Early reaction to World Cup 15
Here are some quick thoughts about each of England's 15-man World Cup squad just announced at The Oval. Your opinions welcome.
Ed Joyce – Profited from Michael Vaughan's injury to become England's first one-day centurion for seven months and could be difficult to dislodge from the opening berth. Also, surprisingly, a reserve wicket-keeper.
Michael Vaughan – Trot out his one-day batting average and recent injury record all you like. Vaughan's record of 27 wins and 18 losses is up there with the best ever. Of course it is a gamble but a recent rule interpretation makes it one worth taking.
Ian Bell – His two half-centuries were the least shouted-about reason for England’s resurgence in Australia, although there remains a worry that nudging and nurdling will be less successful on the smaller fields of the Caribbean.
Andrew Strauss – Form is temporary while class is permanent but patience only goes so far. With Pietersen back, Strauss may begin the tournament on the sidelines, although he hinted at an ability lower down the order in Australia.
Kevin Pietersen - Officially fully-recovered from the fractured rib that cut short his one-day series in Australia, England's best batsman is bound to do well, although he needs to work more at partnership-building.
Paul Collingwood - Mr 110% has gone from the butt of Shane Warne's jokes to the object of his admiration in a few weeks. When Colly does well, England do well.
Ravi Bopara - Let's hope his inclusion as the is because he can bat in any position between one and six, rather than because he can "do a job" with his medium pace.
Andrew Flintoff – Surprisingly, England's Ashes captain was not immediately made Vaughan's deputy for the duration but he will play a key role either way. He could revert to opening the bowling and a return to top form with the bat would make a huge difference.
Jamie Dalrymple – His Chris Gayle-like off-spin could prove useful in the Caribbean, especially later in the tournament, when slow bowlers could prosper on worn pitches. His batting is a bonus.
Paul Nixon – Whatever your thoughts on the Great Wicket-keeper Debate, the 36-year-old Nixon did a good job during the one-day series in Australia and it was unlikely they would make a change at this late stage. He is not a top-six batsman but that does not seem to matter.
James Anderson - Memories of the 2003 World Cup, when a young Anderson ran through the Pakistan line-up in Cape Town, were beginning to be revived when he rediscovered his rhythm and swing in Australia, although that was before his back problems resurfaced.
Jon Lewis - For a long time dismissed as being too slow for the highest level, Lewis has proved the doubters wrong. An old-fashioned seamer, he could prosper in the Caribbean if the newer pitches are similar to their predecessors.
Liam Plunkett - After a summer out with a side strain he took time to find his best form. He is still inconsistent and may be relieved of the new ball if Anderson and Lewis return.
Sajid Mahmood - If everyone else is fit, Mahmood could spent much of the tournament enjoying the scenery but his pace could still give batsmen the jitters.
Monty Panesar - Perhaps the biggest surprise of the one-day series in Australia, Panesar is the only attacking spinner England possess, and he may need to play an ever bigger role over the next few months.
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Once again, the Selectors' obsession with choosing bits & pieces players( in this case Bopara) in the vain hope they will prove good enough has come to the fore.
Loye is just the kind of aggressive, specialist , batsman that will be needed if we are to win the tournament.
When will the Selectors learn ??
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Once again, the Selectors' obsession with choosing bits & pieces players( in this case Bopara) in the vain hope they will prove good enough has come to the fore.
Loye is just the kind of aggressive, specialist , batsman that will be needed if we are to win the tournament.
When will the Selectors learn ??
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Bad luck on Mal Loye, but he did seem to have just one or two main shots and could have been in danger of getting worked out too easily.
I thought Bopara was the Walcott of the team as well and about all I remember him for in the CB series was running out Jamie Dalrymple, but good luck to him anyway - let's hope he gets Hussey out again.
Ultimately this team looks as good as any other, with a couple of world beaters, a few really good players and some solid supporting roles. As good as any other team except one, that is. The one team that stands out from the rest all the time.
Bermuda
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strauss and lewis shouldnt be there
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The selectors seem to have forgoten that Mal Loye + Small Grounds in the Carribean = Massive Scores. I can see the virtues of Vaughan as captain, but Bopara, as stated, could be like Theo Walcott at the football world cup last year...
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HELLO
I THINK ITS THE BEST ENGLAND SELECTORS COULD HAVE SELECT..
I M WITH VAUGHAN TO BE THE CAPTAIN OF ENGLAND,,,,, NICE GAMBLE TO TAKE HIM TO THE Caribbean IF HE IS NOT FIT AS WELL..... HIS PRESENCE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ENGLAND SIDE..
MY STARTIN LINE SHOULD BE
ED JOYCE
MICHEAL VAUGHAN IF FIT OTHERWISE STRAUSS
BELL
COLLINGWOOD
PIETERSEN
FLINTOFF
DALRYMPLE
NIXON
PLUNKET
ANDERSON
PANESAR
NIXON IS THE OTHER MAN WHO CAN MAKE THE SPIRIT GO HIGH IN MATTER OF SECONDS
I WISH AND PRAY THAT ENGLAND DO WELL
AND COULD THIS BE THE WC WHERE ARE VICTORIOUS........
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Can't understand the non selection of Mal Loye. Though he did not set the world on fire in the recent Commonwealth trophy he showed that he has something different to offer. He has the ability to get the innings off to a flyer and against lesser bowling than he faced in the recent one dayers, I feel he would have come up with the quick scoring high runs innings. Perhaps he is the nominated cover for Michael Vaughan should he get injured.
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I agree with Matthew about Lewis. I really feel his lack of pace will leave him exposed, especially against the best one day batsmen in the world. He could be very expensive.
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Its a good squad. Droping any player from the CB series would be harsh but Loye isn't a better option than Vaughan, Strauss and Joyce. As for the bowlers, it must have been a close call between Mahmood and Broad and only time will tell whether is was the right one.
The only real doubt that remains is that this squad can beat the best in the world and also lose to the worst in the world. Which one will turn up no-one knows and when it gets to the later stages you would still expect teams such as Aus, SA, Pakistan and India to have more about them to win. They have had the correct emphasis on ODI for years and having 4 successive victories does not make up for that.
