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[Manormanic]

Massively.

Inspirational, yes, great, no.

[Manormanic]

A dig at Australia?

When did Australia in it's period of being #1 did they lose four tests on the trot?

Actually, can you tell me when Australia last lost four tests on the trot from any ranking position?

Absolutely amazing some of you blokes...

To answer your earlier question, suspect the answer to be 1971.  Shame there weren't two more Tests down under last winter or you'd have managed it then, ven with home advantage 

[golders]

Would love to see Carberry have another crack at opening after his solitary test, but looking at espncricinfo, apparantly can't take long hall flights after his blood clot to his lung.. I think Cook is ready to take over now, but if Strauss's form continues past the SA series, that could be his last. Opening spot and number six crucial for me, Bell's class will come again and Pieterson's record is still very good. Tough tough decisions for the selectors.

[Manormanic]

If it were me, and if Strauss were to go, I'd look at the following:

Cook
Root
Trott
Bell
Pietersen
Taylor/Rashid depending on conditions
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson

Root is the best bet for the opening spot - probably not the best available batsman, maybe needs a season to tell one way or t'other on that, but a natural opener which the others are not.  Taylor should starta t six and work up - Rashid is included because there should be circumstances where five bowlers play and he is quality.  The "spares" would, for me, be Finn with the ball, Bairstow the gloves and either Hildreth or Chopra the bat.

[golders]

Flintoff is massively overated, living off the glory of the Ashes and his bleary-eyed performance at the open-bus parade in '05, such a good lad etc etc. Good player and bloke who played a couple of great series, as Michael Atherton said.

[golders]

Just had a look at Rashid's stats, averages pretty much 34 with bat and ball. Bowls too many bad balls for me. Monty is much improved, bowling  average is lower and has double the amount of five fors

[Buzz]

just seen the team selection for the game tomorrow... panasar and broad out, bresnan and Finn in.

Strauss,
cook,
trott,
Kp,
bell,
patel
prior
bresnan
swann
Anderson
Finn.

can bresser make it 11 out of 11? I really hope so.
way harsh on monty, but this is the only way to keep the balance of the team...

[Cover_Drive]

One spinner in Sri Lankan pitches?

Patel and KP would have to bowl some overs too!

[arc1983]

As per all tests this winter, think our bowlers will do the job.... just need our batsmen to perform!!

Would like to see Patel bat 6 & Prior 7. Patel is a batsmen who bowls, and Prior has a lot of success at 7.

[Manormanic]

Just had a look at Rashid's stats, averages pretty much 34 with bat and ball. Bowls too many bad balls for me. Monty is much improved, bowling  average is lower and has double the amount of five fors

But with a false statistical set given that he has played almost twice as many matches and may second division games.  Rashid, I've said before, is England's best second spinner.  He can bat seven and score hundreds, is a superb fielder, and is a top spinner to boot.  Consider this - who is the top wicket taking English spinner in first class cricket over the last four years? 

[kaustav]

Good start from the openers. If England can take a first innings lead of about 120-130, I think they might be well on their way to winning this one.

[charlie15]

I'm going to stick my neck out here, but England are not a bad team and that some of the comments on here have actually been out of line.  The bowlers have been outstanding and have managed to take 20 wickets in all of the tests we've played this winter, all on pitches that are apparently flat tracks and haven't offered any help to the bowlers.  Anderson, Broad, Swann, Bresnan and Tremlett are all match winners and can turn a game on it's head in an instant.  Jimmy v Steyn this summer will be fascinating as whoever comes top of that tussle will deserve to be called the best bowler in the world.  Added to that three of the above five can all contribute with the bat gives a good amount of bite to our tail.  If you also through the likes of Monty and Onions into the mix then there is something that England haven't had for years (I don't follow enough County Cricket to name too many more)!

Where criticism is due is the batsmen almost believing the press that England cannot win on the sub continent.  This hasn't made them bad players overnight, they just need to get over this apparent mental block.  As Strauss and Cook demonstraded this morning and play patiently you can accumulate a good score and put your self in a good position.  Yes there probably is an argument to blood some new players, especially at 6 where I feel Bopara has been given more lives than a very lucky cat, but Strauss let us remember has led this team to back to back Ashes wins and to No 1 in the test rankings, Cook, Trott, KP and Bell have all proved themselves time after time and don't deserve to be dropped because of 4 dodgy matches.  You also have to say barring KP, who apart from those on the county circuit and in the know had heard of the other 5 before they made their debuts?

Lets face it, at the end of the day if we were all selectors there would never be any continuity in the side, and if we left it to the press, well I rest my case!

[Manormanic]

You're not wrong Charlie - actually, you make a lot of sense.  There are two ways of looking at England's winter - you can either say that it has been conclusive proof that they're actually a bit rubbish, or you could say that they've not been far from winning most games, just missing out on margin calls and confidence.  Which way does it go?  Probably in the middle really - I think they do need to freshen the side a little and think about future direction more. 

[charlie15]

You're not wrong Charlie - actually, you make a lot of sense.  There are two ways of looking at England's winter - you can either say that it has been conclusive proof that they're actually a bit rubbish, or you could say that they've not been far from winning most games, just missing out on margin calls and confidence.  Which way does it go?  Probably in the middle really - I think they do need to freshen the side a little and think about future direction more.

See I don't understand this freshening up of the side.  You wouldn't replace any of the bowlers, although Tremelett and Onions have probably fallen down the pecking order a fair amount.  As I said the top 5 have all had their ups and downs, but have proven themselves time and time again.  Case in point would be Cook who couldn't buy a run before the last Ashes series, then made a scratchy ton against Pakistan and I'm sure we don't need reminding of how he played after that!  Of the top 5 I'd say KP and Bell are probably more at risk of being replaced.  I think the number 6 spot should go to someone new (unless Patel performs a miracle in this test), and Prior's place barring an absolute shocker of match fixing magnitude has his place sealed in cement!

The only way I see us freshening up the side is saying to the likes of KP and Bell, ok boys sit out the WI series and be ready for the Saffa's.  Other than that there is only that No 6 spot up for grabs!

[Manormanic]

Nah - aside from the number six issue, I think it would be good for everyone's mindset if one of the established players were dropped - much like happened to Ian Bell after the 51 all out debacle.  That would allow the side to look at two new faces against the West Indies and the dropped player to prove themselves anew in county cricket. 

The qwho is the problem I guess.  For me, Root and Taylor perhaps?