Re: The Flintoff is broken again thread

by Chivalry Augustus Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:13 am

Seeing as Strauss and Flower must have had some say in the Amjad and Batty call-ups, I wouldn't get your hopes up in terms of seeing any profound changes. The 'it isn't their squad' nonsense was an excuse anyway, they had nigh on the squad they would have chosen seeing as there wasn't a lot else out there on the fringes. Short of picking someone like David Sales or Rob Key in terms of batting and folk like Kabir Ali in terms of bowling (guys who have made thousands of runs or taken hundreds of wickets), there aren't many people out there who aren't already in the reckoning.

As for the Windies squad - just look at your performance squad, delete the faces that don't fit, delete the fatties, and when you're looking at something resembling the England clique you'll have your side.

by JKLever Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:30 am

Sigh....

by Guest Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:35 am

JKLever wrote:Do we know when the squad is named? Is it Sunday?

April 29th

by Allan D Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:39 am

According to the article in Cricinfo:

"However, by the time the Lions match begins the Test squad will already have been announced. "

Lions Squad

The match begins on the 28th (Tues). As the 1st Test doesn't start until 6 May (curiously a Wednesday) there is no need for the squad to be announced until next weekend but the early announcement will make the Lions game meaningless as far as staking a claim for Lord's which presupposes that those playing at Derby (with the possible exception of Bell) are considered reserves.

As regards JK's comment I thought about a genuine 3rd seamer but in the absence of Sidebottom couldn't come up with one good enough. Mahmood and Plunkett might be considered but as they are playing at Derby it looks as if they have been ruled out of contention for the main squad.

Lord's reputation as a green track that requires a battery of seam bowlers is anyway becoming rather passee. Based on recent past performance it's more likely to be a batsman's paradise. Both Tests were drawn there last year with Vettori taking 5 wickets in England's only innings against the Kiwis and 6 centuries being scored in the Saffies' match with Panesar picking up 4 wickets in the Saffies' first dig so playing an offie and a leggie together (both of whom can bat) might not be quite as risible as it seems.

Interesting to see, though, that Chris Woakes has suddenly become selectorial flavour of the month as he has featured in both the MCC and Lions' XIs. Despite playing at Derby might he also feature as support to Anderson and Broad at Lord's? You would really be having a laugh then but those selecting England teams have always been able to demonstrate an inordinate sense of humour not to mention an infinite capacity for the absurd.

by Red Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:43 pm

Dello wrote:RE: Bas

Shah's done himself no favours, though. Didn't do enough over the winter to nail down the spot, and now he's not even playing any cricket - he's just sunning himself in SA, collecting his £15,000 per match for doing nothing.

I thought their contract was based upon how many matches they played. Not sure if they get paid for being on the sidelines.

by Big_Bad_Bob Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:35 pm

On the basis that Bell has had years to prove himself a useless sh*t, I'd give Shah one more crack.

Strauss*
Cook
Shah
Pietersen
Patel
Colly
Davies+
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Hoggard

by JKLever Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:15 pm

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:On the basis that Bell has had years to prove himself a useless sh*t, I'd give Shah one more crack.

Strauss*
Cook
Shah
Pietersen
Patel
Colly
Davies+
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Hoggard

I'd go with that but they won't. We need a senior bowler to lead the attack in the absence of Fred - otherwise Jimmy is our 'go-to' experienced bowler affraid

by Big_Bad_Bob Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:31 pm

Indeed.

Or they bring back Harmi . . . shudder.

by Chivalry Augustus Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:20 pm

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:On the basis that Bell has had years to prove himself a useless sh*t, I'd give Shah one more crack.

Strauss*
Cook
Shah - no chance
Pietersen
Patel - no chance
Colly
Davies+ - no chance
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Hoggard - no chance

Is how I see it. I'm surprised you're a fan of Davies given that his keeping doesn't look to be all that. Better than Prior's, of course, but that's not saying much.

by skully Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:28 pm

So is all this "Freddy is broken" talk good for Aus in the Ashes? Or just a set back for the IPL?

by Guest Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:29 pm

Dello wrote:I don't think Tremlett's even on the radar.

How's Trem doing this year?

by JKLever Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:34 pm

skully wrote:So is all this "Freddy is broken" talk good for Aus in the Ashes? Or just a set back for the IPL?

He should be fit for the Ashes but who can say? You wouldn't exactly bet against him breaking down in the first test.

by Big_Bad_Bob Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:45 pm

Augustus wrote:
Big_Bad_Bob wrote:On the basis that Bell has had years to prove himself a useless sh*t, I'd give Shah one more crack.