Personally I expect England to fall well short.
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Of course Bopara isnt the new Walcott.
Walcott never played for his club but Bopara has been excellent for Essex.
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"the 36-year-old Nixon did a good job during the one-day series in Australia and it was unlikely they would make a change at this late stage."
did he really do ok? Even reads last ODI spell including the Champ trophy resulted in a higher average than Nixon had
"He is not a top-six batsman but that does not seem to matter." it seems to matter when it comes to other wicket keepers - or have the 'rules' been changed now.
Apparently Nixon was required as backup in Oz because Tresco want available - same rules don't apply here though.
Why don't Fletcher et all just give Read a decent run and see what happens - at least if he fails then people can't complain afterwards - the constant dropping of Read after a few games is just ridiculous and will result in the selectors being questioned
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what is the point of taking Bopara? To drop Loye is extremely harsh as he is our only 'pinch hitting' opener
Strauss and Vaughan are lucky to be included, Strauss' form is terrible and Vaughan isn't a ODI player - you can't afford a non contributing captain these days
hope I'm wrong, but can't see us going very far
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"I agree with Matthew about Lewis. I really feel his lack of pace will leave him exposed, especially against the best one day batsmen in the world. He could be very expensive. "
People keep saying this and he keeps putting in good performances. It seems that no matter what his actual performances are like, people will always fall back on their preconceptions of him and demand his exclusion.
I really don't know what more he can do. The fact that his inclusion is attracting more criticism than that of the erratic Mahmood is baffling.
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Ben really needs to watch more cricket. Loye is on form at the moment, and Vaughan is an injury doubt with a poor ODI batting average. The same arguement comes in with his point about Mahmood being no better than Broad. Who has the experience of an inhospitable crowd away from home? Who has the more pace? Who has the better slower ball? Mahmood has played consistently in Australia, under pressure. He is now, looking at this side, a fairly experienced player.
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I expect Bopara is in the squad because he can fill a hole if necessary - thus he's been picked for his adaptability, not his own strength. This isn't good, especially as he's in ahead of Loye.
However, the rest of the squad is surprisingly dynamic - sticking with Dalrymple is a good move.
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Those talking about Lewis not being quick enough, just consider this he is far more economical than Mahmood, Plunkett and Harmison all of whom bowl a lot faster than him.
In ODI, accuracy should be preferred to out and out speed, if a player has both then they will be a very dangerous prospect but England are lacking in this type of bowler what with only Flintoff being both.
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"Vaughan's record of 27 wins and 18 losses is up there with the best ever" Is that best ever for England? Cronje had something like 99/35 win-loss ratio for SA.
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This is the team i would have taken:
Michael Vaughan (capt)
Andrew Flintoff (v-c, capt in Vaughan's absence)
Andrew Strauss
Mal Loye
Ed Joyce
Paul Collingwood
Kevin Pietersen
Ian Bell
Paul Nixon (wk)
Jamie Dalrymple
Liam Plunkett
Jon Lewis
Sajid Mahmood
James Anderson
Monty Panesar
I would start with the following XI - giving reasons for my choices.
1. Ed Joyce - Has had a decent CB series and can only get better as he gains more experience.
2. Andrew Strauss - Granted, he has not performed in recent games but dropping him is not the answer.
3. Kevin Pietersen - One word. Destructive.
4. Ian Bell - Turning into a quality ODI player. Had a decent CB series.
5. Paul Collingwood - In form of his life with the bat and in the field, bowls some useful deliveries also.
6. Andrew Flintoff - Has potential to score at a frightening rate, also one of the best ODI bowlers in the world at the minute.
7. Jamie Dalrymple - Adds extra dimension to England's fielding and can dry one end up as pitches in Windies will turn, always capable of adding a quickfire 30 or 40.
8. Paul Nixon - Dont forget that he has been batting against the best ODI team in the world and NZ are no mugs either, there is also no saying that Read, Prior or Foster would have fared any better with the bat so for me he should be one of the first names on the team sheet. Another plus side to Nixon is his constant chatter behind the timbers, if he isnt barracking the opposition he is constantly geeing up the lads, something we dont get from ANY of the other wk contenders.
9. Liam Plunkett - Proved he is a wicket taker, needs to cut out the wides but this will come with age. Has potential to be one of the best.
10. Monty Panesar - Can dry up one end with his spin, half decent with the bat (occasionally) and is starting to shape up in the field. Another one who is super enthusiastic and wears his heart on his sleeve.
11. James Anderson - No question that he is one of our better ODI bowlers, can swing the ball with great accuracy, will take wickets.
SUBS
12. Mal Loye - He can hit the ball, no question. Has been short of form but would still have him there, maybe have a run out against Kenya or Canada - not the best teams ever but who knows what a big score would do for his confidence.
13. Michael Vaughan - Organisational skills are second to none, excellent batsmen when fit. Probably wouldnt risk him against bigger teams straight away incase he breaks down, like Loye i would probably give him a run out against Kenya or Canada. Flintoff to captain any games in his absence.
14. Jon Lewis - Hasnt been in the form he can produce but is still a handful for any batsmen. Can take wickets.
15. Sajid Mahmood - Has shown in the last 4 games what he is really capable of, sometimes goes for too many runs but again, this will decrease with experience and age. Would be handy if any of the other bowlers suffer injuries.
This team may not be capable of winning the World Cup but it is in my opinion that they will all play with pride and have an exteremly good chance of getting to at least the semi-finals. We are nowhere near as good as Australia on a whole but we did have them rattled in the last two games of the CB series so we have shown we can beat the best of them.
The XI i have chosen can bat all the way down to no. 9 and there are at least 6 bowlers who are capable of taking wickets.
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I think Bopara should have retired so he can say he was never on the losing side against the Aussies! A bowling average of 19.00 is none too bad either!
On a serious note, I think he'll do well if he plays.
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Good to see the return of players like Pietersen an Vaughan but equally disapointing to see the departure of Mal Loye
Just a few months ago, Graveney said that Panesar would only be risked for test matches and here we are with his name firmly in the WC 15.
