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[mcgill123]

Well, you think national and county coaches would know if a technique is good enough or not without 'taking a look'. Tbh, the game has changed now. Counties are not looking for technically sound players who play like cook/Williamson etc. They are after hales/Roy types. Money is in white ball stuff so why bother paying for a guy who can bat for 300 balls for 100-150 runs and unable to biff.

Money talks.

Obviously the genuine class players like posting, Hussey, sangakkara can change their game but we are seeing.p the majority can't and are being asked to 'do a job'. Also, it does ask questions of lvcc though if these technical issues aren't being discovered or found out.

Compton is t going to be anything other than avg but he's the best England have for top order test batting

WARNING!, too long don't read;
You make some good points, but if we are going to examine techniques and more to the point coaching techniques, is there really a set rule?.
I struggle to find examples of a perfect technique even at the top level, no two batsmen seem to have an identical posture, stance, etc and as far as coaches go just because you have the badges it doesn't mean you know what you are talking about, no matter what the level.
How did Gary Balance, Steve Smith, Shiv Chandrepal etc, etc , etc get so far with such glaringly obvious flaws? my thoughts are that they have an extremely good eye, imagine how good these players would be if they had been coached a set fast technique at a young age instead of being told 'if it's not broke don't fix it' type of coaching. I'm sure they have all tried different tweaks at some stage in their careers but because of the results orientated nature of sport they don't give the changes long enough to improve from their previous technique.
If you look at golf for an example, there is such a thing as a *perfect swing and most pros will try to emulate this but for some they just can't seem to replicate it for varying reasons and although they can have very successful careers they still won't be as consistant as the Mclroys of the golfing world. I've heard it said a few times that a golfer can't take up to three months of constant practice before a tweak can become beneficial, muscle memory I guess.
* even from the top coaches the perception of the 'perfect swing' has changed over the past 5-10 years.
I've put a lot of effort into this subject on a personal level (having only token up cricket four years ago) and although I've never been coached I've done a lot of research and there doesn't seem to be a consistant ethos from one coaching resource to another.
Ok, I think I should stop here for now, starting to bore myself, and this probably is a subject for another thread and I do apologise for the essay and poor grammar.

[edge]

Someone needs to tell Hales to bat normally, watching him play and seeing all the pre-series media stuff England put out he's clearly trying to change his game for tests. Needs to be told he's been picked for the runs he's made his way and to go out and just bat, he looks scared to play shots at times. Balance isn't going to make it as a test batsman again unless he changes his technique, every bowler out there's got his number now and he's refused to change.

For me this series was always about Amla/AB v England's bowling, and England's bowlers have delivered! Hopefully the side doing well means newer players get the time and confidence to bed in to test matches. Gonna go out on a limb though and say Anderson will be finished by the end of 2016.

[mcgill123]

Someone needs to tell Hales to bat normally, watching him play and seeing all the pre-series media stuff England put out he's clearly trying to change his game for tests. Needs to be told he's been picked for the runs he's made his way and to go out and just bat, he looks scared to play shots at times. Balance isn't going to make it as a test batsman again unless he changes his technique, every bowler out there's got his number now and he's refused to change.

For me this series was always about Amla/AB v England's bowling, and England's bowlers have delivered! Hopefully the side doing well means newer players get the time and confidence to bed in to test matches. Gonna go out on a limb though and say Anderson will be finished by the end of 2016.

Hi edge, really looking forward to tomorrow, can't wait tbh.
The thing for me about Ballance is that he must have an extremely good eye to get as far in the game up to now with such an exploitable technique.
He's still young enough to have a major overhaul and basically start again, it may take six months or longer out of international cricket but surely this would be profitable long term.

[northernboy1987]

I'd love Ballance to succeed, his technique isn't great but I think the kids got the balls needed to play international sport, would love to see him back, but I've got it in my head that he needs to bat at 5 with Taylor at 3, can't give you a good reason why it's just a gut instinct haha

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[Northern monkey]

Having a good eye is not enough
It's having the will to compete,adapt, and genuinely want it
KP is a perfect example

There's some good lads in that England squad

[Buzz]

For Ballance, Mark Butcher is a better example.
When he gets back to the UK, Ballance should pick up the phone to Alan Butcher and say: make me a test batsman please. The ecb should pick up the check.
It will be worth it.

Note that Broad is now the no1 ranked test bowler.
Not bad for a right arm medium pacer.

[Aussie In England]

Note that Broad is now the no1 ranked test bowler.
Not bad for a right arm medium pacer.

