I respected Swannys decision but have to admit he has let himself down now by coming out with those remarks and then tried to backtrack by saying he wasn't talking about his team mates. So who was he talking about then? Sounds like Swanny wanted to have the last word and not just for one person. So does anybody now think it would have been a good idea for him to hang around to support the team?!
^^^^ he's nearly 35 .. his arm has gone, so he's stated .. why hang around when you know you are finished?
To keep people on Charlton Life happy?
I am in your camp, still struggle to see why people want Swann hanging around now the series is lost and he is retiring.
If the series was in the balance it would be different but we've been well beaten so let's look to the future as soon as we can.
Cheers OA ... I will say again, the selection for this tour was RUBBISH .. I do not rate Cook as strong, experienced or tough enough to be a captain when the heat is on .. great batsman, poor captain, take the captaincy away and he will once more be a top class opener ... all those who have yet to play a test so far should be given a game in Sydney and/or Melbourne, even though some should be back wintering in England. Forget face saving or redemption, many selected so far do not deserve a shot at redemption.
Carberry Cook Root Bell Ballance Stokes Bairstow Finn Panesar Anderson Rankin .. see what they can do .. I am assuming that Broad will not be fit ..
The only real bright spot so far in this debacle is the form of Kiwi Stokes .. they breed em tough in the land of the long white cloud
In some ways we are really lucky to be playing a very decent Indian side this summer coming, if the likes of KP, Prior and Anderson can't produce the goods against them then its time to say goodbye.
Swann has walked away from a lot of easy money - his place was secure for as long as he wanted it - and now we will have to see if others have the guts to do the same or if they just stay on the gravy train even though their hunger has long gone.
I'd say thanks and farewell to Pietersen and Prior now, at least for a year and see how they get on in the meantime .. Buttler has got to be nurtured as the next test wk/batsman, that is if he has the desire to be a test player .. I do wonder how much test cricket really means to many of the younger 'stars' when they can possibly make a fortune playing in India, Oz; anywhere where there is sunshine and a decent 20/20 league .. even Bangladesh has an up & coming 20/20 competition. The cupboard containing English test prospects is very bare both in bowling and batting options. However, the Indian tour to England should be used to try some new players however callow and 'unready' they may be considered by the ECB hierarchy. Too often selection is by means of 'if the face fits'
It has been said on here ad nauseam, the present England team has got old and complacent together. It will be a long time in the mending. A new coach/manager is needed as is a captain who can handle the bad times, when the going gets tough and rough. Cook is not that captain. For the life of me I can't think who is, at least anyone approaching test cricket quality. Captaincy nowadays has become far too much a matter of tactics from a computer. OK perhaps in good times, when the team is on top, disastrous when things get tough and 'the plan' does has no answer. The analysts and coaches work out pre game strategies, field placements for every opponent, perceived optimum bowling changes and all 'the skipper' does is supervise the managements' plans. This no longer works for England. Cook as a captain seems incapable of thinking 'on his feet', off the cuff. We need a Vaughan type and we need one quickly. The question is .... who ???
^^^^ he's nearly 35 .. his arm has gone, so he's stated .. why hang around when you know you are finished?
To keep people on Charlton Life happy?
I am in your camp, still struggle to see why people want Swann hanging around now the series is lost and he is retiring.
If the series was in the balance it would be different but we've been well beaten so let's look to the future as soon as we can.
Cheers OA ... I will say again, the selection for this tour was RUBBISH .. I do not rate Cook as strong, experienced or tough enough to be a captain when the heat is on .. great batsman, poor captain, take the captaincy away and he will once more be a top class opener ... all those who have yet to play a test so far should be given a game in Sydney and/or Melbourne, even though some should be back wintering in England. Forget face saving or redemption, many selected so far do not deserve a shot at redemption.
Carberry Cook Root Bell Ballance Stokes Bairstow Finn Panesar Anderson Rankin .. see what they can do .. I am assuming that Broad will not be fit ..
The only real bright spot so far in this debacle is the form of Kiwi Stokes .. they breed em tough in the land of the long white cloud
In some ways we are really lucky to be playing a very decent Indian side this summer coming, if the likes of KP, Prior and Anderson can't produce the goods against them then its time to say goodbye.
Swann has walked away from a lot of easy money - his place was secure for as long as he wanted it - and now we will have to see if others have the guts to do the same or if they just stay on the gravy train even though their hunger has long gone.