Lets hope we get more pleasant surprises in the tournament.
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england may have shown too much loyalty and favouritism again and gambled too much on players suspect to injury and lack of fitness. i am a lancastrian but must ask where are the sussex players again?
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It's nice to read Mr. Gough column. Honestly, Vaughan should give up his captaincy and honorably give it to ANDREW.
With his injuries recurring again and again, Vaughan should be honest to himself. Mr. Vaughan should volunteer this fine gesture to Mr. Flintoff.
I do like Vaughan but I think his career is over - injuries or otherwise.
RM
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Strauss & Vaughan should both be dropped, both out of form and neither has a great ODI record anyway.
Loye is a 1 trick pony and not a world cup winner
Bopara is not theo walcott - he has played a match for england already and bowled the no. 1 ranked ODI batsman. He's a youngster who inject some enthusiasm into the team - a bit like Plunkett did.
If Owais Shah had been looked after he could have been the same.
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Nixon a big mistake in my view.Reade shoulde be picked instead.Mal Loys unlucky but Vaughan despite his flaw as a one day player is an excellent captain.
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I can't believe your havung a go at Ravi Bopara. If u've watched any essex games this year you would know that Ravi is matchwinning batsman as well as a top fielder. He should be ahead of andrew 'get myself out at any oppurtunity' strauss, as should Mal Loye, who has made a massive difference to the top order, allowing joyce to play his own game. Ravi also has a 'Golden Arm' and takes key wickets, as he proved with the wicket of hussey.
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i think selecting vaughan is a mistake, he's not fully fit and never really been successful in one-dayers as a batsman either. so why the fuss over him? flintoff should've been the captain for the world cup. having said all this england's chances will be greatly hampered by their inexperienced bowling line-up on the flat surfaces in the west indies.
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Same old, same old faces. Expect an early exit. Of course I feel this way as I am from Sussex. Is there any chance the selectors might have considered picking ANY of the BEST One Day side in English Cricket? Of course not.
YARDY, PRIOR, ADAMS, KIRTLEY, LEWRY, MARTIN JENKINS......
What a joke.
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Of 15 players selected 2 carring injuries,leaving 13,. Leaving out Loy gives no cover behind the stumps, unless there is something i have missed. I have been fighting Chris Reads corner since last November, I am againing missing something in 10 innings & just over 100 runs is Nixon our top man,I will now await the WC outcome,But as a proud Englishman i fear no success just more excuses of what could have been or if only.I feel for Broad Loy & Read these 3,are very unlucky.But the selectors got the ashes tour right or so they said..May i ask my fellow writers what will we accept as success in the WC, the semi's, because i fear no hope of the final.
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This can be stupid blog of the year. Theo Walcott did not play in a single match in the world cup, while Gooch seems to think the inclusion means something else entirely. Remember in the land of the bvlind the one -eyed is king
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I like the way people say oh lewis is too slow to be considered for the international scene. But he is no slower than Shaun Pollock and probs a lil bit faster. Pollock is the No1 rated one day bowler in the world atm. But he is no extreme paceman. Got 5-22 today off 10 says it all! As for Loye, i do feel a lil bit sorry for him, he can feel a little unlucky for not getting selected. I think Strauss shud have been dropped and loye picked instead. It would provide England with the option up the order which most international teams posses (Gilchrist-Aus, Smith-SA, Gayle-WI, Sehwag/Uthappa-Ind). Joyce, Strauss, vaughn are all very similar in their respective batting styles. Bowling unit seems like pretty much the best we can offer, whether they will stand up to the test is another matter. As for the keeping position, it still feels very unfair on Read. It seams a good batsman is required whenever he is back into the team and whatever he does its not good enough. But as soon as he is dropped it becomes not so important.
Anyways as an English west indian, as soon as england do badly u will be able to hear me shouting for the windies instead. The best way to do it with 2 very unpredictable teams.
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Interesting to see how this side is very different from original test side in Brisbane
I am concerned that Strauss has done so badly in Australia.
It seems taking away the captaincy from him after successful series at home has affected him.
Though It was good for Flintoff to get the last 4 wins under his belt I still believe he performs better without the added responsibility. He is not the best captain in the field. Also he would be better sometimes to be first off bowler,and he never seems to bowl himself first.
Why not make Strauss vice Captain which may well increase his confidence( together with better luck)
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Interesting to see how this side is very different from original test side in Brisbane
I am concerned that Strauss has done so badly in Australia.
It seems taking away the captaincy from him after successful series at home has affected him.
Though It was good for Flintoff to get the last 4 wins under his belt I still believe he performs better without the added responsibility. He is not the best captain in the field. Also he would be better sometimes to be first off bowler,and he never seems to bowl himself first.
Why not make Strauss vice Captain which may well increase his confidence( together with better luck)
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On the whole, I don't think this is a bad selection, largely because there haven't been too many changes. The downfall of England selectors in the past has been to revert to indubitably classy, but ultimately out-of-form, players, when a team has been winning consistently. Why the opening partnership of Loye and Joyce has been broken when it has been performing so well recently, I have no idea. I think Nixon has added an energy and spirit to the team that it has been lacking recently, and concur with the decision to take him to the Caribbean.
I think Strauss has the necessary class to perform, and a change in pitch and opposition will hopefully bring him out of his slump. I also believe that Bell has matured as a one-day player and is showing the ability to put together 50+ scores at a good rate now; I think that he and Collingwood are looking excellent in the middle order. With the removal of Loye from the XV, however, I would consider promoting Pietersen to open. Admittedly this would be an experimental tactic, but he surely has exactly the range of shots, ability to be unorthodox when required, and undoubted class and concentration, to take advantage of the fielding restrictions and put together big scores quickly at the top of the order. I also feel that he would be an excellent foil for the more textbook technique of Joyce.
