The Ashes 2023

WideWally wrote:Jofra Archer out for the entire northern summer.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/england-test-squad-ireland-lords-bairstow-stokes-anderson-jofra-archer-elbow-injury-brook-wood/2023-05-16

Not sure we’ll see him in Test cricket again, unfortunately. Would have been a great wild-card option to have, given his battles with Smith four years ago.

I remember the first time I saw Jofra Archer bowling impressively in the BBL. Had a quick look at his Cricinfo Bio & saw he had played for West Indies Under 19s. I expected he would be become a prominent member of the Windies test attack shortly after that.

I posted on another S.Media that Joffrey will be...

"like Simon Jones - one great English summer."

Yeah, his career longevity appears to be up there with that of the bastard king of Westeros. No need for (spoiler alert) dodgy wine here though!

Anyway, given the Simon Jones reference… we’ve basically only seen three closely contested Ashes series in 35 years (2005, 2009 and 2019). Can this be another?

Hmnn

Englands excuses - Archer and Anderson were not available.

Oz excuses- Warner and Marsh were available.

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/not-a-good-idea-darren-lehmann-blasts-australias-decision-to-bypass-ashes-warmup-matches/news-story/64ab3a3e9458a6cd387eb32bddba3637

no tour games because we dumb dumb heads

Same mistake we made in Bannietown.

But least we have a few guys playing county cricket and the WTC final as a warm up.

England's best batters are still sitting on the bench for their IPL teams.

horace wrote:Hmnn

Englands excuses - Archer and Anderson were not available.

Oz excuses- Warner and Marsh were available.

One of your best H.

guess we better push Abbott into the XI after he scored the equal fastest T20 ton in an English comp off 34 balls.

nice of Warner to tell us he wants to retire in Sydney vs Pakistan this summer.

England squad for first two being released this lunchtime… who will make the cut among the seamers?

Unchanged 16-man squad, so Anderson, Robinson, Woakes, Wood and Lawrence available in addition to the 11 playing against Ireland.

Nath wrote:nice of Warner to tell us he wants to retire in Sydney vs Pakistan this summer.

A ploy to continue to get selected, I reckon.

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:nice of Warner to tell us he wants to retire in Sydney vs Pakistan this summer.

A ploy to continue to get selected, I reckon.

our NSP are too thick to realise

Leach ruled out of the series with a stress fracture of the back.

That’s a big one as there’s no obvious replacement. SOS call to Mo? (Would solve the all-rounder conundrum if Stokes can’t bowl…) Or just go with an all-seam attack with Root to fill in?

Other options could include bits-and-pieces merchants Jacks-of-all-trades and Red Ken, and also Rehan Ahmed who is still very young and would be a big gamble. Matt Parkinson seems to have been discarded and then there’s Liam Dawson who never seems to be completely out of consideration, but last played a Test in 2017.

Begging for the GCS to get a pair in the silly final, so it is impossible to play the arsehole in the Ashes.

Norfolk Ian Goode wrote:Other options could include bits-and-pieces merchants Jacks-of-all-trades and Red Ken, and also Rehan Ahmed who is still very young and would be a big gamble. Matt Parkinson seems to have been discarded and then there’s Liam Dawson who never seems to be completely out of consideration, but last played a Test in 2017.

bring back Ian Salisbury!

Nath wrote:

Norfolk Ian Goode wrote:Other options could include bits-and-pieces merchants Jacks-of-all-trades and Red Ken, and also Rehan Ahmed who is still very young and would be a big gamble. Matt Parkinson seems to have been discarded and then there’s Liam Dawson who never seems to be completely out of consideration, but last played a Test in 2017.

bring back Ian Salisbury!

I remember when he and Warne were both talked about as rare leg-spin hopefuls for the 1993 Ashes. The last time their names were spoken on equal terms, surely!

Replacement(s) for Leach to be announced shortly. Given we’ve got a 16-man squad anyway, might as well name an out-and-out spinner and a spin bowling all-rounder to maximise our options, I’d say.

Simon Kerrigan? What's Shaun Udal up to? Ian Blackwell?

Nath wrote:

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:nice of Warner to tell us he wants to retire in Sydney vs Pakistan this summer.

A ploy to continue to get selected, I reckon.

our NSP are too thick to realise

Bailey was on the wireless today saying form is all that matters when it comes to the make up of the Aus XI, i.e. the Grub will be dropped if not performing, irrespective of his retirement statement.

Moeen’s been approached, according to reports…

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:nice of Warner to tell us he wants to retire in Sydney vs Pakistan this summer.

A ploy to continue to get selected, I reckon.

our NSP are too thick to realise

Bailey was on the wireless today saying form is all that matters when it comes to the make up of the Aus XI, i.e. the Grub will be dropped if not performing, irrespective of his retirement statement.

and what form did he show in India to warrant selection here?

Tru dat, Nath.

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:

skully wrote:

Nath wrote:nice of Warner to tell us he wants to retire in Sydney vs Pakistan this summer.

A ploy to continue to get selected, I reckon.

our NSP are too thick to realise

Bailey was on the wireless today saying form is all that matters when it comes to the make up of the Aus XI, i.e. the Grub will be dropped if not performing, irrespective of his retirement statement.

Bailey is not stupid, so I can only conclude the man is an and out porky pie purveyor.

Moeen replace Leach 

couple of extra wickets for Lyon