England and Cricket

[The Baron]

How is it that our team is a decent test side (one of the top 3 in the world) but so bad at ODIs?

With players like KP, Freddy and Strauss and our seam attack we should be murdering teams! The World Cup? No chance.

[Woodsey]

Because they are using too many bits and pieces players to fiil in for harmison and hoggard etc that can't seem to adapt to the one day game.

The other thing that bugs me is I think there is just too much one day cricket these days. I used to look forward to the onedayers but because of the overload of them I find it difficult to get interested these days unless we are playing the aussies, and I'm a die hard cricket fan. I think on the back of any test series there should be a maximum of 3 ODIs to keep the interest up. The problem is in the subcontinent ODIs are the most popular form of the game and thats where the money is made, so there will be pressure from that part of the world to keep the numbers up.

And another thing, what the point of the ICC trophy at this point in the calendar, I could go on...............

[Moskvich]

Yes, not enough class and too much tinkering. They'd be better off just playing the straight Test side - Hoggard, Panesar and all. And leave the batting order alone. Flintoff at 3? Wtf was the point of that?

The big danger is that the uncertainty and incompetence in the one days is going to start affecting the way they play in the Tests.

England have now got a decent Test side because a few years ago they finally decided they were going to stop trying new bowling attacks and batting orders every other game, and pretty much just picked the best side and stuck with it. That's exactly what they should do with the ODIs.

Michael Yardy and Rikki Clarke aren't going to win the World Cup. But if the Test side has a good winter and retains the Ashes then they'd think they could win anything - then just stick exactly the same team into the World Cup and let them get on with it.

That said - yes, exactly, who cares about ODIs anyway... They were much better when they played them before the Tests (like they did against the Aussies last year) as a sort of build-up to the real stuff.

[Wardonkey]

I will be surprised (and happy) if we win a test match in the Ashes series..

[Woodsey]

I'm pretty certain we will win at 1 test at least, our batting will fire on all cylinders at some point because they are pretty good when they get their act together. Its the bowling that won us the ashes last time and thats where my concern is. We are definately gonna struggle to retain the ashes though, I did say that before last summer though, heres hoping.........

[The Baron]

I will be surprised (and happy) if we win a test match in the Ashes series..

I can only agree. We've been going backwards since the Ashes series.

[Moskvich]

Yes, the key's definitely in the bowling, but I don't think it would take that much to balance out the two sides. Harmison somewhere near his best, and McGrath some way short of his, and I reckon there's not that much to choose. Warne breaks his finger in a freak texting injury and it's in the bag.