So my line-up, given selections, would go something like:
Joyce (hard to fault his recent performances)
Pietersen (explosive and unorthodox when required)
Vaughan (must be in the team for his captaincy)
Bell (looking in good nick now)
Collingwood (no argument given his form and all-round ability)
Flintoff (would be in the team for his bowling alone)
Nixon (energy and experience to not be fazed)
Plunkett (was bowling very well and can thrash a few runs on his day)
Lewis (has been very economical in his ODI career so far)
Anderson (provided he stays fit, otherwise Dalrymple at No. 7)
Panesar (undoubtedly our best spinner and a must-have for variation)
Any thoughts? I simply don't think England have the quality to go all the way, but with a stroke of luck and some outstanding individual performances, we might have a chance.
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Look, lets be brutally honest England are not going to win the World Cup. So I would have thought this could have been a great time to "blood" some new players at the highest level.
My views..
Nixon??? Why??...what Read has to do to get into the side God only knows. If I was Chris I'd change my nationality..seriously!
Anderson??..I'm sorry he's just not good enough. It should have been Graham Onions instead.
Strauss??..I wouldn't take him. Loye is a better ODI batsmen..and has been for sometime..the only people not to see that were the selectors - no surprise there then!
Vaughan?..can't decide - probably no. Great Captain but (currently) can't buy a run.
Captain?..Collingwood. He's going to be skipper eventually - may as well be now!
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michael vaughan has neva scored a odi 100! i get the feeling that the selectors dont like pinch hiters! as ali brown and neil smith have found! i do feel for mal loye!bopara is good but should have bin given more games in oz! we lack 1 batsman who can take a game away from a team or bring us back in2 a game when were 3 wickets down! miss tresco at the top of the order! we wont win it but we r english and live in hope!
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Deeply unhappy with Bopara's inclusion. I remain doubtful of the merits of playing Dalrymple, given that he rarely contributes anything spectacular, and I fail to believe that Bopara, at present, is any different.
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Not sure if England will make it to super 8.
I see Kenya beating England in their group match.
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Yet again England go into a major series with only 12 fit players - when will they learn!!
Michael Vaughan has been a superb captain but he is clearly not fit enough to play a series of matches with only a few days in between.
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rav is soo gd
i hv seen him play 4 essex
he bowls well adn he can field emmensly
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As an essex lad i struggle to understand the Sussex bias - surely there should be cries for players from the 'one day champions of two seasons' to be in the England squad to accompany the very talented and versatile Ravi Bopara. Also, as the commentators at the time stated, Dalrymple ran himself out - Ravi's only fault being that he is too quick!
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Mal Loye should be in the team, its simple. While other teams will be making thunderous starts, we will be 50-1 after 20 overs.
Again the England selectors don't have a clue,
Strauss and Joyce are pretty much the same player, so i would have Joyce cus he is better.
Lewis is slow and not very good, at the end of the innings he goes for loads of runs. I imagine the pitches to be flat over there so get rid of him. I can't wait to see the team they play for the first game cause they will just end up playing the same old rubbish team.
The team for the first game will be:
Vaughan (c)
Strauss
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Nixon (wk)
Dalrymple
Plunkett
Lewis
Anderson
Were are the stars of the CB series going to fit in? Monty? Joyce?
It will be another World Cup failure
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Am I the only person who would not pick Ed Joyce? Yes, he got a good century in Oz but overall I think he is good back-up but nothing more.
The tournament is long enough for Strauss to get into his best form.
Just look at Collingwood. His place was looking under threat till the last few matches in Australia.
Strauss will be excellent.
My team:
1. Vaughan- I have no concerns over his fitness (he should fully have recovered from his hamstring injury) and I think he looked in goood form when he played. I think he's been unlucky in one-day cricket over the years.
2. Strauss- Will get into top form quickly. Actually has very good one day record and should be well suited to pitches in West Indies.
3. Bell- England's most consistently in form player over the last year in both forms of the game. Has good attacking game as well as solid defence.
4. Pietersen- Destructive one-day player
5. Collingwood- Should be able to continue his recent great form in the Caribbean.
6. Flintoff- Great player. Needs to find consistent batting form. In the case of Vaughan being rested will captain.
7. Dalrymple- Utility player. Lower order batsman and spin bowling both competent. On wick that will not spin replaced by Mahmood.
8. Nixon- Competent behind the stumps and with the bat. Energy he brings the team is overrated
9. Plunkett- Should always open the bowling, where he is his most destructive.
10. Panesar- His batting and fielding have improved so much. his bowling will be very useful.
11. Anderson- World Cup experience will be important and has got his bowling back on track.
Reserves:
Joyce- To come in for all batsmen when rested.
Bopara- Only to be used in emergencies, for example two injuries. Possibly to get run out against Canada or Kenya.
Lewis- As they are prone to injuries fast bowlers should be rotated.
Mahmood- See Lewis
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Why on earth is Jon Lewis allowed anywhere near the new ball? I've seen nothing that makes him a better bet than Plunkett or Anderson, both of whom can actually bat.
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Jamie Dalrymple IS a batsman, first and formost, his batting ability is not a bonus.
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Are we talking Clyde or Theo Walcott?
My worry about Bopara is that if your gonna take a bits and pieces player with you I would have thought Matt Prior would be a better bet. A 6th/7th choice bowler is fine, but when is that ever really gonan be used, Priors as a reserve keeper who could fill a batting place if pushed seems a better gamble to me.
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It's a disgrace that Mal Loye hasn't been picked - his record in OD for Lancashire tells its own tale, let alone the fact he was obviously getting into the swing of things in the last ODI against Australia.
It's his last chance to play in a World Cup and England will regret it.
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After my lack of sleep for the last four months, numerous 3am alarm calls, many frustrated moans of 'never again, I'm going to catch up on some sleep' but then waking up again at 3am, my incorrect predictions, calls for England to come home after the Ashes debacle, demands to sack Fletcher, drop Strauss, Collingwood, Mahmood, Plunkett et al, etc etc, WHO AM I TO DISAGREE WITH THE SELECTORS!!!! However, I do wonder why Strauss is picked again after his disasterous tour, why not give him a rest before the summer tests? And why drop Mal Loye? I think the smaller, slower caribbean grounds would suit his style of play, although rather limited in shots he gives the team some impetus in the power plays. And just to go completely out on a limb I would have taken Darren Gough for his experience and 'death' bowling. And if you are still reading this after my previous comments, yes I do agree with taking Bopara, although I think he will do a Theo Walcott and not get a game.