I'd say thanks and farewell to Pietersen and Prior now, at least for a year and see how they get on in the meantime .. Buttler has got to be nurtured as the next test wk/batsman, that is if he has the desire to be a test player .. I do wonder how much test cricket really means to many of the younger 'stars' when they can possibly make a fortune playing in India, Oz; anywhere where there is sunshine and a decent 20/20 league .. even Bangladesh has an up & coming 20/20 competition. The cupboard containing English test prospects is very bare both in bowling and batting options. However, the Indian tour to England should be used to try some new players however callow and 'unready' they may be considered by the ECB hierarchy. Too often selection is by means of 'if the face fits'
It has been said on here ad nauseam, the present England team has got old and complacent together. It will be a long time in the mending. A new coach/manager is needed as is a captain who can handle the bad times, when the going gets tough and rough. Cook is not that captain. For the life of me I can't think who is, at least anyone approaching test cricket quality. Captaincy nowadays has become far too much a matter of tactics from a computer. OK perhaps in good times, when the team is on top, disastrous when things get tough and 'the plan' does has no answer. The analysts and coaches work out pre game strategies, field placements for every opponent, perceived optimum bowling changes and all 'the skipper' does is supervise the managements' plans. This no longer works for England. Cook as a captain seems incapable of thinking 'on his feet', off the cuff. We need a Vaughan type and we need one quickly. The question is .... who ???
Robert Key of course. Forget batting average. Think brain, like Brearley.
^^^^ he's nearly 35 .. his arm has gone, so he's stated .. why hang around when you know you are finished?
To keep people on Charlton Life happy?
I am in your camp, still struggle to see why people want Swann hanging around now the series is lost and he is retiring.
If the series was in the balance it would be different but we've been well beaten so let's look to the future as soon as we can.
Cheers OA ... I will say again, the selection for this tour was RUBBISH .. I do not rate Cook as strong, experienced or tough enough to be a captain when the heat is on .. great batsman, poor captain, take the captaincy away and he will once more be a top class opener ... all those who have yet to play a test so far should be given a game in Sydney and/or Melbourne, even though some should be back wintering in England. Forget face saving or redemption, many selected so far do not deserve a shot at redemption.
Carberry Cook Root Bell Ballance Stokes Bairstow Finn Panesar Anderson Rankin .. see what they can do .. I am assuming that Broad will not be fit ..
The only real bright spot so far in this debacle is the form of Kiwi Stokes .. they breed em tough in the land of the long white cloud
In some ways we are really lucky to be playing a very decent Indian side this summer coming, if the likes of KP, Prior and Anderson can't produce the goods against them then its time to say goodbye.
Swann has walked away from a lot of easy money - his place was secure for as long as he wanted it - and now we will have to see if others have the guts to do the same or if they just stay on the gravy train even though their hunger has long gone.
I'd say thanks and farewell to Pietersen and Prior now, at least for a year and see how they get on in the meantime .. Buttler has got to be nurtured as the next test wk/batsman, that is if he has the desire to be a test player .. I do wonder how much test cricket really means to many of the younger 'stars' when they can possibly make a fortune playing in India, Oz; anywhere where there is sunshine and a decent 20/20 league .. even Bangladesh has an up & coming 20/20 competition. The cupboard containing English test prospects is very bare both in bowling and batting options. However, the Indian tour to England should be used to try some new players however callow and 'unready' they may be considered by the ECB hierarchy. Too often selection is by means of 'if the face fits'
It has been said on here ad nauseam, the present England team has got old and complacent together. It will be a long time in the mending. A new coach/manager is needed as is a captain who can handle the bad times, when the going gets tough and rough. Cook is not that captain. For the life of me I can't think who is, at least anyone approaching test cricket quality. Captaincy nowadays has become far too much a matter of tactics from a computer. OK perhaps in good times, when the team is on top, disastrous when things get tough and 'the plan' does has no answer. The analysts and coaches work out pre game strategies, field placements for every opponent, perceived optimum bowling changes and all 'the skipper' does is supervise the managements' plans. This no longer works for England. Cook as a captain seems incapable of thinking 'on his feet', off the cuff. We need a Vaughan type and we need one quickly. The question is .... who ???
Robert Key of course. Forget batting average. Think brain, like Brearley.
Of course !!, Old Bobby !! ... as a stop gap .. in the past his was I suspect, a face that did not fit, his test record is OK .. Say Key were to get the role short term .. an 'apprentice' (you're hired) needs to be in the team at his side, as Strauss was to Vaughan and Clarke to Ponting .. Root (EDIT: Stokes?) perhaps or Ballance (or a runner from the back of the field) if he proves of test quality, though the idea of having yet another southern African captaining England leaves me a bit cold
Move on KP for Ballance and Prior for Bairstow. Buttler, depending on his progress in first class cricket, comes in if/when Bairstow establishes himself as a specialist batsman a la McCullum for NZ.
That would be the plan if I was in charge. Less obvious is the long term spin replacement. Panesar and Tredwell are only short term stop gaps.
Move on KP for Ballance and Prior for Bairstow. Buttler, depending on his progress in first class cricket, comes in if/when Bairstow establishes himself as a specialist batsman a la McCullum for NZ.
