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[alexhilly1492]

To not clog up the sa tour I'll start again here

I'm going to start by saying I don't think bairstow should have been picked,

That being said, it is a tour to Sri Lanka, spin will be a big factor,

We have two unproven openers in these conditions in Sibley and Crawley, I think Sibley may struggle personally.

Then to have denly at 3 who has shown he isn't very good against spin would be a huge risk

Having bairstow back is at least someone who has previously done well in these conditions (whilst being crap against the seamers), so it isn't as daft as most people are making out.

I totally agree that he has done nothing to earn it but it still makes some sense to me. I also think Jennings should tour as back up too and won't be overly surprised if he's at 3 for the second game coz Johnny doesn't score anything

Come the summer Crawley will be at 3 behind Sibley and Burns anyway

It's who takes the gloves is a key factor, this should clearly be foakes

[Jimbo]

I would have Jennings in the squad for the Tests, probably Buttler too. Both as backup. Foakes to keep, Burns hopefully back to open.

[alexhilly1492]

Burns is out until the summer

[Jimbo]

Burns is out until the summer

Is that confirmed? Thought it was still a bit dubious.

[alexhilly1492]

confirmed, by ECB, Surrey and Rory himself (whilst on sky)

[SLA]

I'd have a bowling attack of Wood, Curran, Stokes, Leach, Bess and Root.

I'd stick with the same top 6, which seems to have gelled nicely, but with Foakes replacing Buttler at 7. The 2 openers have earnt the right to be there and if they're never given the chance, they're never going to learn.

I'd also stick with Denly for now in the absence of Burns. I'd prefer Bairstow at 3 to Jennings, who has zero future at international level. Even if he goes out there and scores a ton each game, so what? We still have to drop him ahead of the summer as he can't play seam bowling for toffee. I still don't think he's actually all that good against spin anyway. Even when he's done well in the book, if you actually watched the innings, you'll see there was a lot of playing and missing, half-chances dropped, close lbw shouts, etc etc etc.

[ProCricketer1982]

Curran Out
Buttler Out
Bairstow Out

Jennings IN though. He genuinely looks good in these conditions so having him there in the top 3 will mean the likes of Sibley/Crawley can 'learn' rather than be totally under pressure.
Foakes IN - Obvious and has been for months
Wood/Archer OUT.. I wouldn't waste them or risk injury on SL decks... However!! I woudln't rest them from red ball only to play white ball.. so if they are going to play white ball I'd rather they play tests and miss the limited over slap and tickle legs

[ProCricketer1982]

I'd have a bowling attack of Wood, Curran, Stokes, Leach, Bess and Root.

I'd stick with the same top 6, which seems to have gelled nicely, but with Foakes replacing Buttler at 7. The 2 openers have earnt the right to be there and if they're never given the chance, they're never going to learn.

I'd also stick with Denly for now in the absence of Burns. I'd prefer Bairstow at 3 to Jennings, who has zero future at international level. Even if he goes out there and scores a ton each game, so what? We still have to drop him ahead of the summer as he can't play seam bowling for toffee. I still don't think he's actually all that good against spin anyway. Even when he's done well in the book, if you actually watched the innings, you'll see there was a lot of playing and missing, half-chances dropped, close lbw shouts, etc etc etc.

You're dropping Jennings for being poor vs Seam... Yet keeping Bairstow???!!?? You've watched him since 2016 right???

[WalkingWicket37]

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12173/11916426/england-batsman-rory-burns-hopes-to-be-fit-for-start-of-2020-season

Rory Burns is hoping to be fit for the start of the county season with Surrey as he recovers from an ankle ligament problem.

The England opener flew home from South Africa earlier this month after injuring himself playing football ahead of the second Test in Cape Town.

Burns will also sit out March's two-Test tour in Sri Lanka but expects to line up for his county when the Championship campaign starts in April.

[SD]

Denly's performance against spin in test cricket has been strange.  In the County game he is a much more positive player against spin but so far for England he has shown no intent at all.  I don't know whether this change in his normal approach is due to team instructions as to how he should be playing tuenspinners or a result of the pressure he feels under not to get out attacking the spinners but he must look to be more positive against Sri Lanka

[Buzz]

All the guys with test match contracts will probably tour (because they are paid loads to do that).

My preference is that Anderson, Broad and Bairstow are left at home and to allow Root and Stokes to continue to lead this young side, but I doubt that will happen.

I would like to see Moeen make himself available to tour, but I think it is unlikely.

What we do know is that they will follow the template of the last tour with one quick plus Sam and then two spinners.
Two of those have to be Bess and Leach, Mo is my preference for the other one to tour.

I think we have to keep on with the top three we have at the moment. If YJB gets a go in the warm up matches and scores runs he can be considered, but although Denly hasn't set the world alight, he has been very consistent and protected the middle order. I suspect Sibley will struggle against the SL spinners, but he has earned a run in the team. The rest of the squad picks itself.

Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Bairstow, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Foakes, S Curran, Bess, Leach, (Parkinson), Moeen (I hope), Broad, Archer, Wood

Worth noting that the pitches aren't expected to be the bunsens like last time, they are likely to be very flat, so the extra pace if Wood and Archer may mean Sam misses out in the games and Parkinson gets left behind.

[SLA]

You're dropping Jennings for being poor vs Seam... Yet keeping Bairstow???!!?? You've watched him since 2016 right???

Personally I wouldn't take either. However given the choice, I'd take Bairstow. Bairstow may be having some technical issues, and he's clearly a bit of a headcase, but Jennings is just, totally, utterly, incomprehensibly (No Swearing Please). He has no technique to speak of. He looks like a bad actor doing an impersonation of a cricketer based on watching 3 minutes of youtube footage. He should never get anywhere near an England selection discussion for the rest of his career.

[SD]

For all Jennings batting woes against seamers in England, he averages in the mid 40 s in the Indian subcontinent.  With Burns out injured, he is the obvious solution for Sri Lanka

[WalkingWicket37]

If we're playing the pick by stats and ignore recent form game...

Haseeb Hameed averages 43.8 in Tests on the subcontinent, let's get him on the plane too!

[ProCricketer1982]

If we're playing the pick by stats and ignore recent form game...

Haseeb Hameed averages 43.8 in Tests on the subcontinent, let's get him on the plane too!

I'll take him over Bairtsow!!