[themaclad]

Woke up to day 3 highlights assumed the worst not wrong

[jjamez]

It's been kinda clear from the outset that this was another ashes tour doomed to fail, there's been little to no red ball cricket since the summer, even then it's been patchy due to the idiotic 100 tournament, our pace 'battery' is next to none existent and our batters aren't able to put scores on the board barring root really, we're a side where 250 is a good effort, when it really needs to be 400+.

The selection for the first test was wrong, not in hindsight joe, just straight up wrong, broad or Anderson should have played end of, 3rd test or 4th on the roads is when they should have rested. Batting line is probably what I'd have gone with, maybe bairstow for Pope, I just envisioned him being bounced out, just not by Lyon. I feel the squad in general that was selected was wrong, too safe, too much in the mantra of silverwoods 'rather give them one game too many than too few' well how manys too many? Surely it should be one too few and if they go away and prove you wrong they come back? There would have been a couple of changes to the main and lion squad that I would have made all in all.

But that being said, with this covid issue, and our main pace bowlers being injured or recovering, then a prudent plan would be to avoid the series altogether and come back next year when we might have others back and a plan full stop? Maybe it's a bit slime ball tactics as I'd have used slimy tactics on the F1 but hey ho, if it stuck it up the Aussies who cares?

Now why is it we are really struggling? Well I mentioned the idiotic 100 earlier, and it's not solely accountable for it, but the emphasis on white ball, hit and rush cricket is, the amount of insecurity outside off stump is unbelievable, the majority of English players don't know how to build an innings and last for prolonged periods of time, sure once in a blue moon they do, but we are fast becoming like the current west indies side, purely because our players are becoming more and more white ball specialists. Do you blame them, it's loads of money in their pockets.

The addition of the 100 made the English season very saturated with cricket and the white ball took priority with a one day cup, 20 over cup and a 100 cup, county championship took a back seat. Now I know the ECB and the old boys won't want to really disrupt the county game, but something needs to happen, I find myself on part agreeing with Kevin pietersen where he says the best need to be playing the best, at the best grounds, this is where the best players in the world will start coming back to play in the competition. When I was growing up the county game had Lara, warne, Fleming, Lehmann to name a few, yes I'm not overly old, they were playing a full season or near to, now we get the likes of pujara and Williamson coming and playing but they are only playing one or two games most times and all in all its not really helping anyone.

Now do I agree with franchising the 4 day competition and making a shed load of players wind up in minor counties, pietersen said they are hungry for success they'll find their way up, which is true in all fairness, it will also put few counties on the heap as they will only feature in white ball competitions, which isnt going to roundly accepted. If we did do a franchised system then you'd be looking at the best players playing each other in the red ball format for possibly 8 games a season, with the money spinning white ball games there too, the best foreign players would be willing or more willing to do that. It would help our players as they'd feature alongside these better quality players far far more. In theory it works, in practice it probably doesn't. My honest thoughts are, pietersen says there's too many, maybe we need more? Maybe instead of the rigid 2 leagues of playing high volume of games, there's 18 teams. Maybe 3 leagues of 6, the best would still play the best, the rest can still work their ways up, bring in football style squad limits so one county can't hoard players, allow for a better transfer and loan system so younger players can still get game time in the lower levels. There would still be 12 games for the counties which pietersen suggested anyway, but you wouldnt lose teams from existence and like I said the best would still face each other, you'd be also able to work white ball comps into the season. With 12 games, you have four red ball windows of three games, beginning of the season, early middle, late middle and late, the wickets played on would emulate much of the rest of the world within reason and allow our players to develop on varied pitches against better players.

Now how would that help the test side, well best players playing with and against the best would make them better, you look back at some of the England players that didn't play when we were at the top of the tree, or didn't play too much and you see the gulf in what we have now. Back then in the Strauss era you had proper test players not playing because of what we had. Now our reserves are whims that we hope may just click and progress but that won't happen, not while our system is so messed up. Burns got mention in another post, he's the leading run scorer most seasons that's why he gets picked, but he's not facing test quality bowlers he sometimes doesn't even face lions candidates he faces dependable county trundlers who 15 year ago would be playing no higher than village cricket. It's where the system needs rectifying.

[themaclad]

Anderson and Broad expected to play neither played for months Anderson been injured what could go possibly wrong.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Christ, is it time for another Test already? Oh joy of unbridled joys.

England squad: Root, Anderson, Broad, Burns, Buttler, Hameed, Leach, Malan, Pope, Robinson, Stokes, Woakes.

[themaclad]

Can't catch, bowl or bat apart from that they are doing all right

221-2

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Can't catch, bowl or bat apart from that they are doing all right

Not exactly shit-hot at winning tosses either. Or making the right decision when we do.

[themaclad]

Nowt like hot shit

[theo_luddite]

Especially when walloped into the stands off the end of a cricket bat.

[themaclad]

Obviously use different type of ball on the other side of the hills

[theo_luddite]

Glad it's not my pink'uns that are getting thrown darn the wicket only to be smashed into the outback if I'm honest.