2013/14 Ashes thread

[Acidmouse]

Came across this analysis on The Guardian website. Can't see much to disagree with:

Bell, Root, Prior and Cook can come back ONLY IF you get big runs in county cricket

Root was dropped from his opening slot to 5-6 in the first 3 tests? then put to 3 for the 4th and then dropped.

He should never have been changed from the opening batsman slot, replacing him with a 33 year old unproven test player was about as bad decision as it gets. Everyone knows Root is the future so why fuk with his head and keep messing him about with where he plays in the order.  You listen to the so called experts on sky last night and they all say Root IS the future of the top order and Captain material, he is a special player. So why on earth should you say he has to prove himself at county level? hes not at the end of his career like the others.

England sure know how to mess with people careers, they did it with Rashid a few years back..

[MintTrav]

Root batted 6th in the 1st Test and 3rd in the next three and had one decent innings out of eight.

Scores = 2, 26no, 15, 87, 4, 19, 24, 15.

Total runs in eight innings = 192, 87 in one and a total of 105 for the other seven.

[Acidmouse]

Everyone was shit in this series..but you simply cannot move young players about the batting order from test to test. You have to put faith in people who experts say are England class. He has a solid temperament so tinkering with where he bats is totally the wrong thing to do. I am sure Cook didn't start with amazing figures, opening seems way different then batting elsewhere.

His average is 36.73 that's 1 less then Michael Atherton's England career average. He's 23. Don't think he should be shipped out of the squad to prove himself imo.

[DungBeetle]

To be fair in these days 36 would be a test average which is significantly below par.  The top boys average 50 now.

I agree it will likely rise, but I still don't understand all the fuss over him.   Strauss, Cook, KP all hit the ground running from memory.

[TightEnd]

Its not difficult really

Root should be at six, should have been left at six and then send him up after 18m to 2 years in the side

All the tinkering has been because there wasn't any confidence in Compton, Trott's problems then followed. The effect has been mucking the order around, which has unstabilised things

Two big innings aside, the jury is more out on Root than it probably should be, but I sense that is a sign of things to come as we are definitely going into a rebuilding phase with new opener, new keeper, new spinner just for starters, and thats before Anderson, KP etc go too

[DungBeetle]

It seems Flower has issued a "him or me" ultimatum on Pieterson.  Thoughts?  Seems a bit arrogant to be making demands after you've just managed a 0-5 defeat.

I'm with Pieterson on this one.  Has it occurred to Flower that maybe his bad attitude was due to the spineless cowardice he saw elsewhere?

I know KP is 33, but Flower's arrogance is absurd.

[tikay]

It seems Flower has issued a "him or me" ultimatum on Pieterson.  Thoughts?  Seems a bit arrogant to be making demands after you've just managed a 0-5 defeat.

I'm with Pieterson on this one.  Has it occurred to Flower that maybe his bad attitude was due to the spineless cowardice he saw elsewhere?

I know KP is 33, but Flower's arrogance is absurd.

Not sure that is correct, or true.

Mike Atherton, in a well-rounded piece in today's Times, suggests it is not, & backs that up with reasoned evidence.

[DungBeetle]

Read it in the Heil this morning, but might be complete rubbish of course

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2535242/Its-KP-England-coach-Flower-resign-Pietersen-isnt-dropped-team.html

 

[tikay]

Read it in the Heil this morning, but might be complete rubbish of course

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2535242/Its-KP-England-coach-Flower-resign-Pietersen-isnt-dropped-team.html

 

Hmm, think, on balance, I'm more likely to believe Mike Atherton in The Times than Mr Newman in the Daily Mail.

Atherton's piece looked to me like he had the inside line, & he categorically stated as a fact that the ultimatum had NOT been given. He had clearly been briefed, I'd suggest.

Shame that this is clouding the real issue. Neither of them have much to be proud of after this debacle, but this sort of bickering ain't gonna help, & it's time they got constructive, examined the reasons, implement the necesary changes, & started re-building unity. 

[77dave]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25650615

Broad might get a bit of respect from the aussies now

[AndrewT]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25650615

Broad might get a bit of respect from the aussies now

The article doesn't say which England player it was who was going to jump.

[77dave]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25650615

Broad might get a bit of respect from the aussies now

The article doesn't say which England player it was who was going to jump.

if it was an english player he prob would of missed

[AndrewT]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25650615

Broad might get a bit of respect from the aussies now

The article doesn't say which England player it was who was going to jump.

if it was an english player he prob would of missed

It was a good job they talked him down as I wouldn't fancy the England players' chances of catching him.

[Ironside]

Anyone know what time the ladies start trying to bring back some pride?

[Ironside]

did anyone follow the ladies ashes last night?

england are in a strong postion in the only test match in the series
the ashes are made up of a 4 day test match and some ODI and 20/20 games
each game scoring points towards the overall winner
with 6 points available for the test match it can have a massive effect of the ashes
england were all out for 201 last night but took 2 wickets for 9 runs in the reply
looking forward too listening too it on 5live tonight if not least as cricket on radio sends me too sleep
and i can catch the score when i wake up in morning