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Panesar the biggest surprise ? You have to be joking.
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WHAT IS GOING ON! why has mal loye not been picked. and bopara, what has he done, can bat a bit, useful bowler. wow, heard that before. why oh why cant we just select the best SPECIALIST players.
its like running into a brick wall.
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i still feel england dropped a clanger by not picking gough, especially wioth flintoff being the only other bowler with a world cup under his belt. whats the point in having a decent batting line up if u have a bunch of rookies with the ball.
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Quite agree with most comments about the one day squad but Paul Nixon Noooooo! I do not think so can`t bat tidy keeper but Read is the man for me .
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GO NIXON.
PROVE THE DOUBTERS WRONG. KEEP THE LEICESTERSHIRE FLAG FLYING. FOXES NEVER QUIT. nIXON IS A WINNER AND HAS THE ATTITUDE A LOT CAN LEARN FROM
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Bopa the new Theo Wacott?
I hope not, he must have more bottle.
Mike
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Bopa the new Theo Wacott?
I hope not, he must have more bottle.
Mike
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I do not understand for the life of me why Mal Loye has not been selected. Why on earth is Andrew Strauss going when the player is clearly in desperate need of a rest in order to prepare for the Test series against West Indies and India. I really think that it is time for a change and believe that Duncan Fletcher and possibly David Graveney should be both be replaced.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
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vaughn shouldn't be there. he's not fit. duuuh. and even if he is fit he won't have any form or touch. i am genuinely flumoxxed! if his strategising is so important, tell him to 'advise' straussy from the boundary.
and yes. strauss should be captain. PLEASE! he should've been all winter. but anyway...he has the temperament, the experience, the gift of the gab and the respect of both players and management. his terrible tour is blatantly a blip - the guy has the best technique around and just needs a break....
i can't believe nixon is in there. it's actually quite ridiculous that we should be looking to a nagging chatterbox county journeyman for inspiration. the CB was a perfect opportunity to blood a new kid pre-world cup. i dunno much about davies, perhaps they'll give him a run this summer? i don't just don't feel that read, geraint or prior will ever be able to match the allround contributions of gilchrist, boucher, dhoni, sangakkara etc.
dalrymple. he's in as a bowling alternative, right? but this guy is going to score very useful runs for england, believe me. i remember watching him score 200 odd for middlesex, totally dismantling a strong county attack that included heath streak. there's a certain 'caribbean' flavour to his slog-sweep one day shot! i just hope he cuts out the reverse sweep! ;-]
a team to win the world cup?
i think yes!
joyce
dalrymple
kp
bell
strauss (c)
flintoff
collingwood
nixon (wk) [sigh]
anderson
panesar
lewis
oh. last thing.
gilo!
?!?!?!?!
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It's is pretty much the one day team we all expected. Personally i'm not sure how much control Saj gives you but he is worth persevering with, just after the world cup for me. Loye is unlucky but just didn't really grab his opportunity. Must tighten up in certain areas.
The Sussex theme, whilst they have proved a great 'team' i'm really not sure the names mentioned are international players? i would be upset as a Sussex fan but feel individually they are just not up to scratch??
Sorry Sussex!
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You can hope all you want about Bopara being the new Walcott but you would also hope that Fletcher has the common sense to play Bopara if required and not do a Sven and take him along and not use him when it was obvious England needed an extra striker in a certain quarter-final (see Rooney sent-off against Portugal and Crouch not being the kind of striker to play up against a defence by himself). Rather, I think you should hope that he is the new Owen (see World Cup 1998 and goal against Argentina) or Wilkinson (see Tour to Hell 1997 when he was one of the few players to come out with any credit from Englands summer tour of Australia and New Zealand).
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Although I now live in Aus (3 years) I attended the last two winning games in the one dayers. They say that old dogs cannot be taught new tricks, but the incessant verbal from Nicko was the highlight of the entire series.
I coach and manage an U13 Aussie team and promote wholehearteldy verbal encouragement. The Aussies I sat with (with my 12 year old sone) in Sydney last weekend loved the banter we had with them and intimated that the English were too quiet during the test series, which showed, or at least hinted, a lack of confidence.
Great to see Nicko in the World Cup squad, along with Monty who lights up the team with his enthusiasm. At last the selectors have got it right!
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Is the writing on the wall? The whole point of an opener is to set up the batting. Look at Hayden and Langer. Vaughn and Trescothick had that understanding. Now that Trescothick hasn't been selected, we need an opener that won't get out in the first few overs, and can give confidence to the team with a few exxplosive shots and some boundaries.
This sets the tone for the rest of the game. Ravi Bopara is far too inexperienced and was not eased into the team. He is being dropped in the deep end like many other players (Dalrymple, Tremlett, Mahmood, Nixon ... etc) They should NOT have been given debuts in such a high pressure series.
The Australia team and Coach have the right strategy. Sack our coach plz, I could do a far better job.
Mahmood is not good enough, Tremlett is not good enough, his exclusion and reluctance concerning Panesar was to all fans appalling when we were down and out. Tremlett thrown in the deep end, his handling of Harmison scandalous ... etc
I do not blame him for his mistakes, I blame him for not doing anything about it and making the same mistake over and over again he surely is the Sven Goran Erikkson of the Cricket World. We need someone like Bob Woolmer, or the Australia / Sri Lanka Coach :D We pay these coaches more money than any other country in the cricket world!! same as the football and rugby world!! The fans deserve better.
Anyways here's my team. The order was important to me!
Loye
Joyce
Nixon [Wkt]
Vaughan [Cpt] [Slip Cordon]
Bell [Slip Cordon]
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Hoggard [Removed if still injured]
Panesar [Slip Cordon]
Harmison [if still showing poor form removed]
Plunkett
Anderson
The 2 that should be removed from the 11 are bowlers.
We need a better wicket keeper Nixon let so many catches drop during the one day series =[
It's a specialist position!
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Chris B, you talk utter rubbish.
