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[LateBloomer]

Sorry but how is averaging 19 with the bat and 100 with the ball deserving of a rest? Moeen(prior to Woakes' injury) was rightly going to be dropped. He's been a total embarrassment on this tour.

Stick to bigging up SA Ger

[edge]

Confirmed Crane in for Woakes... and Starc in for Bird. Bairstow best have been practising farming the strike in the nets!

[Mister Le Chiffre]

And dropping him completely would be ridiculous! He has had one poor series - but in previous games during 2017 he has been impressive for most of the time! Let's not give up on him just yet ay!!
By all means rest the guy and give someone else a go but let's try to bring his confidence back a little without hanging him out to dry for one poor series!
Just go back a few months and mo was batting getting bucket loads of runs and taking wickets too! We need some depth and experience in the squad and real competition for places if we wamt to compete at the top level.

Moeen Ali is a luxury cricketer. He's simply neither a batsman good enough for the top 6 nor is he a front line spinner. You can get away with an average player like Moeen when Stokes and Woakes are playing.

Moeen dipped his bread against South Africa granted but his bowling returned to dross against a fairly weak West Indies side. His efforts against South Africa should be deemed more a fluke than his career really turning a corner.

In all away matches Moeen averages mid 20s with the bat and 48 with the ball. He's just not very good.

[six and out]

Confirmed Crane in for Woakes... and Starc in for Bird. Bairstow best have been practising farming the strike in the nets!

So our attack will be Anderson and Broad plus a guy in his 2nd Test, a leggie on debut and Mo who's averaging lots at the moment.

Going to be interesting who Root throws the ball to 1st after Anderson and Broad.

[Manormanic]

So our attack will be Anderson and Broad plus a guy in his 2nd Test, a leggie on debut and Mo who's averaging lots at the moment.

Going to be interesting who Root throws the ball to 1st after Anderson and Broad.

Himself?

[Mister Le Chiffre]

On a slight tangent, Glenn maxwell has been panned from the Australian limited overs side in place of Chris Lynn, whom doesn't even play for Queensland as present. I wonder if a county side could tempt maxwell with a kolpak deal...

[Manormanic]

Probably not - he earns sufficiently well from his T20 engagements that he doesn't really need the circa £150'000 that a Kolpak might bring him.

Not sure why he is so out of favour though - he did well in India last year, probably batted better than anyone other than Smith, and has been scoring for fun in the Shield.

[Big Mac]

Moeen Ali is a luxury cricketer. He's simply neither a batsman good enough for the top 6 nor is he a front line spinner. You can get away with an average player like Moeen when Stokes and Woakes are playing.

Moeen dipped his bread against South Africa granted but his bowling returned to dross against a fairly weak West Indies side. His efforts against South Africa should be deemed more a fluke than his career really turning a corner.

In all away matches Moeen averages mid 20s with the bat and 48 with the ball. He's just not very good.

Moeen has the ability to bat in the top 6 at test cricket but that's not what England have wanted him to be and as a result he's been messed around a little bit because he's so versatile. He's batted at every position from 1-9 in test matches which is kinda ridiculous.

[Manormanic]

Moeen has the ability to bat in the top 6 at test cricket but that's not what England have wanted him to be and as a result he's been messed around a little bit because he's so versatile. He's batted at every position from 1-9 in test matches which is kinda ridiculous.

Got to disagree with that - he has played some innings which suggest he has the potential required, but for periods of time he has played like a number eight, which in Test terms is exactly what he is, someone who can damage an opposing team with his counter attacking game, but not someone who is going to make serious runs under the greatest of pressure.  He is too loose in his choice of shots, and poor against the short ball.

[ppccopener]

Rumours Stokes decision was made 3 weeks ago and will be announced after the third test
No charges.

If that turns out to be true then I think it will wind up a lot of England fans
And does not explain why he is not in the one day team-unless of course ecb did that as part of any diciplinary action

Just a rumour thou 

[Manormanic]

I think it would be a very controversial decision to charge Stokes - which I have said all along.  They have witnesses to corroborate his account, and footage (which, lets remember, we have only seen in the Murdoch Empire's lkeast favourable edit) that shows the other party weilding a bottle as a weapon.  They would in effect be charging him on the basis of the final shot, ignoring what went before. 

[Big Mac]

Got to disagree with that - he has played some innings which suggest he has the potential required, but for periods of time he has played like a number eight, which in Test terms is exactly what he is, someone who can damage an opposing team with his counter attacking game, but not someone who is going to make serious runs under the greatest of pressure.  He is too loose in his choice of shots, and poor against the short ball.

Surely he plays like an eight because they bat him at eight?

He's a top order bat for Worcestershire but has changed his game in order to do what the England management have asked of him, where many players would have kicked up a fuss and complained about being played out of position.

[Mister Le Chiffre]

Surely he plays like an eight because they bat him at eight?

He's a top order bat for Worcestershire but has changed his game in order to do what the England management have asked of him, where many players would have kicked up a fuss and complained about being played out of position.

What a bunch of nonsense. Moeen has twice scored centuries when batting in the top 6, both came on the last tour of India - pitches where there's no pace and no real bounce. If there's any pace and bounce Moeen immediately gets found out. He's scared of the ball.

He's hidden at 8 in home matches because of the Stokes factor.

Moeen is no more than a luxury

[northernboy1987]

To be honest I think all this talk just shows how big a part Stokes plays in balancing the team, combining a genuine 4th seamer and genuine top 6 bat. Regardless of the reasons behind why he did what he did or whether he's guilty of anything or not, which I'm not getting into again, I hope he knows how badly he's let his teammates down by allowing himself to get into that situation in the first place.

[Manormanic]

Surely he plays like an eight because they bat him at eight?

He's a top order bat for Worcestershire but has changed his game in order to do what the England management have asked of him, where many players would have kicked up a fuss and complained about being played out of position.

I don't think we see a significant difference in his approach wherever he bats - he is too loose on the drive and too vulnerable to the short ball to be an international top order batsman, and has played some of the most awful hacks I've seen from an England player over the last few years.  Thats not to say he has not got his values - as I said before, as a counterattacking option down the order when a frontline spinner is not necessary, he is of course great - but I don't think you can really argue that he is one of the best six batsmen in England (remember, he has NEVER been selected as a batsman, only as a bowler who bats).