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[northernboy1987]

I just read an AOC interview with Billings and even he says he's no where near a test cricketer.


Would like to see more of him in international white ball cricket though

Good read that interview.

The whole Billings situation smacks of what happened early in James Taylor's career, consistently seems to finish high in the county white ball averages but doesn't seem to get a decent run in the side.

[smilley792]

Wow ...a 2ndX1 county fixture with a pink ball ! I guess it will be a pink Dukes , will be interesting to hear what people think of it vs the pink Kookaburra.  Hopefully it's way better and is a catalyst for Australia using the Dukes ball ( wishful thinking !).
Probably a question for a different thread , but I have wondered how /why would England adopt day-night tests anyway .

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/1040057.html

First innings pink dukes, second innings pink kookaburras

[iand123]

Michael Vaughan is like Shane Warne.
They both talk a lot.

Most of what they say is garbage.

But every so often they say something that hits the mark.

Vaughan on captaincy is worth listening too.
Warne on leg spin and cling onto every word he says.

Vaughan on player selection you just let it waft over you like a bad smell ..

Very good point. I thought MV made a good point about the likely conditions in India. He expects them (especially under Kumble) to prepare decent wickets and not the usual turners on the basis that they back their spinners to be more effective on a good wicket than Moeen/Rashid/A.N Other and by nullifying England's spin threat would make ENgland extremely unlikely to win

[iand123]

Good read that interview.

The whole Billings situation smacks of what happened early in James Taylor's career, consistently seems to finish high in the county white ball averages but doesn't seem to get a decent run in the side.

Yes although i believe Taylor had a better FC record than what Billings has. I spoke with him v briefly after the 175 in the Lions and he was very hopeful of getting in the ODI side. Unlike the last few years i dont think he has scored the volume of runs in t20 or 50 over cricket domestically to push him into the team. There are alot of comments on the Kent facebook group which suggest he should be dropped (idiots)

[northernboy1987]

Yes although i believe Taylor had a better FC record than what Billings has. I spoke with him v briefly after the 175 in the Lions and he was very hopeful of getting in the ODI side. Unlike the last few years i dont think he has scored the volume of runs in t20 or 50 over cricket domestically to push him into the team. There are alot of comments on the Kent facebook group which suggest he should be dropped (idiots)

Oh yeah, I was talking purely white ball cricket. I think he's an X factor player, the kind of player other teams/coaches would worry about, might only come off half the time but I think you can afford that in white ball cricket.

[edge]

Very good point. I thought MV made a good point about the likely conditions in India. He expects them (especially under Kumble) to prepare decent wickets and not the usual turners on the basis that they back their spinners to be more effective on a good wicket than Moeen/Rashid/A.N Other and by nullifying England's spin threat would make ENgland extremely unlikely to win

I doubt it, vs SA they ordered up some terrible bunsens, and SA's spinners are even poorer than England's. Kohli and India have a big chip on their shoulders about England preparing 'swinging pitches' (how a pitch makes the ball swing is beyond me), so expect them to take all the home advantage they can.

[iand123]

I doubt it, vs SA they ordered up some terrible bunsens, and SA's spinners are even poorer than England's. Kohli and India have a big chip on their shoulders about England preparing 'swinging pitches' (how a pitch makes the ball swing is beyond me), so expect them to take all the home advantage they can.

Last time India were here they won at lords on the greenest pitch I've seen at test level

[Johnny]

Billings other problem is where does he get in the team?

Hales
Roy
Root
Morgan
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Woakes
Rashid
Willey
Wood

Would be my first choice team (not necessarily that batting order), so as much as I like the look of Billings, there's no room for him.

[smilley792]

Instead of Morgan? 

Even Bairstow ahead of Morgan. Make root skipper

[Johnny]

Yup, Morgz would be the first one out for me, though not sure how big an influence his captaincy and leadership play in moulding this new team

[Rob580]

Could always sling Mo out?

Still have 5 bowlers + Root. Just debateable as to whether it makes the batting any better seeing the form Mo is in!

But I reckon if we get 2 up they'll give Root, Hales & Woakes (and maybe Mo) a rest for the remainder of the series, so Billings, Dawson & CJ will get a go.

[rickjames]

Ballance scores 1 and Vince grabs a duck for Yorkshire/Hampshire today. Get them on that plane...

[smilley792]

Yorkshire are currently 51 for 6. So it's not like it's just Ballance having a bad day there!

[iand123]

Could always sling Mo out?

Still have 5 bowlers + Root. Just debateable as to whether it makes the batting any better seeing the form Mo is in!

But I reckon if we get 2 up they'll give Root, Hales & Woakes (and maybe Mo) a rest for the remainder of the series, so Billings, Dawson & CJ will get a go.

Billings isnt in the squad, so would imagine the players already int he squad and not selected would be more likely to get the nod

[Felix Tito]

Can everyone give the Ian Bell fan club a rest please. He was rightly dropped because his form was dreadful. He's gone back to Birmingham and done sod all to earn a recall. His record in Asia isn't anything to right about. It's in fact padded by by Bell's record in Bangladesh. Bell's ship has sailed, if Bayliss goes back down that route he needs to see s doctor.