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Rank: Club  Joined: 3/17/2011 Posts: 14 Location: The Internet
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England's selection has been pretty dire this tournament. Not so much with the first XI, which I largely agreed with, but with the squad players. When things started to go wrong we had no-one to replace misfiring Jimmy and Colly, and we were eventually desperate enough to play Luke Wright. And worse, rely on him.
Need to go:
> Mike Yardy. Time up, I'm afraid. They were playing him as long as they could get away with it.
> Luke Wright. You know why.
> Paul Collingwood. He's not timing a thing any more. This is an undignified end for England's most accomplished ODI cricketer.
> James Tredwell. I don't hate him. I'd quite like him if he were, say, my uncle or milkman. Far from the second best spinner in the country.
> Matt Prior. Too restricted technically and not enough to his game for ODIs. Aggresive does not mean fast scoring when you can only score square on the off side.
> Ian Bell. Bell makes a lot of sense when he's in touch, stroking fours and looking good, hence why I had no issue with him in the side at the start. Now, that just isn't the case and he's only serving to waste time while more versatile batsman can at least get singles and rotate.
Coming in:
> Steve Davies. Can actually keep, and is one of the best LO openers in the country. Two birds, one stone.
> James Hildreth. The form middle-order batsman. May not be a permenant solution but he's there right now. KP, once he returns from injury, will need to earn his place back.
I also think we need to pick 5 proper bowlers, Bresnan and Swann are good enough at 7 and 8, especially with Broad/Woakes/Shahzad as back up. Jimmy will be back when he gets his head sorted out. Bopara is a support bowler only.
XI for this summer:
Strauss, Davies, Trott, Hildreth, Bopara, Morgan, Bresnan, Swann, Broad, Woakes, Shahzad.
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Rank: Club  Joined: 3/16/2011 Posts: 11 Location: Leicester
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Rank: Club
Joined: 3/15/2011 Posts: 12
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I think Rashid and Cook definitely need considering and I certainly wouldn't chuck out Ian Bell, otherwise I generally agree with you Howe_zat.
@Daveemrys: I really think you must keep Strauss in, he does tend to be too conservative too often in the field but the Flower-Strauss team is far too good to break up, Strauss is too successful a batsman and Cook shouldn't be captaining an ODI team he hasn't been in so far and still may not be suited to. Samit Patel, unless he's massively turned around his attitude with training etc. is a poor choice to have in the team, its a real pity because he can be good but unless he changes you can't have him in. Also I suspect Hildreth is given his chance before Taylor. A change back to Davies or to Kieswetter seems sensible if Davies can find form. Prior is serviceable though if you could keep him down at 6 or 7 but as you say he isn't technically capable enough to open.
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Rank: Club
Joined: 3/16/2011 Posts: 22
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I would certainly want Cook in my team, but I would keep Strauss as captain! He has scored runs this tournament-lots of them and his captaincy is getting better. Plus I think the team love him!
As a Leicester man I agree about Taylor.
Samit Patel-I would love him to be involved, but will he fit in? He is so talented, but he's just so fat.
Bell-what has happened to you? Start smoking the ball through the covers or else! I would open with him. Or Trott. But not Prior.
I like Wright, and he did okay today. We need someone who can accelerate at the end, but who you wouldn't back to bat through the innings. Also Wright once played for Hinckley Town, and that's where I'm from. That's good enough to get him in the team.
Steve Davies-he's had a short run-out this winter but he has to be still in the frame! He's just too good!
Hildreth-oh yes! He's got X-Factor.
KP-I love him so he's gotta come back. I have a theory that he's been living in England too long, and our collective ability to turn winners into loosers has got to him. So he should learn to speak German, grow a moustache and start chomping Sausages, while still singing God Save the Queen. Then he'll be fine.
I love Woakes. His time is still to come. And Broad is getting better. This is the frustrating thing-we have such talent, we should be a serious contender for the World Cup!
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Rank: Club  Joined: 3/16/2011 Posts: 11 Location: Leicester
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Lubidog,
I'm also from Hinckley and Despite Wright's performance against the Windies can find no logical reason as to his continued inclusion in the squad let alone team. He may have played for our local side, but there again so did Omari Banks.
The point of my blog was about building a side for the next world cup, which is why I have omitted strauss. As I don't realistically think he will still be playing ODI's in four years time.
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Rank: Club
Joined: 3/15/2011 Posts: 12
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@Daveemrys
That's a good point, who should be England's next ODI captain? Cook whilst a superb player and apparently a capable captain, has not gone in for ODIs. Unless Cook gets into the ODI team fairly soon I don't see him being the next ODI captain. Who else might be in the running?
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