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[iand123]

If Ali comes back into the 2nd test then i'd send Rashid home to play some cricket as i cant see him getting a game even if they played two spinners. Could argue that for a few of the squad too, adding Ali takes them up to 17 players on tour which seems excessive to me

[ProCricketer1982]

Cook finished then?? He's still got his technical issues and is now being exposed by second rate WI bowling.. Time to 'move on' from Cook

Yours

Man outside of cricket

[Manormanic]

Cook finished then?? He's still got his technical issues and is now being exposed by second rate WI bowling.. Time to 'move on' from Cook

This test showed up all the problems of English cricket within 90 minutes.  At the toss, England left out the leading batsman in county cricket last year, a specialist opener, for a non specialist who had scored roughly half the runs, had gone home ill on his last international tour and had, lets face it, under performed for the preceding 18 months.  They also left out the leading spinner in county cricket last year for a guy who could not even get a game for the sixth best team in division two. 

Opening with Trott, you had Ali Cook - so far from his last international century that the photos are in sepia, and the possessor of a technique more thoroughly worked out than Einsteins Theorem of General Relativity.  To cap it all, at three you had the latest recipient of Team England's Drinks Waiter strategy - GAry BAllance, who spent five months as a fielding reserve for the one day side before being thrown in to the cauldron to bat himself out of form.

Common sense is long gone!

[ppccopener]

I think that's summed it up 

[ProCricketer1982]

This test showed up all the problems of English cricket within 90 minutes.  At the toss, England left out the leading batsman in county cricket last year, a specialist opener, for a non specialist who had scored roughly half the runs, had gone home ill on his last international tour and had, lets face it, under performed for the preceding 18 months.  They also left out the leading spinner in county cricket last year for a guy who could not even get a game for the sixth best team in division two. 

Opening with Trott, you had Ali Cook - so far from his last international century that the photos are in sepia, and the possessor of a technique more thoroughly worked out than Einsteins Theorem of General Relativity.  To cap it all, at three you had the latest recipient of Team England's Drinks Waiter strategy - GAry BAllance, who spent five months as a fielding reserve for the one day side before being thrown in to the cauldron to bat himself out of form.

Common sense is long gone!

Covered it all quite well

[wcc]

Hoping Stokes can get a ton in the morning session, just hope with them sending out Tredwell and him ending up facing 1 ball last night doesnt get Ben bogged down in the morning..

[uknsaunders]

This test showed up all the problems of English cricket within 90 minutes.  At the toss, England left out the leading batsman in county cricket last year, a specialist opener, for a non specialist who had scored roughly half the runs, had gone home ill on his last international tour and had, lets face it, under performed for the preceding 18 months.  They also left out the leading spinner in county cricket last year for a guy who could not even get a game for the sixth best team in division two. 

Opening with Trott, you had Ali Cook - so far from his last international century that the photos are in sepia, and the possessor of a technique more thoroughly worked out than Einsteins Theorem of General Relativity.  To cap it all, at three you had the latest recipient of Team England's Drinks Waiter strategy - GAry BAllance, who spent five months as a fielding reserve for the one day side before being thrown in to the cauldron to bat himself out of form.

Common sense is long gone!

Dont disagree with parts of it but a number of guys in county cricket with modest FC records became great England players - Vaughan, Tresco to name two. Plenty of guys in FC cricket with great averages didn't make it at test level. Lyth was unlucky but I for one was happy to see Trott back in the line up. Ignoring for one moment the last 18 months and in Trott you have a solid test performer who probably should of been opener when Strauss retired. If you can bat 3 then you can open, many times you are in early so it's hardly a leap to open. Yep a lot has gone on in the last 18 months but he got a good one yesterday and has scored runs on the Lions tour, which is a more recent benchmark for the two players.

Cook has always had a issue getting forward, everyone knows that but it didn't stop him scoring runs for the past decade. He will again I'm sure and we forget the working over Pakistan gave him in 2010 before he scored millions of runs in the following 12 months. Ballance had a great summer and deserves his test spot on merit.

Tredwell is a steady performer in ODI cricket for England and is probably seen as a safe pair of hands. I would of played Rashid instead of Jordan personally.

[Buzz]

that "If you can bat at 3, you can open" comment is utter tripe. Sorry Nick.

Ponting never opened - and would not be a natural opener.
Dravid was a terrible opener

If you are an opener you can bat at three, but that isn't the same.

The fact is that Trott was picked because he was reliable. But the choice should have been between him and Ballance.  Based on the tour party selected, Lyth should have been Cook's opening partner.

As for Treadwell he shouldn't be on the tour at all. Panasar is there as the best spinner in the country, has played 50 games and would be a better option - both attacking and defending. He is just another difficult character to manage, so the ECB wont pick him.

[uknsaunders]

that "If you can bat at 3, you can open" comment is utter tripe. Sorry Nick.

Agree to disagree - if the opener nicks off first ball of the game then the number 3 is pretty much opening! Not played as high a standard as many but I regularly batted 3 and came in early on with the new ball flying around, I don't think it's any different. It's a bonus if you get in after 10 overs and the new ball bowlers have finished. Having said that, not totally convinced about Ballance going from 5 at Yorkshire to 3 for England but it has worked so far.

Ponting never opened - and would not be a natural opener.

Ponting had the benefit of Langer and Hayden putting on a nice 50 partnership for most of his career.

The fact is that Trott was picked because he was reliable. But the choice should have been between him and Ballance.  Based on the tour party selected, Lyth should have been Cook's opening partner.

We didn't pick another opener so I assume Trott was the 3rd opener option all along.

As for Treadwell he shouldn't be on the tour at all. Panasar is there as the best spinner in the country, has played 50 games and would be a better option - both attacking and defending. He is just another difficult character to manage, so the ECB wont pick him.

Totally agree - we should be picking Panasar!

[rich041187]

Cook has always had a issue getting forward, everyone knows that but it didn't stop him scoring runs for the past decade. He will again I'm sure and we forget the working over Pakistan gave him in 2010 before he scored millions of runs in the following 12 months.

To be fair the Pakistani bowlers were bowling quick off 15 yards 

[WalkingWicket37]

Oh Benny boy! 

[peristocle]

Real Shame

[ProCricketer1982]

'World class' Buttler goes in test cricket for a duck,, shock horror he nicks off outside off stump.

Simply not good enough in proper cricket. Only suited to white ball stuff where you just throw the bat through the line

[RoCo Da Pixie]

Buttler couldn't handle the pressue of dot balls

[uknsaunders]

Collapse is on - 4-21 since Bell departed last night.