May Loye is not on form. He has an average of 20.28 and a top score of 45 (source: cric info). Vaughan has a better average than him (27.70) although I agree its not fantastic and he's injured, but you can not argue that Loye is in form. Dream on!
With regard to Mahmood, what does all that garbage you trotted out about pace, slower ball and 'experience' matter if he throws down wides and goes for 7 an over with an economy of 50? Broad is less explosive but more economical. Therefore there is not much to chose between them.
You might indeed watch more cricket then I do (although I watch enough) but it counts for nothing if you don't have the intellect to make sense of what you are watching!
On a separate note, can we put the Chris Reed thing to bed? If the selectors don't want him then they're not going to pick him and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Or should we pick the team by national vote? Whether you agree or not he's not going to get a chance with the current regime. So don't fill these pages accusing the rules of changing. They have changed and the selectors have the liberty to do just that.
Some things in life just aren't fair!
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Selection issues are always debatable, apart from the disgraceful treatment of Read and the ludicrous selection of Giles ahead of Panesar.
A workmanlike selection, however I feel that England have missed an opportunity to be 1 day innovators and select a really attacking team for the short boundaries of the W Indies.
My XI contains no members of the World Cup XV and obviously some of those would get in it, however at least of my XI merit a place in the squad.
Not going to the World Cup XI
Trescothick
Prior
Loye
Shah
Cook
Solanki
Blackwell
Chapple
Carter
Broad
Gough
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Message 27 - I really don't think that any of the following would be an improvement on what has been picked
Yardy 5 matches ave 10 runs per 100 balls 38
Prior 12 matches ave 20 runs per 100 balls 70
Adams 5 matches ave 17 runs per 100 balls 50
Kirtley 11 matches 9 wickets econ 5.25
Lewry not played now 36
Martin-Jenkins - not even his dad would have had him in the squad
Mustaq Ahmed - sadly not English
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What is all this rubbish about Bopara being a "bits and pieces" player? He is good enough to get in the team for his batting in his own right, his bowling and fielding is a big bonus. Essex have easily been the best one day team of the past few years and he is an important member of that side. Essex seem to be the forgotten county for a lot of cricket fans despite us producing some excellent young players.
Plus, what is all this clamour for Chris Read? While no one is disputing his talent with the gloves, his batting in his last few innings was truly awful with some lamentable dismissals. Nixon is old neough that he has seen it all and doesn't get fazed and his glove work was exemplary.
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Just look at poor selctors, they had so little to choose from.....what they could have done ?
Only debate could have been between wicketkeeper position and opener loye. If you need Voughan then Loye or Joyce is out.
And I wont call Bopara Theo. Since he is not competing with anyone as such (like batsman, bowler keeper etc) he is there to fill in the blanks. Some overs to be bowled when one the bowlers is not performing. good fielding and 20-30 runs.
Selectign rest of the team, its a no brainer.
Lets see this way - did they repeat the mistakes they made while they played first 2 tests in Aus.?
They are still sticking with Voughan, why ? Playing Safe ? He is out of touch, Strauss did well in Summer.
Otherwise this is the best side within given options.
All the best Eng do well. You are perfect underdogs and you can do it without having too much expectation burden on you guys. Best Chance ever to WIN the Cup.
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Please can you justify the ludicrous claim that Ravi Bopara is the Theo Walcott of the England team? Bopara has a proven track record in recent years in both one day and 20/20 cricket at the county level. Was the reference to Walcott a typically desperate attempt to drag football into every comment made on any sport, or just an example of lazy and stupid journalism?
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I still think Read is a better Keeper than Nixon
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From a neutral fan. Loye's only shot is the pull shot, over the course of the tournament he would get picked apart. You can't have a opening batsmans that can't even make a coverdrive and only has one sure shot, although he is good at it. He lacks some very basis skills like just having the right grip on the bat, and he doesn't play shots on their merits.
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I can't believe mal loye hasn't gone!!! and yes i do think ravi bopara is equal to theo walcott.....He doesnt deserve to be there and won't play anyway! where as loye offers something different at the top of the order unlike, strauss, vaughan, joyce...... all defensive. We needed someone in the champions trophy to bat V.aggressively for the first 15 overs... we tried flintoff but it didn't work but mal loye has proved he can get the innings off to a flyer. Also ravi bopara took the wicket of michael hussey which was a lucky dismissal, a drag on and it was a poor shot it wasnt necessarily good bowling. Awful decision to not take loye.
My England line up for the first game :
Loye
Joyce
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff (c)
Nixon
Plunkett
Lewis
Anderson
Panesar
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Why complain about bopara as a 'bits & pieces' guy. Not too long ago, Collingwood was in the same category, but see where he is now after prolonged exposure at international level. Hope bopara goes the same way, as is for Sajid mahmood as well.
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to those doubting bopara, i can only suggest that you havent seen very much of him at essex.
yes, primarily a batsman, his bowling is a cut above dalrymples, and not far off collingwoods. as far as batting is concerned, i put to you his score against australia, in the same match that saw ali cook brought to everyone outside of essex' attentions - don't recall many people making katty 'walcott' comprions about him back then. and like any batsman worth his salt, he can also get the ball over the boundary rope.
i thought the days of selecting 'wise old owls' over bright young guns had finally disapeared.
i suggest you make your minds up on his cricket, rather than base them on tabloid style headline promptings of a ´óÏó´«Ã½ wesite journalist.
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WHY CHOOSE NIXON AHEAD OF READ. APART FROM HIS GREATER 'SLEDGING' ABILITY I SEE NO REASON FOR THE SELECTION - HE IS A FAR MORE LIMITED KEEPER AND HIS BATTING IS NO BETTER THAN THE NOTTS MAN. FLETCHER AND GRAVENEY SIMPLY DON'T LIKE READ SO END OF STORY. WHAT A WASTE.
