Having said that I suppose when you've seen a ball turn 10 feet off a crack there must be some element of doubt in your mind. Might as well open your shoulders Broad and Bresnan.
I just don't see the likes of KP/Prior/Swann or Anderson being honest enough when asked that question. Or the selectors being brave enough to follow that through if only because, when you add Trott to that list, you are taking out five of the best six or seven from the last five or so years.
Question is do we now make wholesale changes for Melbourne and Sydney and give some of the inexperienced players some time to impress or do we just pick a similar side and try to save face and not lose 5-0.
Personally Bairstow for Prior and Finn for Anderson would be my changes for the last two, I dont think its going to do Anderson any favours playing him.
As soon as Nasser mentioned the Charlton Athletic flag the wicket follows !
We are so crap we even affect the England cricket team from 8000 miles away! What did nass say about the flag?
The camera was on two flags a Durham one and the Charlton one And Nassers co commentator mentioned something about that's where it all started for you Nas And Nas said something along the lines of I thought you meant Charlton Athletic but yes Durham is where I met my wife
Well that delivery was unbelievable. Lyon bowls a ball that hits a crack and is taken by wide leg slip going to his left!
That was mental !
I've just seen that ball again and hand on heart I don't think I have ever seen a ball spin that much. We often use the phrase "turning it square" but that was almost just that.
I cannot begin to tell you how pissed off I am. Ok fair play to the Aussies, they played great cricket and were aggressive. They deserve the series win. But it's the way WE underperformed that gets my goat. None of our senior players have looked up to the challenge. They melted(no pun intended regarding the heat we've had here in Perth) in all 3 tests so far. Gutless. And to top it all the Neanderthal Aussie supporters are a graceless bunch of c***s. I'm fuming.
I cannot begin to tell you how pissed off I am. Ok fair play to the Aussies, they played great cricket and were aggressive. They deserve the series win. But it's the way WE underperformed that gets my goat. None of our senior players have looked up to the challenge. They melted(no pun intended regarding the heat we've had here in Perth) in all 3 tests so far. Gutless. And to top it all the Neanderthal Aussie supporters are a graceless bunch of c***s. I'm fuming.
They really are mouthy when they win. I don't hear a peep out of them otherwise. I'll always offer congratulations to them when they've won, they don't if we beat them, they just bitch and moan. Thick bastards.
What disappoints me now is that the edge has been taken off the 4th Test at Melbourne. To sit up Christmas night and watch the first session with cold meat sandwiches and a beer or two is one of the highlights of armchair sport, along with the first round of The Open, the last round of The Masters and The Grand National for examples.
I'll still do it though, cold chicken and salad with my homemade stuffing, some pickled onions and a pint or two out of my firkin of Spitfire.
If we don't make changes and we end up beating a team of Aussies who have taken their foot off the gas what will that prove? So many series in the 90's ended up with us winning a Test in a dead rubber. Dump the dead wood now.
KP - Drop him, hope that he does a Kevin Keegan circa 1982 and wish him all the best. Swann - Drop him. Tell him that he is still part of the future but he needs a rest and to spend more time thinking about his bowling and not podcasting/promoting/twittering/generally being an arrogant twat. Prior _ Drop him. Tell him he's still part of the future but never pick him again. Use Bairstow for now and give the job to Joss Butler from next summer Anderson - Rest him, thank him for his efforts and tell him to chill out and get ready for those nice green wickets in May.
If I were Flower I would give a public ultimatum to the senior players that they are playing for their careers in these last two Tests.
Its actually a bit unfair to just toss in Ballance, Bairstow and Finn at this stage when they have not played for a month and expect them to perform.
Nobody should be undroppable.
Flower's position is just as under threat as the players. Lehmann has been a massive breath of fresh air, and has transformed the Australian Team (when you think back to homeworkgate etc).
If we don't make changes and we end up beating a team of Aussies who have taken their foot off the gas what will that prove? So many series in the 90's ended up with us winning a Test in a dead rubber. Dump the dead wood now.
KP - Drop him, hope that he does a Kevin Keegan circa 1982 and wish him all the best. Swann - Drop him. Tell him that he is still part of the future but he needs a rest and to spend more time thinking about his bowling and not podcasting/promoting/twittering/generally being an arrogant twat. Prior _ Drop him. Tell him he's still part of the future but never pick him again. Use Bairstow for now and give the job to Joss Butler from next summer Anderson - Rest him, thank him for his efforts and tell him to chill out and get ready for those nice green wickets in May.
