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[Manormanic]

Forgot about Woakes - I rate him very highly to be honest, and think he's been a bit hard done by not to get the same opportunities as some of the other young players

He needs to work on his strength and conditioning a bit - if he could add three or four mph he would go from a decent change bowler to a genuine threat.

[Vic Nicholas]

In summation, the current England team is nowhere near as good as the best Australian side under Waugh, but I doubt that in five/six years time they'll be as bad as the side that Ponting led into the ground either!

Steady on!

Last summer was 15 years of negligence in the making...these things don't happen in five years you know?

[Vic Nicholas]

I thought you were a stats man Vic? 1000+ in the LV averaging over 40 In all competitions and only 22, in 5 years yep

Averaging 29 in Div 2?

If he starts kicking (No Swearing Please) over the next few years, maybe. At the moment, he is a long way off it.

[johnnyw]

And of course, we have the option of George Dockrell, which some do not approve of - but he does look quality for a kid of 19, and has the benefit of some international experience!

Keep your hands off him 

[The_Bird]

Keep your hands off him 

What about Boyd Rankin lol he's put on a few yds since being with the performance squad!!

[johnnyw]

What about Boyd Rankin lol he's put on a few yds since being with the performance squad!!

You can keep training him up for us  But I honestly do not think he is good enough for the english test team

[Village Trundler]

Not sure who will open when Strauss retires

I thought he'd retired already..... He's averaged less than Punter in 2011.

[Manormanic]

I thought he'd retired already..... He's averaged less than Punter in 2011.

yeah, but he's not a gimlet eyed wierdo and IS playing in a winning team!  Y'see, if Punter had had this run of form in 2006, he might have gotten clean away with it...

[Vic Nicholas]

Some alternative history:

http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/sadisthour/archives/2011/12/what_if_australia_had_picked_p.php

Huge mistake in not keeping Paine as keeper after his four tests last year while Haddin was injured.

Haddin has gone down the gurgler and Paine playing in that meaningless all star T20 exhibition game just before the first Ashes test has never really recovered from that broken finger he recieved from Dirk Nannes.

[Village Trundler]

Haha read that yesterday, very clever vic.

For me, the little period around that exhibition game was when I realized cricket Australia was going bad and we would be lucky to win the ashes.

Remember the grand "team naming ceremony" for the first test at the gabba? A massive marketing farce held on Sydney harbor bridge with fireworks where they named more players in the squad for the single test than England had in their entire touring party.  Apparently waiting for some shield results to refine the selection (which makes sense, but naming a team so early doesn't)

Then, to open up what we knew was to be a tough summer of test cricket, we have a joke of a T20 game.

[FattusCattus]

I've seen Dockrell bowl and I think he is the best spinning prospect out there - conveniently ignoring the Irish situation of course!

A little out there, but I actually feel that Rashid could be the real deal, but he needs to be better managed and I thin change counties. He needs to play under a wily county pro (or an Aussie!) with an understanding of spin-bowling. He also needs to be predominately a bowler who bats a bit rather than an all-rounder. He needs to bowl plenty of overs and he need to limit the amount of 40 over crap he plays. This also needs to happen sooner rather than later, to capitalise on his golden years.

Seems to have fallen out of favour in the England set-up though!

[Tumo]

I've seen Dockrell bowl and I think he is the best spinning prospect out there - conveniently ignoring the Irish situation of course!

A little out there, but I actually feel that Rashid could be the real deal, but he needs to be better managed and I thin change counties. He needs to play under a wily county pro (or an Aussie!) with an understanding of spin-bowling. He also needs to be predominately a bowler who bats a bit rather than an all-rounder. He needs to bowl plenty of overs and he need to limit the amount of 40 over crap he plays. This also needs to happen sooner rather than later, to capitalise on his golden years.

Seems to have fallen out of favour in the England set-up though!

I sense a slow-left-arm Union here towards Dockrell Fattus... haha but I'd like to see Rashid handled more carefully as well, he's been abused this year. Borthwick also needs looking after, he could be very good, as could Briggs if he could get even a little more turn out of the pitch.

[Vic Nicholas]

Haha read that yesterday, very clever vic.

For me, the little period around that exhibition game was when I realized cricket Australia was going bad and we would be lucky to win the ashes.

Remember the grand "team naming ceremony" for the first test at the gabba? A massive marketing farce held on Sydney harbor bridge with fireworks where they named more players in the squad for the single test than England had in their entire touring party.  Apparently waiting for some shield results to refine the selection (which makes sense, but naming a team so early doesn't)

Then, to open up what we knew was to be a tough summer of test cricket, we have a joke of a T20 game.

The writing was on the wall then and there, wasn't it?

I knew we were doomed...I just had no idea how bad it was going to get.

[Vic Nicholas]

If India were ever going to bounce back, Sydney is the place where they will do it.

Tendulkar and Laxman both tend to save their best for the SCG.

Morevover, in Melbourne, most things went wrong for India and most things went right for Australia.

It would not take a lot to reverse the result.

[Number4]

If India were ever going to bounce back, Sydney is the place where they will do it.

Tendulkar and Laxman both tend to save their best for the SCG.

Morevover, in Melbourne, most things went wrong for India and most things went right for Australia.

It would not take a lot to reverse the result.

On a typical SCG wicket thats correct Vic but by all reports this isn't going to be you typical Sydney spinning wicket which is why there is some talk of 4 pace bowlers for the Test..