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[tate035]

Test team for me.

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett (man in form)
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Wood
Batty
Broad/Anderson

Personally don't see point of Anderson on this tour. He keeps picking up little niggles so for me try others out and keep him for the Anderson friendly conditions next summer.
Perhaps even give Broad a rest and use Jake Ball?

[northernboy1987]

I'd like to see these teams

1st Test

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow+
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

2nd Test

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Ansari
Bairstow+
Rashid
Broad
Wood
Finn

No point taking all those players on such a short tour if most of them don't get a game imo. I don't think England will change as much as I have there but who knows!

ODI

Roy
Duckett
Vince
Stokes
Buttler
Billings+
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Willey
Wood

With Plunkett, Ball and Wood rotating as well as possibly Billings/Bairstow and Stokes/Dawson depending on conditions.

[Rob580]

So we've picked 39 year old Batty and Ansari who's been out injured all season instead of 2 spinners who've taken 50 wickets in Div 1 each.

Kind of ruins the CC as a competition / meritocracy if performance doesn't count:

Leach -  58 @ 22.60
Rayner - 50 @ 22.00
Batty -  41 @ 31.21
Ansari - 22 @ 31.40

And this is with them playing half their games at the Oval! I know you can't select a team purely on numbers, but this is madness!

[alexhilly1492]

Roy's not in the test squad so it'll be Ballance and Duckett fighting for the batting spot I reckon

Oops mid read that.. And so yes duckett gets go ahead with balance filling in if needed

[cricketbadger]

I'd like to see these teams

1st Test

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow+
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

2nd Test

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Ali
Ansari
Bairstow+
Rashid
Broad
Wood
Finn

No point taking all those players on such a short tour if most of them don't get a game imo. I don't think England will change as much as I have there but who knows!

ODI

Roy
Duckett
Vince
Stokes
Buttler
Billings+
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Willey
Wood

With Plunkett, Ball and Wood rotating as well as possibly Billings/Bairstow and Stokes/Dawson depending on conditions.

Nailed it!!!

[19reading87]

Duckett has had a great season opening the batting, not sure why people would put him at 4?! Ansari in the squad is silly! Never fit and as slow as a snail when batting!

Keaton Jennings should have been in the squad if they chose on "form"

[northernboy1987]

Duckett has had a great season opening the batting, not sure why people would put him at 4?! Ansari in the squad is silly! Never fit and as slow as a snail when batting!

Keaton Jennings should have been in the squad if they chose on "form"

I was sure he'd batted at 3/4 at times this season, could very well be wrong though.

[tate035]

Duckett has had a great season opening the batting, not sure why people would put him at 4?! Ansari in the squad is silly! Never fit and as slow as a snail when batting!

Keaton Jennings should have been in the squad if they chose on "form"

Think he has batted at 3/4 over the last 18 months. Also Reds, he has played 2nd division cricket so batting him at 3/4 is for me the way forward. Tendulkar started life at 5/6 :-).
Wouldn't disagree with you about Jennings. Have seen Hameed bat a few times over these last 3 years and without doubt he is an  'old school' type of batsmen I was surprised the selectors have picked him.this early. He does come from a cricket mad family and is very mature for his age so I suppose the selectors are thinking let's have a look at him now in.a series that we should win.

[alexhilly1492]

jennings has had a great season and must have been close to selection, still flabbergasted that batty has been chosen although he has had a fairly decent summer himself just not compared to others around the country, I think his selection is down to there not being a standout spinner or R the last few seasons not just this one which is a shame

[northernboy1987]

jennings has had a great season and must have been close to selection, still flabbergasted that batty has been chosen although he has had a fairly decent summer himself just not compared to others around the country, I think his selection is down to there not being a standout spinner or R the last few seasons not just this one which is a shame

I think Batty will be going for his presence in the dressing room and for passing on advice/experience as much as to actually play.

[Bats_Entertainment]

So we've picked 39 year old Batty and Ansari who's been out injured all season instead of 2 spinners who've taken 50 wickets in Div 1 each.

Kind of ruins the CC as a competition / meritocracy if performance doesn't count:

Leach -  58 @ 22.60
Rayner - 50 @ 22.00
Batty -  41 @ 31.21
Ansari - 22 @ 31.40

And this is with them playing half their games at the Oval! I know you can't select a team purely on numbers, but this is madness!

The County Championship exists as a competition to determine the champion county. It does not exist as a series of England trial games. Sure, players win places for their performances in it; but that is not the sole purpose of its being. Stop looking at numbers and go and support it?

I like the squad. Naming 16 not 17, I called 14 names right - the exceptions being Finn, Ansari and Buttler.

[alexhilly1492]

The County Championship exists as a competition to determine the champion county. It does not exist as a series of England trial games. Sure, players win places for their performances in it; but that is not the sole purpose of its being. Stop looking at numbers and go and support it?

I like the squad. Naming 16 not 17, I called 14 names right - the exceptions being Finn, Ansari and Buttler.

However over he course do a season (this squad he been picked at he end of one) the best spinner will have the best figures throughout the season, just as the best batsmen will have the best stats same for fielders keepers and quicks, it's a good marker to influence the selection and i don't think it has been adhered to however there are other factors to be taken into consideration yes... However most of the other factors are what the coaches are there for surely?

[Rob580]

The County Championship exists as a competition to determine the champion county. It does not exist as a series of England trial games. Sure, players win places for their performances in it; but that is not the sole purpose of its being. Stop looking at numbers and go and support it?

I like the squad. Naming 16 not 17, I called 14 names right - the exceptions being Finn, Ansari and Buttler.

Wow. You're fun.

Lets clear some points then:

I do support the CC, big fan of it, it's a proper game and I'm a member at Essex for that reason.
If the CC is the best 1st Class championship then surely this is the best way to select an England team? It's the highest standard of multi day cricket in the country, so how else do you judge players, other then their performances in this competition?
I appreciate that Batty is a competitor / mentor etc etc, however, we've hired Saqlain as the Spin coach for the tour. What's the point in having a 'mentor' there as well? Undermines the coaches somewhat to my mind.

I hope England do well, I really do. However if they were the two best spinners in the country (holding Moeen & Rashid aside for a second) then logic dictates that they'd take the most wickets.

Unless you think there is a different meaning to the word 'best' other than the most effective?

At the end of a test career, the greats are filtered out by no of runs, wickets, average etc. Not 'Well he didn't get many wickets, and it was a terrible average, but he looked like a good bowler'

[ch1p]

Having played against Hameed a few times this year I cant wait to watch him on the telly Very talented youngster and has real potential to become one of the worlds greatest!

[ppccopener]

I think Batty will be going for his presence in the dressing room and for passing on advice/experience as much as to actually play.

could well be that.... ali and Rashid you would think will play, Batty 3rd spinner(?) will we play 3? I doubt it.... . Overall I quite like the squad, only the most one-eyed Surrey fans would have Ansari in, but aside from that it's pretty good.

If Batty is in more of a 'coach' role we didn't need to take Saqlain or Mushy(cant remember which one) with us so that doesn't quite tie up....

Rayner,Leach very unlucky to be left out for Ansari in my book.

Still...looking forward to the tests, pleased about Duckett I thought he would of been one-dayers only.