5th Test: Australia v England at the SCG - 3-7 Jan

[cricket_online]

cook never should have been captain in the first place.

it's ridiculous to have someone who isn't up to the job on a basis of "no alternative". it's the same with bell - he will never ever ever be a number 3 and wishing won't make it so, so we need to a new number 3. cook has no imagination and no tactical nous - he's a yes man in a blazer and got the job because he would continue the strauss attritional, boring, hang in there and hope it swings for jimmy/spins for swanny mentality. we'll never play with attacking intent or imagination while cook/flower are there.

the fact that we look around the squad and say "no alternative" sums up what's wrong with the team: no leadership/imagination, just a bunch of robots lost without their laptop analyst. when something out of the ordinary happens, they can't think on their feet.

we need to look around the circuit and find a youngish player with a bit of promise and has a bit of imagination/flair. hopefully not been around the Lions camp too long to get too indoctrinated into the groupthink - make him captain (after a few series maybe as VC to Pietersen) and support him to the hilt. Stephen Fleming became NZ captain in 23.

all the coaches should go. Flower is the guy who has set the tone for uninspiring cricket the team has played for years. Love Goochie but going so long without passing 400 can no longer be ingored. Saker has to go for what he has done to Finn.

The selectors need to be canned too, it's been ridiculous going back to putting Root to open, the Oval debacle, the makeup of this squad... just ridiculous.

Cook getting the job was Peter Principle in action, nothing more...

 

[ferg512]

Hard to see where Australia goes from here really, still major problems with the batting which were papered over because of the bowling attack. Bailey simply isn't up to test level and despite a couple of good scores Watson still hasn't looked reliable at 3. Not to mention Rogers and Haddin are both 36, with not much time left. I guess it won't be too long before we see Hughes and Khawaja getting yet another chance.

 

[IceAgeComing]

I've heard Phil Hughes described as "an Australian version of Ramprakash"; and I think that makes sense - he seems able to bat all day and look like the best batsman ever in the Shield; yet as soon as they put him into International games, he struggles and is nowhere near as good as his talent suggests...

 

[shravi]

I remember when aussieben CONSTANTLY eulogized Hughes and Pomersbach as the new pillars of Australian cricket that would destroy everyone in their path. Ha

 

[War]

I've heard Phil Hughes described as "an Australian version of Ramprakash"; and I think that makes sense - he seems able to bat all day and look like the best batsman ever in the Shield; yet as soon as they put him into International games, he struggles and is nowhere near as good as his talent suggests...

Some similarities but i wouldn't be surprised if whenever he gets recalled - he has a breakthrough series like Johnson had, after years of inconsistency at the top level.

 

[War]

Blogs: Dave Hawksworth: England's tour from hell? | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo

Yup only the other day i was thinking this Ashes had indeed taken over from that infamous 1986 tour of the Windies - as the ENG worst ever tour performance since WW2.

 

[Owzat]

ENG
I also would advocate KP being given captain of the test ODI until he retires. ENG in this new phase needs an innovative captain, Cook is the kind of "lead from the front with runs" captain - that only works well if the team is playing well.

ENG in this rebuilding phase needs a captain with similar tactical acumen to Michael Clarke & KP is the only one equipped to do this.

Best XI: Cook, Robson, Compton, KP, Bell, Root, Stokes, Foster, Broad, Anderson, Rankin

Ballance, Taylor, Davies, Finn, Onions, Mills, Meaker, Panesar

Robson: Think Carberry is a solid player that could make runs at test level, but he was well worked out by an AUS bowling attack that bowled as well as any 4-man attack has bowled in history really.

But ENG need to go to youth & axing him for the much hyped young, Sam Robson is the obvious replacement.

Compton: Should never have been dropped, but he must be immediately recalled. He is the perfect # 3 replacement for Trott who is unlikely to return. Ian Bell is a top player but he generally comes across as a reluctant # 3, so just leave him @ # 5.

Their may be times due to emergence of Stokes that ENG will want to play a spinner & 5-bowlers. But this should be assessed on match by match basis - since its obvious ENG don't have an proper all-conditions spinner. Panesar despite his deficiencies remains the best - but he should not be played in all tests.

The choice for the keeper in James Foster is a bit of personal bias. But if the aforementioned balance is selected, this may be the best time to give the best ENG glovesman since Jack Russell a run in the side. However if this doesn't happen - you always have Steven Davies, who is the best performing 4-day keeper in ENG.

Agree pretty much on the Stokes situation re 4v5 bowlers, but there's no reason Stokes couldn't bat seven as part of a four man attack with Foster as keeper. I found it ironic England dumped Read just as they moved towards a four man attack where a keeper could be less relied on for runs.

I think it will be as much a crime if Davies never gets a look in as when Nixon was in top form and only latterly made a few ODI appearances.

If England don't have a good enough spinner then playing one for variation isn't a solution unless there is turn in which case I still lean towards a four man attack anyway.

Agree with most of what you've said overall, but really can't agree on Compton, scored a couple of hundreds against the kiwis which ain't much to boast, then 54 runs in six innings.

Besides anything else England would look stupid if they backtracked after his reaction to being dropped, I doubt they would anyway.


Not sure I'd agree with your summary of Carberry, other than the aussies worked him out and I'm not surprised as he looks like a wicket waiting to be taken.

Neither he nor Compton is the right side of 30 to be pandered too with unlimited chances, I'd rather someone like Robson were given a chance but having ponced around quite a bit over the past few years with Taylor, Compton, Carberry, Root, Bairstow and now Ballance without any of them seeming to be a fixture, there are doubts if England will make a call with a youngster and give him an extended run in the side.

Root had a decent run in the side, but for some reason the selectors dumped a 23 year old who'd been batting in the middle order, then asked to open, then moved back again, in favour of retaining a 33 year old who is looking very much like being dropped sooner or later.


As for the captain debate, I'd give it to Bell for the time being as I may have said elsewhere/before. I would not give it to an ego like Pietersen, that's asking for trouble. Trott might have made a decent captain, not convinced he'll play again for England.