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[eaowbear]

While watching the New Zealand v India series and being pleasantly surprised at just how good a player Jesse Ryder is I wondered if there was an English player who maybe is overlooked for being on the 'portly' side yet should be given a chance with England and may flourish?

Sales came to mind as his stats are pretty impressive and year in year out he always seems to do well in the county game and has a tendency to go large. Does the fact he plays for an unfashionable county like Northants where it is a bit of a road count against him? I know he was with England A a couple of years ago but did his knee and hasn't been thought of since (I think).

I personally haven't seen enough of him to make a valued judgement but I wondered what those who had seen a lot of him think.

Is he good enough to play for England?

[SillyShilly]

Firstly, i have to agree with you on your commentd about Jess Ryder, for me he has been the stand out batsmen of the series so far.......i was looking at his batting style and it's very simple but impressive! Just a recent example of this 'fattism' is rashid, i believe he was dropped due to poor showing in fitness, despite being one of the most exciting players to come out of english cricket in the last couple of years!
 Personally i cannot comment on Sales, i havnt seen him bat in ages, however i believe it would be detrimental to the game of cricket if we were to start placing a sole emphasis on body size, i'm not sure if you saw the recent twenty 20-20- between SA and AUS, but the SA side had a couple chunky fella's in the side which performed very well on the night - i think the size of the bloke/lass should be secondary to their ability and track record!

[eaowbear]

I unfortunately didn't see the Sa-Oz 20/20 but I agree completely - if you score the runs who cares if you are not in peak physical fitness! As for Ryder he seems to pick the ball up so early as his pulling of Sharma in the one dayers was awesome, but he has a full range of shots!

[sultanofswing]

Firstly, i have to agree with you on your commentd about Jess Ryder, for me he has been the stand out batsmen of the series so far.......i was looking at his batting style and it's very simple but impressive! Just a recent example of this 'fattism' is rashid, i believe he was dropped due to poor showing in fitness, despite being one of the most exciting players to come out of english cricket in the last couple of years!
 Personally i cannot comment on Sales, i havnt seen him bat in ages, however i believe it would be detrimental to the game of cricket if we were to start placing a sole emphasis on body size, i'm not sure if you saw the recent twenty 20-20- between SA and AUS, but the SA side had a couple chunky fella's in the side which performed very well on the night - i think the size of the bloke/lass should be secondary to their ability and track record!

rashid??? surely you mean patel

[SillyShilly]

yes.

[bucko2007]

Its not just about scoring runs though, its the effect it has on other players... Of course Ryder is a good player, but maybe if he shifted some weight and led a healthier lifestyle he would be an even better player. Diet and fitness play a massive part in performance, and if certain players aren't subscribing to the idea then it can effect the attitude of other team members... Training is a team effort and if everyone is on board then it helps massively. I think the ECB were right to treat Patel so firmly. This is the 21st century, and if we want to push the boundaries of each player's talent then appropriate diet and fitness must be taken on board. If somebody isn't willing to make those sacrifices then this is reflected in their commitment toward international cricket and ultimately we want only the most committed players to be playing

[SillyShilly]

I'm sorry Bucko but i cant agree with everything your saying......If Ryder shifted some weight it may effect his game in a negative way, like many people say you have to be mentally aswell as physically strong to play the game, the criticism levelled at him regarding his weight may cause a deterioration in his mental game aswell. Inzamam lead the Pakistani's well during his captaincy, it may well be fairer to say that we live in a society whereby we place too much emphasis on the style rather than substance, i understand that cricket is a team game and i appreciatte that it may have a negative impact on the team attitudes and goals, however if you see some 'fat' guy outscoring and outplaying you i would perhaps be looking at my own game rather than saying it's his fault were not winning. I know what you say about the commitment required, when i was county youth cricket we were focussing on these aspects as young as 13, it seems to be an increasingly important aspect of the game.......but i dont think i would be cricket if we didnt have the Ryders, the Leverocks, the Gattings and the Boons.....

[bucko2007]

I do not think kids should be put under pressure when they are 13... I was a chubby (No Swearing Please) when I was 13, and all I wanted to do was smash it, and that is good because that is how you naturally develop... I'm a fitness and health fanatic now and trust me the effect it has had on my concentration and energy is incredible. Playing cricket is a walk in the park! Of course tryng to lose weight may have a negative mental effect on Ryder, but if he is strong enough he should be able to defeat that. The mental side of the game is just as important as the physical side of the game, but diet and fitness aren't just about the physical side... a good diet and exercise can improve concentration hugely. People that don't have the same natural talent as Ryder have a greater challenge with the game itself, but Ryder's challenge is his fitness and that is something he should work hard on to improve because it can only be beneficial to his game

[stevie]

Ability should come 1st but if you are playing international cricket you should be as fit as you can be.

[eaowbear]

Surely to get a double century in a test match and bat for that length of time you need to be really quite fit so maybe he is just 'big boned' ?

Plus has anyone seen Sales bat or got an opinion on him?