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[ppccopener]

It's difficult, but after the way Duckett performed in the ODIs I think he could edge out Ballance so I'd go with the below. Happily swap between the keepers but I think Buttler is the better keeper and Bairstow the better outfielder. My only concern is maybe being a bowler light, so the only change would have to see Buttler left out for an extra bowler.

Cook *
Hameed
Root
Bairstow
Duckett
Stokes
Buttler +
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Broad

if youre(and England) are concerned about being a bowler light surely Batty comes in first before ali or Rashid. One bowler over is fine for someone to have a bad test, if you cant afford that then you go to go with guys you can rely on.

I did wonder why we picked Batty for this tour but more you think about it makes sense. I think he will play. Experience and he knows what he is doing. He's a good bowler.....
Cook has got to have a bowler he can go to when it's hot and tough conditions...

interesting selections coming up.

im going with your team and.......Batty in for..........Rashid I think.......

[tate035]

For me this series is all about getting some batting practice in to the extent we know our batting line up for the 1st 3 tests in India and I hope they use this series to also enable the bowlers to get into a decent rhythm.

Cook
Hameed
Root
Duckett
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Ball
Batty

I know the wickets in Bangladesh aren't as spin friendly as India but we need to find a spinner that can hold down an end whilst still being a threat (like Swann). Batty is probably in the form of his life and is a born winner...
I have left Broad out because I just don't think we need to look at him so give ball a go. Currently Anderson, Broad,.Finn and Wood are struggling with injuries and one thing we can't do in India is carry passengers.
If these 3 test matches are too early for Hameed then open with Duckett in India and bring Jos in. Ballance and YJB haven't played spin that well in the last 2 years so with Duckett being a good player of the slower bowler in the way he takes singles and YJB in good test nick, for me Ballance would miss out.
 

[Mr_Orange]

if youre(and England) are concerned about being a bowler light surely Batty comes in first before ali or Rashid. One bowler over is fine for someone to have a bad test, if you cant afford that then you go to go with guys you can rely on.

I did wonder why we picked Batty for this tour but more you think about it makes sense. I think he will play. Experience and he knows what he is doing. He's a good bowler.....
Cook has got to have a bowler he can go to when it's hot and tough conditions...

interesting selections coming up.

im going with your team and.......Batty in for..........Rashid I think.......

I stuck with Rashid purely because he gives the option of turning the ball the other way. I just can't see them dropping Ali and 3 debutantes seemed too many with Ansari.

I totally see your logic though, someone with a bit of experience to hold the end up. Might come into his own in India, especially if Ali struggles to keep the run rate down.

[edge]

I'm going to be controversial here - don't think Bairstow is good enough to play test matches as a specialist batsman. Happy with him as a keeper/batsman at 7 or 6 if necessary if you view his keeping as a work in progress, but don't think he's good enough to bat top 5 for England.

[Buzz]

I'm going to be controversial here - don't think Bairstow is good enough to play test matches as a specialist batsman. Happy with him as a keeper/batsman at 7 or 6 if necessary if you view his keeping as a work in progress, but don't think he's good enough to bat top 5 for England.

Seriously

He has been our best batsman this year after rooooooot

[edge]

Seriously

He has been our best batsman this year after rooooooot

Worrying, isn't it? I'm very willing to be proved wrong, but I wouldn't have him higher than 6. Expect Moeen to bat 5, which if Rashid does well could be the end of Ali as a test player.

[smilley792]

I'm going to be controversial here - don't think Bairstow is good enough to play test matches as a specialist batsman. Happy with him as a keeper/batsman at 7 or 6 if necessary if you view his keeping as a work in progress, but don't think he's good enough to bat top 5 for England.

Bairstow averaged 75 this summer alone.
He averaged 72 away in South Africa.

[edge]

Bairstow averaged 75 this summer alone.
He averaged 72 away in South Africa.

Playing as keeper, happy with that. Playing mostly as a batsman in the UAE, he averaged 22.

[ppccopener]

I'm going to be controversial here - don't think Bairstow is good enough to play test matches as a specialist batsman. Happy with him as a keeper/batsman at 7 or 6 if necessary if you view his keeping as a work in progress, but don't think he's good enough to bat top 5 for England.

  wow. Edge.....a boring Friday night just got more interesting. I do love a team selection thread but what have you been vaping? its not the cheesecake I've got.

