 100 - who's complaining?

Yeah, he does, but he's put in some meaningful scores. Compton not so much. Although I advocated keeping Compton at the time and he may have still been playing for us had that idiotic move not happened, I think it may have put a bit of pressure on the middle order to be more positive than they felt they should have to be. Plus, the bowlers would be less fresh after 40 overs, but they'd also have been allowed to settle into their lines with comfort, without having to worry about going for loads. Maybe a flash harry at 2 and a dour at 3... though that would mean no place for Moeen, really.

Hales doesn't really bat at 3. He's opened, he's batted at 3, and he's batted a little at 6 in the last two seasons. He has actually opened as much as he's batted anywhere else since the start of 2014 - he was also dropped and loaned out to Worcestershire at the start of last year. He has opened in 10 matches since then and scored 840 runs @ 44.21, with 2 hundreds and 4 fifties (from 19 innings). He also has a hundred from 3 where a nightwatchman was sent in before him, which I'm not counting (because that would be cheating).

It's not a bad record. His technique has improved a lot this year. I was watching him tonight and he covers his off and middle-stumps much better than he did when I first saw him play. He looks like a player who has a little extra something about him. I like James Taylor, but have never really felt there's anything impressive about him beyond him being a determined grinder of a player. Hales is a bit different, he's languid but behind a few weak dismissals, I feel as if he has a great deal of talent. Can he open the batting in Test Matches? I guess it depends how we qualify success.

Scoring your runs at an average in excess of 35 would be good going compared to many of the current group.

If the selectors were prepared to give Lyth 5 Tests to try (and fail) to get it right against Australia on a mixture of dead then seaming pitches, surely they're prepared to give Hales 2-3 Tests to 'get it right' on UAE pitches?

Also, they should give him a go ... just to piss Sir Geoffrey off.