English county season 2008 (V)

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:England set the tone for the problems they've faced ever since when they dropped Read before the Antigua Test in 2004.

He was dropped for a lack of runs (3 innings - better average than Tres) despite playing in a blossoming side that had won the previous 3 Tests, when his keeping was immaculate.

He had also saved a game with the bat in Sri Lanka a couple of months earlier, and before and after that won England JAMODI games wielding a lusty blade.

Since then, England have spun round and round in circles never threatening to do anything other than disappear up their own arse.

Read was dropped because his batting didn't and was never likely to come up to Stewart's level. Any subsequent keeper has come under the scrutiny of being compared to the high standards of Read's glovework.

In failing to do the latter, inevitably the pressure on the batting also increases and a series of keepers have ultimately imploded.

What England should have done back in 2004 was stick with Read for far longer than they did. It was a winning side, and Read has since proved with his improved performances in County cricket that his batting is not to be sniffed at, and has underlined that with runs in the A Team against various opposition including a full Pakistan side when he made 150*, and followed it up with runs against the same side in the Test arena.

By that time however, the merry go round was well and truly in full flow, and he was quickly jettisoned by a bloody minded Feltch who took exception at being rail roaded into accepting a man he had rejected back into the fold.

His final opportunity came after a single First Class innings in 4 months in a team 3-0 down against the best side in the world, playing under a captain and coach who did not want him.

All this crap about him not having the mental strength to play international cricket is complete bunkum, and purely a reflection on the short term circumstances in which he has found himself in the side on an irregular basis over almost a decade now.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that had they shown the faith in Read that they should have done back in 2004, they would now have a keeper on their hands who was comfortably averaging over 30 with the bat, and who was virtually peerless in international cricket with the gloves.

We would kill for that now.

Instead of that, we're still chasing our arse, currently have as big a problem on our hands as we ever did, and find ourselves up another cul-de-sac with nowhere to go.

Prior FFS.

We're doomed!

Basil wrote:

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:England set the tone for the problems they've faced ever since when they dropped Read before the Antigua Test in 2004.

He was dropped for a lack of runs (3 innings - better average than Tres) despite playing in a blossoming side that had won the previous 3 Tests, when his keeping was immaculate.

He had also saved a game with the bat in Sri Lanka a couple of months earlier, and before and after that won England JAMODI games wielding a lusty blade.

Since then, England have spun round and round in circles never threatening to do anything other than disappear up their own arse.

Read was dropped because his batting didn't and was never likely to come up to Stewart's level. Any subsequent keeper has come under the scrutiny of being compared to the high standards of Read's glovework.

In failing to do the latter, inevitably the pressure on the batting also increases and a series of keepers have ultimately imploded.

What England should have done back in 2004 was stick with Read for far longer than they did. It was a winning side, and Read has since proved with his improved performances in County cricket that his batting is not to be sniffed at, and has underlined that with runs in the A Team against various opposition including a full Pakistan side when he made 150*, and followed it up with runs against the same side in the Test arena.

By that time however, the merry go round was well and truly in full flow, and he was quickly jettisoned by a bloody minded Feltch who took exception at being rail roaded into accepting a man he had rejected back into the fold.

His final opportunity came after a single First Class innings in 4 months in a team 3-0 down against the best side in the world, playing under a captain and coach who did not want him.

All this crap about him not having the mental strength to play international cricket is complete bunkum, and purely a reflection on the short term circumstances in which he has found himself in the side on an irregular basis over almost a decade now.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that had they shown the faith in Read that they should have done back in 2004, they would now have a keeper on their hands who was comfortably averaging over 30 with the bat, and who was virtually peerless in international cricket with the gloves.

We would kill for that now.

Instead of that, we're still chasing our arse, currently have as big a problem on our hands as we ever did, and find ourselves up another cul-de-sac with nowhere to go.

Prior FFS.

We're doomed!

Word

Augustus wrote:Come on. Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Asif plays Kyle Mills, Chris Martin, Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori. If you pick the latter as better then you're just retarded.

Augustus wrote:Come on. Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Asif plays Kyle Mills, Chris Martin, Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori. If you pick the latter as better then you're just retarded.

vilkrang wrote:I think the problem is, his batting is worse than any of the other keepers we have tried (bar Prior, but we need someone who can catch) and his keeping is over-rated.