Bairstow and keeping is a bit of a fudge...butler is the better keeper but lost form and so bairstow stepped in

Slightly surprising I can see where your coming from(I think!) no England fans I know expected him to be so phenomenal with the bat....but he has. He's got to be one of our best batters if you forget about keeping altogether.

Do you mean not good enough against spin for this tour to warrant a spot as a batter or not good enough full stop?

Middle order we have had Vince,ballance,potentially Duckett, and we have had Compton.

Bairstow has got to be ahead of em has he not? 

[edge]

What can I say, seems like procricket1982 has got fed up of the random abuse from certain members again so someone's got to keep the debate going

Bit of both, definitely not on the subcontinent and I would like to think not good enough elsewhere either. Potentially don't think he has the versatility to bat middle order, best suited at 7 where he's almost always going to be coming in and attacking. Note - I'm not saying Bairstow's crap, he's a very good no7, just that we need better at 4/5. Vince and Compton are done, jury is out on Ballance but he has scored a solid amount of top order runs in tests and clearly have the temperament so I'd ideally like to see him come good. Don't see any reason Duckett and Bairstow can't both play, particularly as that would leave Bairstow at 6/7 where he's best suited. Different format, but hard to deny that Duckett looked the far more assured player out of the two in the ODIs. Could be very trying times for the selectors over the next couple of years, don't think we have any idea what our best team is or what balance it should have at the moment!

[ppccopener]

Well....I think you're right the odd and test team are getting closer together. Which is pretty amazing really as for years we had one day players and test players.

I reckon  . Bayliss and farbrace want one day guys in tests too. I think they wanted that in the summer and got over ruled. They wanted Jos butler as a batter only in the tests. Now they are saying on this tour he might play in the tests again.

Duckett is another one...I think he's a great pick and has got massive talent potentially in both formats.

It's personal choice whether to tour bangladesh and Morgan and hales opened up spaces in the one dayers so there was always going to be the chance someone did well. Duckett and billings looked the real deal(so far).

Controversially....hahahaha...... James Vince....he's got it, he has not shown it and he gets the the same way every time it's comical...but he's got it. He will still be a tsst player.

Right im posting this and going to hide in the shower.

Where is Aussie in England by the way?  Haha 

[rickjames]

Gonna enjoy Batty playing and delivering some lovely send offs

[Alvaro]

Worrying, isn't it? I'm very willing to be proved wrong, but I wouldn't have him higher than 6. Expect Moeen to bat 5, which if Rashid does well could be the end of Ali as a test player.

Really? Moeen has contributed more with the bat to England's cause than all but Cook, Root, Bairstow and arguably Stokes. Especially since he's moved up from eight.

I love Duckett, I've really enjoyed watching him play in the flesh. BUT he plays through the offside with a closed face, which doesn't really work unless you're Biff...

[smilley792]

So my guess at the test side I think they'll pick.


Cook(c)
Ducket
Root
Ballance
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow(w)
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Broad



First test I reckon that's the side, duckett to open as hameed will just be there for experience, and they won't want to ruin him at such a young age.

Ballance in because he was in during the summer and they won't want to make to many changes.

Buttler to replace Vince as I have a feeling that's what they wanted in the summer but the selectors wouldn't add him to squad.
He's in now so they will pick him.

Rashid and Ali as spinners because they technically have the spot from the last tour of the subcontinent.




Game two could be much different, ballance will be dropped if no runs in test one, with a mix in the order to fill his gap(hameed open and ducket down if duckett fails, other permutations if not)

Batty in if Rashid and Ali goes for runs

Ansari in for ballance if duckett opening is successful. . 

[Manormanic]

I'm going to be controversial here - don't think Bairstow is good enough to play test matches as a specialist batsman. Happy with him as a keeper/batsman at 7 or 6 if necessary if you view his keeping as a work in progress, but don't think he's good enough to bat top 5 for England.

Sorry what?

As a batsman, YJB is ranked 12 in the world. Whilst keeping.

That's higher than a lot of English players have ever managed, some to class bats amongst them.

Name me five better players available for England?