so - Burns stays because he 'looks to score'.. you know that in test cricket whilst looking to score is good... you also, you know.. need to bat time CONSISTENTLY so that you soften the ball, make bowlers bowl 3-4-5 spells so that your middle order stroke makers (aka, the ones who 'look to score') can pick off runs EASIER (which suits them as otherwise they'll get exposed more regularly).. he's scored runs though so fair enough
Sibley - GONE.. no intent to score.... So Test teams and England NEED someone to bat time... Sure Sibley is never going to be a world beater (although I'm sure the England fans after a few runs will claim him to be like we do everyone else after a purple patch) but he's there to do a job. His job at the top of the order is not expose the middle order (which is FLAKY!!). If he does that by being 30* off 130 balls.. so what. THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE A MIDDLE ORDER of stroke makers to make hey when the going is easier
Crawley - Just doesn't really look good enough but unless you're throwing in Malan... There is LITERALLY NO ONE ELSE (if I see another call for Root, stokes, Bairstow, Pope then I'll assume that person really doesn't get Test match cricket and ignore them)
Pope - lIke everyone.. love the way he looks.. BUT.. JUST LIKE Bell in a way but also just like modern players... He's being too flashy.. to many shots.. to much 'intent'... He needs to remember it's a 5 day test match.. score when the bad balls are there, if they aren't... leave and defend.. this 'has all the talent' crap is just that.. good for a little while but he's now living off 'potential'.. time to deliver or get lost
Lawrence.. he's flavour of the month I see cause he got some runs. Lets see what his avg is after a longer period in different conditions before lauding him too much.
Amazing talent in 2020/ODI is TOTALLY TOTALLY different to Longer formats for christ sake.. Just cause Jacks for example and slog a few balls miles doesn't mean he's got the talent for longer formats.. if anything, excluding a true top end talent.. it quite literally means the opposite. The reason there are 'so many' talented white ball hitters is.. money.. It's where the money is for businessmen so they've prioritised the production line for those players. Could they have been top end longer format players.. Very likely.. but it's too late.. once you grow up only playing short formats you learn the skills for that, the mentality for that..
people may disagree but it's the same at amateur level.. They are dumbing down the game to shorter win lose formats (which people claim to be 'more fun', less 'dull' games') and then wonder why the level is worse and the tactics/skill sets are declining.. plus, just as many dull one sided games. If you only play short formats.. you will lose all the skills sets and abilities of being able top lay longer games (as a batter, bowler and captain)
The pro game isn't going to go back to longer formats now.. it's to invested in money making with businessmen/women at the top who are only concerned with getting every $$$ they can and the cricket really is just the 'product'. If they can keep the beer drinking , not really cricket fans filling the 'hollies' game in game out.. they are happy as pig in muck.
people really need to realise that the formats are generally great for diversity and giving a full spectrum of opportunity to players (who lets face it, have different enjoyments/skills which are suited to different formats) but also, the formats fit into different times of the week/day (aka.. 2020 is great for evening stuff for the kids post school or the beer heads before their Friday night out etc).. The formats suit DIFFERENT types of players, different skill sets/mentalities . The game needs all three formats as it caters for all types of players/abilities/interests but by moving the entire game basically towards 2020 styles it's not only limiting participation but also skills/interest and ultimately.. produces the same type of player.. aka.. hitters.. what is the difference really now between Bairstow, hales, roy, jacks, Warner, banton et all... realistically.. nothing.. all pretty much of a much in terms of what they can do 'on their day'..
Whilst I agree that short format talent does not necessarily correlate with red ball talent, I fundamentally disagree that the top order are there to “blunt the attack”.
A basic fundamental of batting is “setting up to score” because it makes you move with purpose, and it also means you put away the bad ball when it arrives.
Our lack of intent to score cost us this series ultimately, as we could have potentially chased the NZ score on day 5 at lords.
I also think our county cricket set up needs an overhall. Not enough batsman in our test side have their basic fundamentals right.
Devon Conway for example, does 3 things really well - his batting fundamentals, and he also averages 80 odd in test cricket.
Ultimately,
Sibley is not good enough, Crawley is not good enough, and pope is not good enough (yet).
Malan has a proven international record in all formats, is scoring runs for fun, and therefore should come in for now.
Clarke is plundering runs too - the same should apply.
Westley got dropped too soon and averages 45 this season in the CC.
Adam Lythe would also be a better option than sibley.
As much as it pains me to say it - runs should be the only currency that matter - and on that basis, even Gary balance should be in the picture.
There are plenty of options out there - but the ECBs policy of jobs for the boys is killing English cricket.
Ollie Robinson has to come back in as soon as humanly possible.
Broad and Anderson need to be split up, Anderson is England’s best ever, broad is incredible on his day. But...Ollie Robinson is clamouring to be given the new ball.
I’ve said it before, multiple times, and I’ll say it again...Alec Stewart needs the England gig.
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Topic: Eng Vs New Zealand test matches (Read 38116 times)