Strauss*
Cook
Shah - no chance
Pietersen
Patel - no chance
Colly
Davies+ - no chance
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Hoggard - no chance

Is how I see it. I'm surprised you're a fan of Davies given that his keeping doesn't look to be all that. Better than Prior's, of course, but that's not saying much.

Wouldn't say I'm a fan as such, but looks the only realistic alternative to Prior for a variety of reasons.

Ambrose - Don't see them going back to him at this stage.
Foster - Can't buy a run.
Mustard - Gawn
Jones - Gawn
Read - Probably still the best choice, particularly with 6 batsmen, but not a snowball in hell's chance.

So Davies it is.

by DJ_Smerk Sat Apr 25, 2009 11:13 pm

A couple more centuries from Mark Wallace on decent pitches might give him a little chance.

by Big_Bad_Bob Sat Apr 25, 2009 11:15 pm

DJ_Smerk wrote:A couple more centuries from Mark Wallace on decent pitches might give him a little chance.

Yes . . . First Class average of 27. Unheralded with the gloves.

Probably about 12 keepers in front of him in the queue.

by Henry Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:41 am

Well since the 2005 ashes, England do have a better record when Flintoff isn't in the side.....

by Henry Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:50 am

FWIW, Í think they'll go with-

Strauss(c)
Cook
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Prior+
Broad
Swann
Harmison FFS
Anderson

by LeFromage Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:11 am

Must be a concern for them that Shah and Collingwood quite probably won't have played any cricket at all going into the first Test.

That's where I think Bell will have gained ground. Lots of batting - and a chance to bat some more for the Lions against Windies - while his probable rival for a spot, Shah, has been sitting on his arse counting his money. And probably getting hand cramps doing so.

by LeFromage Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:18 am

Rob I wrote:
Dello wrote:I don't think Tremlett's even on the radar.

How's Trem doing this year?

Seems to be going okay. Tight and steady rather than bucketfuls of wickets, but that's kind of how he shapes up these days.

Got a tonking in the FPT, though. 3-70-odd, I think.

And pretty much every bowler came a cropper this week at Edgbaston during the 1300-run drawathon - although he did remove the run machine that is Ian Bell with what my paper called a "brute" of a ball (and had Troughton dropped).

But he seems to be fit. So that's nice.

by Henry Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:49 am

Tremlett's debut series against India was extremely underrated, imo. Had some of the best batsmen in the world in all sorts of trouble at times. Tendulkar didn't fancy him at all.

by Zat Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:08 am

Dello wrote:
Big_Bad_Bob wrote:
On the positive side, at least it will force us back to the 6 batsmen, 4 bowlers and a keeper formula.

And, again, underlines the sad fact that Flintoff won't ever be fit enough to be a part of a four-man attack.

He can't even get through four overs per day now.

Please, please please, can someone make sure Brett Lee meets Freddie's fitness advisor/s when he goes to play in the IPL? Or at least at some stage preceding the Ashes.

Dello wrote:Should Flintoff be known as T-FIB from here on: "The Flintoff Is Broken"

Periodically, briefly, changing his status to T-FIF: "The Flintoff Is Fixed"

And the inevitable T-FIR: "The Flintoff Is Retired"

I like it.

by skully Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:13 pm

JKLever wrote:
skully wrote:So is all this "Freddy is broken" talk good for Aus in the Ashes? Or just a set back for the IPL?

He should be fit for the Ashes but who can say? You wouldn't exactly bet against him breaking down in the first test.

Well the decent bloke in me says "good luck, Fred" but the biased Aussie in me says "break a leg". Cool

by skully Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:16 pm

Dello wrote:Should Flintoff be known as T-FIB from here on: "The Flintoff Is Broken"

Periodically, briefly, changing his status to T-FIF: "The Flintoff Is Fixed"

And the inevitable T-FIR: "The Flintoff Is Retired"

Surely T-FIF would fit for all scenarios?

The Flintoff Is Flawed/Farked/Fractured
The Flintoff Is Fixed
The Flintoff Is Finished

by embee Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:19 pm

TFLF

The Flintoff Looks Farked
The Flintoff Looks Finished
The Flintoff Looks Fixed

and one for Zimmy

The Fat Lipped Freak

by Guest Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:44 pm

Dello wrote:
Rob I wrote:
Dello wrote:I don't think Tremlett's even on the radar.

How's Trem doing this year?

Seems to be going okay. Tight and steady rather than bucketfuls of wickets, but that's kind of how he shapes up these days.

But he seems to be fit. So that's nice.

"Tight and steady" is what England need from their third seamer, rather that "haemhorraging runs". I'd go for Jimmy (will usually do well in England), Broad (probably the bowler we should be building the attack around) and the underrated Trem in for Harmless, plus whatever spinner is taking wickets and isn't Monty.

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