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[alexhilly1492]

looks decent no better than that, no need for bopara, keiswetter or patel

also james taylor is in this squad yet missed out on the england performance program (epp), the inclusion in the provisional 30 man champions trophy but exclusion from the epp seems slightly contradictory to me!

[Manormanic]

why?  notlike there were 30 names in the EPP....

[alexhilly1492]

i just think if a player is deemed good enough to be chosen in an england squad, be it only provisional, then they are worth a place on the epp

[Manormanic]

Don't think it works that way though - there are a capped number of places on the EPP.

[jbrommo]

For me you pick the best players and as Prior is clearly the best wicketkeeper/batsman in english (and probably world) cricket, you pick him?

[Nickauger]

As I stated elsewhere, prior's problem is that the range of shots he uses so effectively in the Test Arena are precisely the type of shots that can be pretty well dried up (comparative to the rate of scoring required) in the shorter format of the game; now, that MIGHT change slightly now thatteh fielding restrictions are different, but I don't see that he will ever anchor an innings as well as Cook or Trott, destroy from early as effectively as KP or close an innings as well as Morgan or Buttler, ergo he is best prolonging his Test career.

As regards the selected squad, its kind of what you might expect - it might have been good for the selectors to make a definitive statement regarding Ravi, Bedwetter, Fat Sammy and the most Expensive Bowler in History but....well...even though only one of the three should even have an arguable England future for me, who is there that they could have profitably brought in to those slots?   With the gloves? Foakes is a bit young, Davies tainted by the Surrey dressing room and Foster a bit old.  Stokes might have taken Ravi's slot but... the same kind of applies to Fat Sammy - there isn't a similar player out there.  Dernbach should have gone mind - even if the replacement was a left field one such as Shahzad, Roland-Jones or Moin Ashraf

Lol, Prior's biggest problem is that he's not from Yorkshire

[A-Swing-And-A-Miss]

As the saying goes, you're a much better player when you're not in the team. Both Prior and Kieswetter were given a huge amount of opportunities and both of them squandered them. I think most people are forgetting that Prior scored a whopping 3 half centuries in 62 inning's with a top score of 87 against a very mediocre West Indian attack.

As an opening batsman for England in ODI's, Steven Davies has a higher average than both Kieswetter and Prior while also being the only one of the three to have a S/R of above 100. And what is truly remarkable is that after averaging over 30 at a S/R of above 100 after 8 games Davies was dropped while Buttler averages 9.5 and Bairstow averages 23 at a S/R of 76 and yet both are kept in the squad.

Surely you have to consider the possibility that Davies' homosexuality has an effect on his possible selection? I'm no conspiracy nutter but it seems very odd that he got dropped at the start of 2011 around the same time that he officially he came out when he had done very little wrong and then when his replacements screwed up suddenly part time keepers starting jumping the queue...

 

[Nickauger]

Surely you have to consider the possibility that Davies' homosexuality has an effect on his possible selection? I'm no conspiracy nutter but it seems very odd that he got dropped at the start of 2011 around the same time that he officially he came out when he had done very little wrong and then when his replacements screwed up suddenly part time keepers starting jumping the queue...

No, no, no and no, you narrow minded muppet!!!! I would lay down a counter argument but it would be wasted on you! The fact that you have even mentioned it is pathetic, and also highlights the huge negative stigma which still surrounds sport, and society in general! If you are suggesting that the England selectors pick based on some archaic misconception then......... wow, just wow. Words fail me!

[Steveo1000]

Surely you have to consider the possibility that Davies' homosexuality has an effect on his possible selection? I'm no conspiracy nutter but it seems very odd that he got dropped at the start of 2011 around the same time that he officially he came out when he had done very little wrong and then when his replacements screwed up suddenly part time keepers starting jumping the queue...

[/quote]
I find that to be shocking and unnessasary statement. To even link his sexuality to not being selected is a dreadful thing in my opinion.
All I have ever heard about Davis from the cricket community are statements of support and inclusitivity. This is the first time I have heard or read anything to the contrary.
Lets give some credit to the selectors in as much that they just don't look at statistics, they also consider character and self belief. Maybe they see something missing in Davies, but I'm sure it isn't anything to do with his sexual preference.

[mdg20]

Surely you have to consider the possibility that Davies' homosexuality has an effect on his possible selection? I'm no conspiracy nutter but it seems very odd that he got dropped at the start of 2011 around the same time that he officially he came out when he had done very little wrong and then when his replacements screwed up suddenly part time keepers starting jumping the queue...
I find that to be shocking and unnessasary statement. To even link his sexuality to not being selected is a dreadful thing in my opinion.
All I have ever heard about Davis from the cricket community are statements of support and inclusitivity. This is the first time I have heard or read anything to the contrary.
Lets give some credit to the selectors in as much that they just don't look at statistics, they also consider character and self belief. Maybe they see something missing in Davies, but I'm sure it isn't anything to do with his sexual preference.

He actually came out to players just before he went on the Ashes tour so i dont think it has anything to do with hsoi non selection. His non inclusion in any of the England tours this winter was because he was on the verge in quitting cricket and wasnt in the right frame of mind because of what was going on with at Surrey with Maynard. He therefore took the winter off [to go touring with his new mate Elton John - no seriously]. I expect him to have a good year this year for the Rey and be back in contention to be Priors understudy and an ODI regular

[A-Swing-And-A-Miss]

No, no, no and no, you narrow minded muppet!!!! I would lay down a counter argument but it would be wasted on you! The fact that you have even mentioned it is pathetic, and also highlights the huge negative stigma which still surrounds sport, and society in general! If you are suggesting that the England selectors pick based on some archaic misconception then......... wow, just wow. Words fail me!

How am I being narrow minded? I was merely pointing out that both events very handily coincided with each other and combining that with what I've heard from Homosexuals in sport who have avoided coming out while still playing due to the fear of it having a negative impact on their career. Okay then, provide me with a valid reason as to why he fell out of favour so much even before the Maynard issue.

[alexhilly1492]

lack of form during the county season, this started to decline rapidly before the maynard incident

[A-Swing-And-A-Miss]

Are you sure? He lost his place in the ODI team in January/February 2011.. That's long before the county season started. He scored a very respectable 42 from 35 in the first ODI in Australia and then the selectors picked Prior ahead of him for the World Cup even though Prior wasn't even in the ODI team at the time!

And then during the 2011 season he scored 365 T20 runs in 13 innings' at a S/R of 154.66 and 395 CB40 runs again in 13 innings' this time at a S/R of 110.64 along with being one of the highest scores in Division 2, I wouldn't really call that a major lack of form...

[Colesy]

i agree im a massive prior fan, can't believe he isn't even in the squad if not the team. i really don't fancy Bell in any form of the game so i'd lose him and open with Trott, KP at 3, prior 4, Morgan 5, Buttler 6 or open with Prior and just lose Bell. its hard to see how arguably one of our best and most attacking test batsmen can't make the squad when Bopara and Keiswetter are in.

You're crazy