That would be the plan if I was in charge. Less obvious is the long term spin replacement. Panesar and Tredwell are only short term stop gaps.
worrying is it not ? .. Swann was (arguably) the difference over the past 1/2 dozen years, between England being a decent team and a VERY good team.
I think Swann should have told Flower to drop him for the last two and then announce his retirement at the end of the series. Far and away the best spinner we've had since Underwood although Deadly wasn't a classical spinner.
Very interesting comments by Big Gus Fraser, who thinks he should have stepped down from the team, but announced his retirement at the end of the series. Underwood and Knotty opened my school's astroturf wicket, back in the day when it was revolutionary. Knotty was a star, reminiscing about the Ashes series in 1977. (I seem to remember he said his favourite games were vs Pakistan) He now lives in Cyprus.
Just a point on uncovered pitches, they have been become a bit of a red herring and Fiery going on about them has built up their legend. All pitches were covered up to the start of play and at the end. Once play started and the weather intervened then they were left uncovered until play was due to end. The made above about DRS is a most valid one too. Swann and others have picked up numerous LBW decisions they would not have a few years ago. And as for OA's rants, well in this day and age of 24 hour news coverage and all the social media you do not have to know anyone personally to form a considered opinion about anyone, and as for Swann well he courts publicity and I'd wager what I think about him is pretty near the mark. You only had to listen to his brother today to see what sort of people the Swanns are.
well in this day and age of 24 hour news coverage and all the social media you do not have to know anyone personally to form a considered opinion about anyone, and as for Swann well he courts publicity and I'd wager what I think about him is pretty near the mark. You only had to listen to his brother today to see what sort of people the Swanns are.
well in this day and age of 24 hour news coverage and all the social media you do not have to know anyone personally to form a considered opinion about anyone, and as for Swann well he courts publicity and I'd wager what I think about him is pretty near the mark. You only had to listen to his brother today to see what sort of people the Swanns are.
Absolutely soporific. Couldn't sleep due to a bad chesty cough so ended up watching till about 0400. No wonder test cricket is losing out to 20/20 in the popularity stakes!
Well done KP . A bit lucky at times today but it's nice to see him going past Boycott's England runs total. I hope that might shut the old fart up but somehow I doubt it.
Thank heavens for KP but at one point didn't score a run for 45 minutes which sums up our batting. Hopefully he can go on and get a ton if the tail can hang on with him which might force him to speed up the run count if he fears that he could run out of buddies. Am hoping we can conjure up the spirit of day one at the G 2010!
Comments
The cupboard containing English test prospects is very bare both in bowling and batting options. However, the Indian tour to England should be used to try some new players however callow and 'unready' they may be considered by the ECB hierarchy. Too often selection is by means of 'if the face fits'
It has been said on here ad nauseam, the present England team has got old and complacent together. It will be a long time in the mending. A new coach/manager is needed as is a captain who can handle the bad times, when the going gets tough and rough. Cook is not that captain. For the life of me I can't think who is, at least anyone approaching test cricket quality.
Captaincy nowadays has become far too much a matter of tactics from a computer. OK perhaps in good times, when the team is on top, disastrous when things get tough and 'the plan' does has no answer. The analysts and coaches work out pre game strategies, field placements for every opponent, perceived optimum bowling changes and all 'the skipper' does is supervise the managements' plans. This no longer works for England. Cook as a captain seems incapable of thinking 'on his feet', off the cuff. We need a Vaughan type and we need one quickly. The question is .... who ???
Move on KP for Ballance and Prior for Bairstow. Buttler, depending on his progress in first class cricket, comes in if/when Bairstow establishes himself as a specialist batsman a la McCullum for NZ.
That would be the plan if I was in charge. Less obvious is the long term spin replacement. Panesar and Tredwell are only short term stop gaps.
Far and away the best spinner we've had since Underwood although Deadly wasn't a classical spinner.
Underwood and Knotty opened my school's astroturf wicket, back in the day when it was revolutionary.
Knotty was a star, reminiscing about the Ashes series in 1977. (I seem to remember he said his favourite games were vs Pakistan)
He now lives in Cyprus.
The made above about DRS is a most valid one too. Swann and others have picked up numerous LBW decisions they would not have a few years ago.
And as for OA's rants, well in this day and age of 24 hour news coverage and all the social media you do not have to know anyone personally to form a considered opinion about anyone, and as for Swann well he courts publicity and I'd wager what I think about him is pretty near the mark. You only had to listen to his brother today to see what sort of people the Swanns are.
well in this day and age of 24 hour news coverage and all the social media you do not have to know anyone personally to form a considered opinion about anyone, and as for Swann well he courts publicity and I'd wager what I think about him is pretty near the mark. You only had to listen to his brother today to see what sort of people the Swanns are.
you can only judge saint swann if you know him
Australia unsurprisingly unchanged. England replace Swann & Prior with Panesar & Bairstow.
Will have to score well in County cricket to get his spot back.