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[iand123]

Just read an article on the bbc site which was from cook's press conference after the game. He said his future as captain is far from certain. I don't believe this for a minute but got me thinking who would replace him if he did lose the job? I can't think of an obvious replacement other than Ian Bell but even that just feels a bit strange

Anyone got any other ideas?

[Buzz]

bell or (god forbid) broad.

so bell it would be then.

flower is going to quit.

gooch should quit too in my view.

[iand123]

I think flower was always going to go out at the end of this series regardless of result.

I think they'd go with broad (quite worryingly) as he's young plays all 3 formats. By no means is that the right criteria but I think they'd give it to him. Bell has to be the only candidate really.

I think you are right with gooch. The batting has been horrific and you do have to question a batting coach when this happens but to be fair I think every single one of those batsmen should be taking a long look at themselves

Can't imagine for one second cook won't be captain anyway.

[Buzz]

interestingly we only have 7 tests next year and no winter tour. we could give flower a sabbatical and have him back...

[Manormanic]

I'd be inclined to bring someone in to skipper as there is no real contender from within the side.  Andrew Gale has always been a great skipper for Yorkshire, and would certainly out do Clarke with his funky fields...

[Buzz]

I'd be inclined to bring someone in to skipper as there is no real contender from within the side.  Andrew Gale has always been a great skipper for Yorkshire, and would certainly out do Clarke with his funky fields...

the player has to be worth his place in the team. if you wanted funky fields you may as well have Rory Hamilton-Brown!

not that you are an unbiased Yorkshire life member at all...!

[Northern monkey]

I've only managed to watch the highlights of this series or 'lowlights' so I've not seen every minute

My overall impression, is that Mitchell Johnson, has pulled apart our batters, both technically and mentally?
They just couldn't handle the 90 plus mph and bounce off the wicket from a left hander
Which also meant the other bowlers could take full advantage

The Aussie batters have shown,that by attacking bowling, matches are won

And our fielding has been nowhere near upto test standards

Reasons for all the above?       

[Manormanic]

the player has to be worth his place in the team. if you wanted funky fields you may as well have Rory Hamilton-Brown!

Hmmmm...it tends to be that we give the captaincy to the best batsman in the side (Hussain, Vaughan, Strauss, Cook) and that batsman's productivity then tails off considerably - the only person to briefly exempt themself from that rule being KP in his very brief stint in charge.

That being the case, its reasonable to ask whether it is a better idea to have Cook averaging 25 instead of 55 and Carberry averaging 30, or to have Cook freed from the shackles of captaincy averaging in the 50s again and someone else averaging 30?

So to Gale.  I don't rate him in the top five batsmen in the country, so please don't think I've gone mad.  But he is in the top 15-20, and has a solid career record with an average in the high 30s, most of that whilst doing the highest pressure job in English cricket outside the national team.  His record is here:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13533.html

That number compares very well with Ben Stokes (35) and Fat Sammy Patel (39) who have been deemed good enough to bat in the top six by England...

[Manormanic]

Reasons for all the above?     

Tiredness, mental and physical.   A couple of shot techniques.

[procricket]

I'd be inclined to bring someone in to skipper as there is no real contender from within the side.  Andrew Gale has always been a great skipper for Yorkshire, and would certainly out do Clarke with his funky fields...

Yes like the other Yorkshire pies in the team why not just change England to Yorkshire.

At least it looks like you might have a bigger selection next season surely some of your Puddings might have played there Last game hopefully.

For stout Yorkshireman your men Bairstow and Bresnan sure like to shake hands with square leg.

[cleanbowled]

It is not necessary that captaincy always weigh on the batsman, for example Michael Clarke and Graeme Smith have been magnificent while being captains (Graeme smith took charge whilst in his early 20's in fairly tumultuous circumstances for SA and Pup had a whitewash in India). Cook was also doing very well prior to the this and the last ashes series. Of course it goes the other way as well, for example Tendulkar's batting definitely suffered. Just depends on the person.

I don't think Cook will be dropped as captain if even if England gets whitewashed given the paucity of other options. The only other bloke would be Bell as I don't thnk they will give KP another chance at it.

I don't think Broad can even be considered - he has to first get around to facing Mitchell Johnson without looking like a scared little bunny - not exactly the best look if you were looking to lead by example.

[sloggerroz]

Cook is still the right man to lead the team for me but i still think he sees gooch as a hero than a batting coach. So maybe they need to change their relationship or gooch has to go? I dont think massive knee- jerk reactions will do england eny good though.

[beaver5]

I dont think massive knee- jerk reactions will do england eny good though.

Why ever not! Couldn't do any worse than continually sticking with this lot. Fair enough being beaten. That can happen to any team away from home. Its the manor in which they have simply shown no fight or desire to win. Some new faces would be exciting to see rather than more of the same.

Its not like people are only now saying Cook has no skill as a captain, they were saying it while we were winning too. He has to go. I'd like to see England do what SA did with Smith. I'd give it to Root and make him bat at 5 so he can focus on developing his skills as captain.

[mk_chappo]

I think Flower is going to go at the end of the series. Will Giles now step up to replace him?

Don't think Cook's time is up yet though. Up to now his record has been great. You learn more when things go wrong. I think he will come back a stronger and better captain.

[Manormanic]

For stout Yorkshireman your men Bairstow and Bresnan sure like to shake hands with square leg.

You do talk some piffle.  Bairstow doesn't move his feet at all, in any direction!