BBC Blog Network

User Profile

SwingingBall

Listed below are comments made by SwingingBall between Sunday, 29th June 2008 and Saturday, 19th July 2008.

«Newer
Older»

South Africa hold whip hand 7:41pm on 19 Jul 2008 England were correct to enter with 5 specialist batsmen, 1 wicket keeper and 5 specialist bowlers. In international cricket Bowlers and Wicket Keepers are expected to support the top 5 in getting a big score and then bowling well as a unit to take 20 wickets.

This is not rocket science.

England were asked to bat and made a poor 1st innings total, partially due to the conditions but mainly due to the batting unit 1-5 failing once again.

England were correct to drop Colly - if you are not scoring runs you don't deserve your place.

Vaughan is the next man under focus - Mr Vaughan if you are hanging on so you can reclaim the Ashes next year as Captain you had better buck your ideas up and get some runs. Come down off the mountain and play some county cricket and get some confidence and runs under your belt.

On a wider note that is what English cricketeers should be doing when there are gaps in the itinerary (and I appreciate there was not one here between the 1st and 2nd test) - getting overs in and scoring runs. Being a centrally contracted player should allow some of that - England for several years have not kept "practising" enough between tests and the demise of Harmison, the variability of Anderson are two perfect examples.

Regarding the bowling, once again selection wide of the mark. I admire consistency when you pick a consistently good side.

Pattinson or Skippy as he appears to be known was a one-test selection that should not be repeated.

4 Quicks and a spinner. Panesar is the correct choice and will be for years to come it must be galling for the King of Spain to ratify his selection every week - Ashley you couldn't turn a ball like Monty, period - he needs to learn other arts and he will do that by playing counting cricket - change of pace, other wonder deliveries etc.

4 Quicks. Flintoff is class and always will be - why was he not in the 1st test?

That leaves 3 - Sidebottom was not one and is being exposed as a trundler who can swing the ball - when I saw him at Trent Bridge he loved his image, moaned at everyone on the pitch, and was so busy on focusing on himself, forgot to field. Ryan, go away and become at least 5mph quicker.

Broad is a trier and his runs are priceless. England must keep patience with this lad - his father was made of granite and so is he.

Simon Jones should have been picked for this test and perhaps someone with Yorkshire experience. Hoggard or Bresnan or both would have been fine.

So my 4 quicks would be Flintoff, Hoggard, Broad and Anderson.

With Mr Harmison and Tremlett in the wings....

Who would be a selector eh?
Twenty20 franchises hold little appeal 8:52pm on 11 Jul 2008 I for one will not be paying to watch a SL 2nd XI play England and be asked to pay an ever increasing full price ticket, to subsidise contracted players who are in all probability demanding a greater pay for themselves or, "they will go and play IPL etc"...

So if the SL cricket board have offered to fulfil the vacancy created by Zimbabwe they should be made to send their best team. If their players have made commitments they should be compensated from the fee that presumably the SL cricket board have received to complete those fixtures. If they have made a bad business decision neither the SL players or the English public should be short-changed.

Re the franchise 20/20 quite frankly who cares? The ECB are responding to world wide pressure for apparent demand. Not all the counties are selling out their 20/20 fixtures. Why would you travel to watch a 20/20 game unless you are close to the ground?

Before cricket destroys itself and becomes a year long "slap and tickle" game confine 20/20 domestically and internationally to a very specific part of the calendar year and do not deviate from that plan. Otherwise the popularity of cricket will be segmented and dissipated as customers get bored of this type of game.

Regarding Test Cricket English Cricketeers should be paid on results and it should not be a closed shop. Their wages should not be inflated because of external events. If they want to leave the test arena to play IPL let them go but do not welcome them back so readily.

Regarding current selection Mr Vaughan is lucky that Mr Collingwood did not score runs (and he appeared to have a rough decision today to boot) otherwise he should have been making way when Flintoff returns (and Mr Bell is probably only around this far because Mr Giles is involved in the selection process) Michael stop hanging on so you can play the Ashes - if there are others at your level who are in form and playing better than you, it would be wise to exit gracefully. Atherton and Hussain had the right idea. Mr Alec Stewart did not.

20/20 and domestic cricket generally has identified at least half a dozen batsmen who should be given a chance ahead of one of Vaughan, Bell and Colly in the test arena. Once progress into the Test arena is restricted the British public will soon lose interest should England have a poor run of games.

Michael is a fine captain but only Brearley has managed to stay in the test arena and have a moderate test career relative to his colleagues. That does therefore not make you fireproof.
England one-day ratings 10:32am on 29 Jun 2008 Why would you pay upwards of £40 to watch England play ODI cricket.

Forget Stanfords millions.

Pietersen played well in one game - and Shad had a reasonable run, but otherwise the batting as a unit comprehensively failed.

What does the batting coach teach these guys at International level? Too much thinking and planning, not enough instinctively hitting the ball. It's a simple game don't make it too complicated.... I recognise there is an improvement in standards but the likes of Bopara and Wright appear to be over-coached - just let them play....

England have had relatively easy cricket for 6 months playing a NZ team who would struggle to beat some of our county sides - Bracewell has driven the best NZ players out of the game and is now wanted by Gloucs!!!!

SA will be a much sterner test. Mr Moores has coached a team that beat a poor WI side and a NZ side with about 4 good players in it. Failed to beat India and SL when it really mattered.

England has at least 20 good international standard players in the county game - yet the likes of Bell, to name one, have consistently failed against high quality bowling attacks.

Make some bold decisions and pick players in form who deserve a run at this level - both in batting and bowling departments.

Otherwise the game in years to come will be watched by an increasingly older and disillusionsed population.

PS - Mr Stewart kept wicket for far too long and Micky's selection prevented Jack from keeping wicket in his pomp. As a batsmen-wicketkeeper your average was not justification for keeping one of the best keepers out of the side.

That closed shop appears to continue today with the likes of Bell....

«Newer
Older»

^ Back to top

BBC MMVI

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

BBC.co.uk

BBC Blog Network

Find and talk to the BBC's bloggers.

User Profile

SwingingBall