I don't agree with the rankings, how the fudge was Ashwin number 1 😏, but Broad's doing something Anderson could never do...Broad is the leader of the attack

[uknsaunders]

I don't agree with the rankings, how the fudge was Ashwin number 1 😏, but Broad's doing something Anderson could never do...Broad is the leader of the attack

The rankings are skewed towards short term performances albeit built on a long term base. They ought to be changed yearly, not every match. Ashwin gets loads of wickets on square turners against SA, gets bumped up. Broad gets six and gets bumped up - probably rightly based on decent efforts in the UAE as well. If you are thereabouts and stay fit you will always have a chance of being top of the rankings. Steyn ought to be top, but he can't stay fit

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[mcgill123]

For Ballance, Mark Butcher is a better example.
When he gets back to the UK, Ballance should pick up the phone to Alan Butcher and say: make me a test batsman please. The ecb should pick up the check.
It will be worth it.

Note that Broad is now the no1 ranked test bowler.
Not bad for a right arm medium pacer.

I must be honest and say I haven't seen Ballance bat since he got dropped, in fact I know little about his county career but coaches must have offered up advice to him over the years and he may have either tried and not persevered or just stuck to what he knows best to get him to where he is.
His record at county level speaks for itself but it seems that at the very top he's exploitable, the England selectors/coaches must feel this for him not to playing after all his test average is nudging 48.
I think I remember reading on hear that when Cook went through his slump and he stopped working with Gooch, that he called in Gary Palmer, this may be incorrect?, but surely Cook could have said to Ballance 'why don't you try this guy'?.
For me Ballance seems to have the temperament for test cricket but with the work opposing teams/analysists do these days he's must be easy to plan to.

[ppccopener]

cook never stopped working with Goochie,still does,but it was Gooch himself who asked Palmer to help Cook-and he did.
Cooks set up has changed a bit but he himself obviously knew there was an issue.ballance knows there is an issue but chooses so far to rely on his game unchanged...so he doesn't want help.
No coach can help technique if the player himself wants to stay as it is
Everyone has technical faults ,some as so good they still score heavily,some will stop them getting to the higher level.
I like ballance myself and he is in the touring squad soonish after being dropped-so England know he has what it takes.
It looks like he is the next batsman in line....

[procricket]

I will say this again the image some of you have of Broad is laughable he is a genuine top bloke and the people who know him (i'm not one) all say them same. He just a lad who enjoys being a professional cricketer and is incredibly humble with it.

[Manormanic]

You all go on about Ballance being "found out" at Test level but how much of a flaw has really been found in his technique?

In effect, Boult, Johnson and Starc exposed a flaw against world class 90mph left arm away swing when the ball was pitched very full.  He didn't have the same problems against right armers, nor against even slightly lower standard lefties.  It follows that this is not really the basis for a complete overhaul of a technique and temprament that had seen him average 48 in Tests - especially given he made a gutsy 61 in the first innings at Cardiff almost immediately before he was dropped. 

I do though think that England need to think more about how to help players coming into the side.  Compton is a good example of this - he looks so much better at three than he did opening - and Ballance should be given a chance to bat as he does for Yorkshire at five or six.  That's his natural spot...

[jamesisapayne]

I will say this again the image some of you have of Broad is laughable he is a genuine top bloke and the people who know him (i'm not one) all say them same. He just a lad who enjoys being a professional cricketer and is incredibly humble with it.

I don't know him from Adam, but i can't understand it either. Always comes across as a nice bloke who loves his job,  and I genuinely think he's world class. Batting suffered a bit after being hit but I'm sure it would shake almost anyone up the way he got hit. Bowling wise he's top drawer, and much better when he bowls that fuller length.

Seems to cop a fair bit of stick for no reason.

[procricket]

There a group of very good players if Ballance wants to play again and do well he will have/still have to adapt however his mentality for me can not be questioned and if he wants it i expect him to be back when given a chance.

Another is Rashid who always had talent but left you feeling underwhelmed but he done something or become more consistant or i have watched him more than i normally do.

All i know is there seems a good core of players and there some very good waiting in the wings in all formats.

I get the feeling anybody is pickable now which can only be good for English cricket we have alot to cheer about at minute .

Nobody can be discarded if they do well hopefully they will be given a go Bairstow is repaying that now in my eyes was talking to a first class umpire the other day who says he is unstoppable when on form and i see his point.

And no i'm not a Yorkie womble

[procricket]

the idea to send Rashid to Australia too was a masterstroke we all moaned about it but in hindsight which maybe the management had (ie not much game time for Rashid in SA) it all come good for a challenging environment.

Gonna be some right contests for places over the next few series in all formats