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Squad for South Africa

International Tests England
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Right, this is where we'll see if we're ready for the aussie challenge next year. We need positive batsman and agressive and effective bowlers. Add to that a good keeper who can bat a bit - not a batsman who can keep (ambrose is the first of these). So who should we pick?

Strauss (form is excellent)
Cook
Vaughan (c)
Pietersen (him v Nel = amazing)
Collingwood
Shah (bets player of spin in the country)
Ambrose (done good so far behind the stumps)
Flintoff (if fit)
Sidebottom
Simon Jones (he's bowling very well for worcestershire this year)
Panesar

Other Squad members: Bell, Key, Tremlett, Anderson and Hoggard.

what do you think?

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posted Jun 4, 2008

Warne will not come back ever. He made a big statement and then having led the Rafsajhans to victory in the IPL then completely contradicted himself and said he's not interested in playing for Australia. The man's a self-publicist and dilusional - judging by Cricket Australia's exceedingly cool response to his previous statement about availability for the national team, they weren't fooled by his big statements.

Now that McGill has also gone, it will be interesting to see who fills the gaps in the Aussie team. The England team seem to be spoilt for choice at the moment: Sidebottom, Broad, Anderson, Panesar, Hoggard coming back to his former self, Jones lethal with Worcestershire and getting loads of bowling under his belt, Harmisons Steve and Ben doing damage with ball and bat up at Durham - this has to be good news for the national side and hopefully they will choose 'horses for courses' in the Ashes 2009. In 2005 the bowling line up was much thinner.........

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posted Jun 20, 2008

England are a very good average team..having gone to the sub continent and won there, I dont see England causing us many problems..Dales Steyn has picked up twice as many wickets playing away than he has playing in SA...with him, morkel and Ntini leading the line Im sure we will have to much power for the English...On the batting front, guys like Smith, Amla, Mckenzie and de villiers played really well against the spinners on their favourite tracks so I cant see Monty proving too much of a problem..if the rain stays away, I can see a clean sweep in the test series and maybe 1 or 2 victories in the one day series..

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posted Jun 27, 2008

Quite why Stuart Broad has not been mentioned in many of these line ups is beyond me!? Anderson is still the emperor's new clothes if you ask me.

Back to SA, I think their bowling is to some extent overrated. A lot will depend on Ntini.

Batsman such as Amla will struggle - unless the weather improves dramatically. McKenzie and De Villiers = distinctly average.

This will be a tight test series.

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posted Jun 27, 2008

I love the Aussie bashing on this blog. According to some of you, only an Australian team with Warne OR McGill is good enough to beat SA or England. And some of you are even suggesting that Australia have bigger gaps to fill in the bowling department than England.
How bizarre. I'll admit I doubt I will ever see someone of Warnes ability play cricket again. But to write off the Aussies, thats just madness. They have a wealth of good bowlers coming through, Haddin is a very able replacement for Gilchrist, and there is plenty of talent in the batting on the way as well. The only time Australia hasnt been competitive is when its best players were contracted to Packer. If anyone imagines Australia havent got another Ponting or McGrath coming through, they are deluding themselves. Warne or no Warne, I wouldnt be getting too cocky just yet chaps. They love being the underdog just as much as being the invincibles.

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posted Jun 27, 2008

Pietersen should do well. he is a patient batsman. Ntini will also do well. Can bowl well under any conditions-to right handers and left handers.

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posted Jun 29, 2008

If England are in the fortunate position of not being able to lose the series by the time the fourth test comes around, then I'd love to see Adil Rashid given a game. This lad has shown real promise for the last three years, at the very least he should be given a place in the squad, gaining experience of the England setup. He should figure strongly when the Australians come to our shores next year.

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posted Jun 29, 2008

Not gonna happen bobbyjaykid. That would need brains an cajones on the part of the selecters, sadly lacking in both.

It amazes me that Michael Vaughan is still in the squad, talk about mediocrity(sp?)

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posted Jun 29, 2008

As a Yorkshire fan

I do NOT understand why M.Vaughan is NOT allowed to play for us vs Essex in the FP Trophy semi-final at Chelmsford but Ravi Bopara & A.Cook are allowed to play for Essex.

Its absolute diabolical - we need our top players for Massive games like this if we are to win silverware like the FP Trophy the best of the lot especially when it is Darren Gough final year in professional cricket.

That cud be our chances gone however i believe we have good enough players that can rise to the occassion and take Yorkshire to our first Cup Final since 2002 when we last won it.

Come on Yorkshre.
Yorkshire White Rose rules.

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posted Jun 29, 2008

Apparently KP and ambrose are to be rested ????

What for ????

Apart from KP 100 in Durham they have been resting!!!

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posted Jul 1, 2008

Now is the time to pick Read to keep. I cannot believe that Ambrose has justified a rest or a place in the test team after that shambles of a one day series. If you want consistency .. well he kept dropping catches and did not score a runs. Thats consistency. I cannot see that he can be any better a wicket keeper in the Tests. The skills are the same and he has shown he is not up to it. Don t get seduced by two decent knocks in 6 tests against an average test team. Read would have got a ton against that bowling attack no question. He averages 50 and can keep. Come on Miller show what you are made of.

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