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The selected 15 players were very predictable although I think Loye should have been in the squad instead of Strauss and Read in for Nixon. This was never going to happen however as Fletcher is so stubborn - he is always going to pick a contracted player (Strauss) over a non-contracted player (Loye) and it is obvious he just does not like Read despite the general acceptance that he is the superior keeper. He was dropped supposedly because Fletcher did not consider he contributed enough with the bat but this does not seem to apply to Nixon - a big mouth is apparently sufficient to keep his place!!
If everyone is fit Strauss must be unlikely to make the first team (unless Fletcher is so biased
that he drops Joyce) in which case it would have been far better if he was given a complete rest and left at home to recover his form and confidence so he can once again be a major contributor to the test team.
I cannot see why so many people are complaining about Bopora's inclusion. Although
just one game at international level, when he showed some promise, his credentials at county level are excellent. Surely we can take a flier with one new promising player not that there is much chance that Fletcher will actually give him a game!
If Fletcher is to continue after the world cup irrespective of how we do he should have nothing to do with selection as is the case with the Australian Coach.
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I must say David Lupton (post #1) is sounding an awful lot like the harbinger of doom himself, Bob Willis.
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I'm staggered by Martin Gough's suggestion that "Vaughan's record of 27 wins and 18 losses is up there with the best ever". The best ever what?
27-18 may sound good (to a non-Australian), but it's a bikini statistic, concealing the fact that over 40% of the wins were against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Ignore matches against these two cricketing giants and the record is won 16, lost 17. This is up there, more or less, with Gooch and Atherton, but not with Brearley (won 14, lost 9) or numerous other non-English captains.
I hope he'll make me eat my words if he gets to play, but I don't think Vaughan should be in the squad, even if fit. Take him along to the Caribbean, by all means, but as one of the backroom staff.
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Totally agree with Trevor Bailey's point on Loye, plus someone mentioned Loye's on form - with an average of 20 in 7 innings without a half century and a strike rate of 77 for an on form international opener i beg to differ. Strauss averaged 19 in 10 innings at a strike rate of 65.6 and he's been woefully out of form but is a class international batsmen and one of the best Test openers we've had for years. Loye hasn't got the technique simple, i'd rather see us put Prior back as opener as he's a wicket-keeper and even he averaged 20, that means we could stick Bopara at 7 and Dalrymple at 8
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Unlucky Mal Loye - his agression changed Enclands attitude and worried the Aussies. We went from Chickens to Lions with one shot when he smashed Macgrath for that six.
A bad decision and a poor reward.
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I think this is a very strong England team that are capable of going all the way after there confidence booster of beating the Aussies. The only problem i find is Mahmood. yes hes quick but his accuracy is everywhere, he gets slapped at test level so he is guna get killed against the worlds best players, i say they should of picked stuart broad. he may be young but when ever he gets put to the boundary the very next ball is as close to perfect as you can get. he is a rare bowler, there has neva normally been many great bowlers come out of england but i believe that broad will be a world name in a few years, he is also valuable with the bat.
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Can we put this Lewis thing to bed right here?
ODI figures: Average, Economy, Strike Rate
Lewis: 25.70, 3.99, 38.58
Anderson: 26.51, 4.83, 32.90
Plunkett: 35.82, 5.82, 36.89
Broad: 37.00, 5.18, 42.80
Mahmood: 41.38, 6.01, 41.28
Collingwood: 36.79*, 4.99, 44.22
[*a couple of runs higher than his batting average so not quite an allrounder yet!]
'nuff said!
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All those plugging for a place for Loye in the World Cup squad - why? If you're going on form, he shouldn't go, and if you're going on proven class at international level, he shouldn't go.
The selectors have included 3 openers in the squad in Vaughan, Strauss and Joyce, which is more than enough. Ok none of the combinations provide us with a 'pinch hitting' opener, but that is not the way England should approach this world cup. If you don't have a top quality batsman to go in and smack it around in the first 15 overs then you shouldn't try to fashion one out of an average county batsman (Loye). England are, quite rightly, looking to build a solid platform and use our experienced and exciting middle order to get us to good scores later in the innings.
And glad they have kept faith with Strauss - as happened to Collingwood recently, he will find form again (he has proven one day pedigree) and I back him on the low Caribbean pitches to be one of our players of the tournament - he has never been one for bouncy pitches (Oval, any Australian wicket).
Bopara is an exciting inclusion, as though unproven, he is an electric fielder, and more than useful cover if we suffer injuries.
The rest of the squad - very happy with. They have gone for proven match winners and steady performers rather than going for players who 'might come off' - we dont need players who might come off when we have the likes of Pietersen, Flintoff, Collingwood and Panesar.
Let's just hope they retain their form!
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I think it's a sad state of affairs when someone is picked as wicketkeeper for an England team because he can shout a lot;supposedly to 'motivate' others. If any England player needs motivating then he shouldn't be representing his country! All the excessive shouting does is undermine the leadership of the captain and, as Angus Fraser and Ian Botham have said, it becomes ineffective when it's being done incessantly.
Likewise with sledging; it's often counter-productive, as Paul Collingwood has demonstrated so well recently. It just fires up the opposition.
A wicketkeeper has usually had a good match if you DON'T notice his presence. Loudness, insulting remarks and diving about unnecessarily do not equal ability and are not a substitute for it!
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Interesting to hear that Joyce or Stauss will be the back-up keepers for the World Cup . However , are England not missing a trick here ? Dare I say it , pick Joyce or Strauss as the keeper in the starting XI which could then be ;
Vaughan
Joyce
Bell
Pieterson
Collingwood
Strauss
Flintoff
Dalrymple
and then 3 from Anderson / Lewis / Plunkett / Panesar ( who I'm not convinced has it for the 1 day scene ) .
It certainly improves on paper the batting strength and the bowling doesn't suffer ( 6 bowling options and 7 if you include Pieterson .
Of course , there's not a chance in hell of this happening plus I've have Loye in ahead of Vaughan with the clear instruction to him to go for it right from the start as there's still plenty of batting to come behind him .
