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[SOULMAN1012]

As a test batsmen Cook is class and is every chance he will go on to be one of the greats of the games in the amount of runs he will score. His record already makes him world class.

But in one day cricket I'm afraid he is just not the modern type of player at the top of the innings, explosive, dynamic and a player bowlers don't want to bowl too. His game is just not set up too play international 1 day cricket. But you can't drop your skipper end of. He appears to have the full backing of the 10 men he leads on to the field as well. Hales should open the batting with Lumb in my mind but it won't happen unfortunately.

[iand123]

I think the loss of swann has also played a part. They dont have a real attacking spinner only Tredwell (who i dont really think is international quality despite having decent stats) who is more of a containing spinner IMO. This means they have to try and share the spin duties around with Ali and no doubt Root. Not such a bad strategy for Sri Lankan conditions but for the World Cup in Austrailia it doesnt strike me as the best strategy.

[smilley792]

It's probably a good job they had the extra bowler. Jordan was apparently shocking. 25 runs of 2 overs last I looked! 


Still would rather watch hales open instead of cook. Keep all up there then

[joeljonno]

I think the loss of swann has also played a part. They dont have a real attacking spinner only Tredwell (who i dont really think is international quality despite having decent stats) who is more of a containing spinner IMO. This means they have to try and share the spin duties around with Ali and no doubt Root. Not such a bad strategy for Sri Lankan conditions but for the World Cup in Austrailia it doesnt strike me as the best strategy.

Swan didn't really get much from the Aussie conditions anyway.

The problem also was Swann could slap a quick 20 where I doubt Tredwell can. Although it is not his job to bat, every little counts.

Rashid can bat and experienced in batting and bowling in Aussie conditions.


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[iand123]

Yep good point with swann in aussie conditions, was talking in more general terms that theyve lost an attacking bowler and without a real replacement they are making up for it with 2 possibly 3 members of the team.

You'd hope with a 7 game series they would try and mix things up and try a few combinations out. However knowing England they'll pick the same team for all 7 and then admit the formula isnt working

[ajmw89]

Moeen's going along at the Hales-like lick of 36 off 14

[Kieron_BT]

Go on Moeen!

Anyone any idea why SL only batted 43 overs?

I think we need to make it clear that no one has anything against Moeen opening the batting, the problem lies with Cook opening the batting instead of Hales! Hales and Ali would work very well together I recon.

[iand123]

It was reduced over due to a delay from what i saw on twitter when i woke up

Ali is smashing it - always said he should play over Hales!

[KIPPERS]

Well same as a cricket meeting i went to last night with  a senior English county and one of the current selectors. Every face in the room was a grey haired 60 year old upper middle class probably very well meaning but was so out of touch with reality its not true. This lot run English cricket and it wont change in the immediate future because they are running it for themselves and there mates

[jamielsn15]

I think the bigger issue is that England are playing warm up games in conditions totally alien to what they will experience in the WC.  Possibly, with NZ in the middle east and Aus playing SA, they couldn't get games there...

They are playing the tri-nations tournament next up - I would think (hope) that Hales will have a chance then, or preferably sooner.  He has gone big in the big bash there, but there is the thought that Hales struggled against India (spin) in the ODI series in the summer.

England selectors are traditionally conservative and risk averse.  They possibly haven't seen enough from Hales in ODIs in the summer to put him in against spin-friendly conditions and/or without a spin threat, they want to have six capable bowlers (4+Bopara+Moeen).  I accept that Cook shouldn't be in on form, but suggesting dropping him isn't gonna happen - we should speculate on who will play with him in the side, otherwise its fantasy cricket selection.

I think Bell's under the bigger pressure.  If he struggles against SL, we may well see Hales in for Bell and Moeen at 3.  Weird that Bell averages 45 since opening and was dropped down for Hales, yet stays at 3 when Moeen comes in?  Bell has suggested England need to be more expansive, I hope he does.  He's got the ability and I hope he watches players like De Villiers, Amla, Jayawardene, etc. and wonders why he isn't scoring ODI runs  like they do.  Its a conservative mentality, a British trait...

I'd pick Hales and pick Moeen instead of Tredwell.  I do think we need to follow the Aus/SA model of throwing the hitters in knowing they will go big/have an impact 50% of the time.  Trust Moeen and Root, who may go for runs, but a batting top eight of Cook, Hales, Bell, Root, Morgan, Buttler, Bopara, Moeen, with hitters like Stokes and Jordan to come should be capable of getting 300 runs.

[KIPPERS]

lumb
Hales
pieterson
Ali
Morgan
Ravi Bop
butler
Stokes
Broad
Tredwell
Finn

[KIPPERS]

blimey I forgot Root. Sorry tredders your out

[WalkingWicket37]

blimey I forgot Root. Sorry tredders your out

Rooty batting at 10?? haha 

[Neon Cricket]

lumb
Hales
pieterson
Ali
Morgan
Ravi Bop
butler
Stokes
Broad
Tredwell
Finn

For me:

Cook
Hales
Root
Ali/Bell
Ali/Bell
Butler
Bopara
Jordan
Stokes
Broad
Finn

[uknsaunders]

Bearded Wonder got runs, that's all we need. It will be him and Cook either going at 4 an over or not getting beyond a partnership of 20. Cook will not do much and we'll get knocked out pretty early on despite the efforts of Buttler and Morgan. Cook will resign at the end of the WC to concentrate on tests. England will "move on" having mucked up the WC yet again.

Sound familiar? Strauss did the same at the end of the last WC, albeit with 150 odd against India to his name.

How an ODI series in SL prepares you for Perth and some serious fast bowling I have no idea.

#Trottsfault