It is not often I agree with you Riviera but you have got it spot on.
If we don't make changes and we end up beating a team of Aussies who have taken their foot off the gas what will that prove? So many series in the 90's ended up with us winning a Test in a dead rubber. Dump the dead wood now.
KP - Drop him, hope that he does a Kevin Keegan circa 1982 and wish him all the best. Swann - Drop him. Tell him that he is still part of the future but he needs a rest and to spend more time thinking about his bowling and not podcasting/promoting/twittering/generally being an arrogant twat. Prior _ Drop him. Tell him he's still part of the future but never pick him again. Use Bairstow for now and give the job to Joss Butler from next summer Anderson - Rest him, thank him for his efforts and tell him to chill out and get ready for those nice green wickets in May.
Can Joss Butler be called into the squad? If he can we should get him out there and behind the stumps for the last 3 matches. They are meaningless tests, so may as we get him some experience in test cricket.
I would bring in Ballance for Carbury and move Root to open with Bell at three, kp at 4 ballance 5 and stokes 6.
Would rest broad and anderson and play finn and rankin. Keep bresnan. Drop swann for monty.
We need to try and get the younger generation some experience. Although i can see the opposite view, in which throwing them in in this situation may do more harm than good
Wholesale changes aren't the way forward. Broad can barely walk, rest him and make sure he's ready for the Tests of 2014. I also think KP is done now. Drop him and play Ballance in the remaining two tests. Otherwise no change from this over the next two tests (unless Prior has a shocker in Melbourne, then Bairstow plays in Sydney):
Cook Carberry Root Ballance Bell Stokes Prior Bresnan Swann Anderson Finn
KP is done in my opinion and there are serious question marks about Prior although I would be too hasty about dropping him because he is a good influence in the dressing room . Apart from that who else has done their time ? Trott & Bresnan possibly ?
Comments
Fair play to the Aussies and in particular Darren Lehman for turning the Aussies round. But didn't we make it easy for them!
"You are a very good player but do you still have the stomach for this?"
At this moment in time and for the next test, player by player, I would say if each of the players were to honestly respond this would be their reply:
Cook - yes
Carberry - yes
Root - yes
KP - no
Bell - yes
Stokes - yes
Prior - no
Bresnan - yes
Swann - no
Broad - yes
Anderson - no
Selection is muddied because Bresnan is undercooked and Broad may be injured. But, assuming they are both OK, this is what we would be left with:
Cook
Carberry
Bell
Root
Ballance
Stokes
Bairstow
Bresnan
Broad
Finn/Rankin/Tremlett
Monty
I just don't see the likes of KP/Prior/Swann or Anderson being honest enough when asked that question. Or the selectors being brave enough to follow that through if only because, when you add Trott to that list, you are taking out five of the best six or seven from the last five or so years.
Personally Bairstow for Prior and Finn for Anderson would be my changes for the last two, I dont think its going to do Anderson any favours playing him.
And Nassers co commentator mentioned something about that's where it all started for you Nas
And Nas said something along the lines of I thought you meant Charlton Athletic but yes Durham is where I met my wife
And to top it all the Neanderthal Aussie supporters are a graceless bunch of c***s.
I'm fuming.
Its actually a bit unfair to just toss in Ballance, Bairstow and Finn at this stage when they have not played for a month and expect them to perform.
Nobody should be undroppable.
I'll still do it though, cold chicken and salad with my homemade stuffing, some pickled onions and a pint or two out of my firkin of Spitfire.
KP - Drop him, hope that he does a Kevin Keegan circa 1982 and wish him all the best.
Swann - Drop him. Tell him that he is still part of the future but he needs a rest and to spend more time thinking about his bowling and not podcasting/promoting/twittering/generally being an arrogant twat.
Prior _ Drop him. Tell him he's still part of the future but never pick him again. Use Bairstow for now and give the job to Joss Butler from next summer
Anderson - Rest him, thank him for his efforts and tell him to chill out and get ready for those nice green wickets in May.
Spot on
I would bring in Ballance for Carbury and move Root to open with Bell at three, kp at 4 ballance 5 and stokes 6.
Would rest broad and anderson and play finn and rankin. Keep bresnan. Drop swann for monty.
We need to try and get the younger generation some experience. Although i can see the opposite view, in which throwing them in in this situation may do more harm than good
Cook
Carberry
Root
Ballance
Bell
Stokes
Prior
Bresnan
Swann
Anderson
Finn
Apart from that who else has done their time ? Trott & Bresnan possibly ?