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all good teams have goodtail enders our tail in odi is
plunkett ave 23.45
mahmood ave 9.22
panesar ave 6.66
anderson ave 7.41
lewis ave 6.60
apart from plunkett no one else above 10 look at aus ind pak sa nz and sl
aus
lee ave 18.02
bracken ave 18.00
johnson ave 7.00
mcgrath ave 3.66
hogg ave 20.00
clark ave 19.66
white ave 17.80
enought said
ind
pathan ave 25.15 hes a allrounder i guess
kumble ave 10.53
khan ave 13.61
h.singh ave 12.72
sreesanth 1.40
agian 4 over 10
sa
pollock ave 24.94 same as pathan
hall 22.78
nel ave 8.50
ntini ave 9.87
langavelt ave 1.75
better than eng
pak
sami 11.45
ul-hasan 13.38
aktar 10.11
gul 11.33
anjum 44.50 but 13/15 inns are not out
asif 4.00
agian much better than eng
nz
vettori 14.95
mills 13.73
bond 15.23
adams 17.45
franklin 15.22
patel 5.50
the best so far now sl
vass 14.00
malinga 8.80
maharoof 19.14
fernando 9.85
bandara 11.25
murili 5.80
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is it me or do the selectors pick the squad on wether they like the players because obviously fletcher deosnt rate read i beleive he shud be int he squad and in the 11 and mal loye .. weve just beaten the aussies at home in a one days eries which no1 has done in 14 years and mal loye attacked them which i fink unsettled them how can u win a major tournament when 270 is a par score these days and expect to be able to leave the premier domestic 1 days corer out of ur squad absolute balls up if u ask me .. does any1 agree?
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I thing this is good team for world cup, but you should include the expierence batsman (Marcus thrascothic)
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The squad pretty much picks itself, obviously the wicket keeping berth is again the one which generates the most chat, being from Nottingham, I'm obviously in the Chris Read camp. Its possibly been the most difficult 4-5 months of Ready's career, the good money is on that he never thought he'd make the World Cup, and my best wishes go with Nixon. Fletchers treatment of one of the best 3 or 4 keepers in the world has been disgusting, when Ricky Ponting writes good things about a player (Read).. well that speaks for itself. In my opinion, he might as well retire from international cricket, put what must be alot of emotional heartache behind him and plunder runs and dismissals for fun for Notts this season, and when the Fletcher era ends, which will happen sooner rather than later make himself once again available for his country. Looking outside of the Read box, hopefully common sense might preveil and the best keeper at the time be selected in the summer, be it Read, Foster at Essex, Davies at Worcs or Batty at Surrey, Nixon is a short term one day fix, and hopefully Fletcher can see what every half decent amateur cricketer can see that the answer doesn't lay at Geraint Jones door. Good Luck England!!
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As an Northern Ireland supporter> believe it or not i follow England at Cricket. All the debate about the wicket keeping on this series & before has been overstated. England need to look to the future in my opinion thay should have stuck with Read for the whole series in Australia. How does the best keeper in England come back from this? Although it is no different in football England still struggling to get it right here as well.
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Has no-one else realised that Bopara is in the squad as specialist subsitute w/c?
1st Team
Vaughan
Strauss
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Dalrymple
Nixon
Plunkett
Anderson
Panesar
1) Joyce cannot be considered better than Strauss
2) Lewis is overrated
3) Mahmood is far too inconsistent
4) Bopara is subsitute fielder
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I think the squad choosen is as good as we have my big concerns are the fact that we only have 1 world class spinner in our Monty.
Seems to be a debate about leaving Mal Loye at home I have been to some of the grounds in the West Indies & agree he should go as they are in general smaller,which might suit his style.
Glad to see us beat the old enemy hope the form continues.
One concern I do have is the overall quality of players in England we need to improve and improve again to consitently challenge the best teams in the world.
My home county is Northants,we have had some very good Ausies over the last few years Mat Hayden,Mike Hussy to name a couple.
Enough random rambalings, come on England do the basics right apply yourselves and bring home the cup.
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What happened to Marcus Trescothick and is he likely to play for mEngland again?
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get rid of nixon, get read back
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world class winners or just smart players of the game? is australia really ready for the world cup or do they just think they are.
With all the injuries and recent loses I highly doubt they are, even though some people think they are or thought they were which was me. I'm very dissapointed with myself in thinking that our own country might lose and be defeated by teams such as the poms!
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I'MSURE THEY ARE ALL WORTHY CHOICES!
BUT WHO AM I?
THERE ARE CHAMPIONS WALKING THE STREETS,
WHO DON"T LIKE THE HARD YAKKA OF TRAINING
AND PHYSICAL. THEY"RE ON FIVE BOB A WEEK!
THATS THE DIFFERANCE.
BLIGH MAY BE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS, BUT
IT WAS THE EVERYDAY SAILER THAT DID THE
ROWING? HARD YAKKA WILL EVENTUALLY GET
YOU THERE>
BUT WHAT AN INSPARATIONAL LEADER HE MUST
HAVE BEEN. AND WHAT STRENGTH OF MIND.
I KNOW IT"S ONLY A GAME,BUT.......!
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If the selectors were looking for a wicket keeper who can bat why didn't they look at the top one day side in the country, Foster scored loads of runs this season for Essex but isn't even mentioned. I'm a Gloucestershire supporter but I can still can past my county bias
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If the selectors were looking for a wicket keeper who can bat why didn't they look at the top one day side in the country, Foster scored loads of runs this season for Essex but isn't even mentioned. I'm a Gloucestershire supporter but I can still can past my county bias
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If the selectors were looking for a wicket keeper who can bat why didn't they look at the top one day side in the country, Foster scored loads of runs this season for Essex but isn't even mentioned. I'm a Gloucestershire supporter but I can still can past my county bias
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After a dismal winter of cricket I visited the USA for a while and could not find any cricket results over there.
I came home and did not bother to look as I assumed we did not even make the final in Australia. We looked down and out when I went.
I have followed England since the fifties and never gave up on them through many dreadful years the seventies in particular.
Now the Aussies are losing and we are winning - Am I still in Disney World or is it true.
Please do not wake me up until the World Cup is over as I am enjoying this dream.
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I find it absolutely incredible that not one single member of the county team that won the double has been playing for England this winter. TCCB snobs only pick from Test hosting counties. Fact.
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