Pick England's Test side for the 2015 Ashes

[courtjester]

How conceivable could it be that Prior could come back as a batsman only and take over the captaincy from Cook?

 

[The_Reaper]

How conceivable could it be that Prior could come back as a batsman only and take over the captaincy from Cook?

His batting has gone to the dogs.

 

[courtjester]

His batting has gone to the dogs.

Fair enough. I really rate him as a batsman when he's going well. Seems a good leader too.

Didn't realize he was 32. Probably time is against him now.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Cook (c)
Robson (can see him lasting, obvious flaws but around for the long haul)
Bell
Ballance
Root
Stokes
Buttler (+)
Borthwick
Broad
Anderson
Finn

Nothing will change in regards to the captaincy. Think old mate Prior is shot, mentally and in both his disciplines. Like the odds of Borthwick and Finn having a strong lead up to the series in the FC arena, although not really sure where they'd play Borthwick. They'll probably stuff around with that middle order, too, just in terms of shuffling Bell, Ballance and Root around for the thousandth time.

 

[eth-dog]

Broad should be captain

 

[The_Reaper]

You don't rate Ali?

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

I'm not a huge fan. I ummed and aahed about putting Stokes at 8, dropping Borthwick and slotting Ali in at 6, but that's probably my preferred lineup.

He's put up reasonable numbers with the bat, though. If he can get a few more wickets while maintaining his current economy, I'd be all in favour of swapping him in for Borthwick.

 

[swans95]

Would have Ali over Borthwick. Borthwick's bowling has regressed over the last couple of seasons. He's really only a part timer now, and predominately bats number 3 for Durham.

My side would be:
Cook
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
Ali
Buttler
Bresnan
Jordan
Broad
Anderson
12th man: Woakes

 

[Donnie Darko]

Cook
Hales
Ballance
Bell
Root
Ali
Buttler
Broad
Mills
Anderson
Finn

 

[DrVanNostrand]

Cook
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
ten Doeschate
Buttler
Broad
Dockrell
Anderson
Magoffin

 

[The_Reaper]

Cook
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
ten Doeschate
Buttler
Broad
Dockrell
Anderson
Magoffin

Michael Hogan can't scrape a game?

 

[Kyptastic]

Think Lyth from Yorkshire is probably ahead of Hales for an opener's spot if Robson doesn't cement his place.

Reckon that the middle order is close to settled now, although I don't think Ali's batting is quite good enough for a number six.

3rd and 4th pace bowler is a chook lotto. You'd imagine Plunkett comes back in for the next test, but he's hardly rusted on to the side.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Ali looks like he could be good enough as a 6. He'll get time to find out anyway.

 

[swingdog]

Barring injuries, the team that won today. Jordan / Plunkett / Woakes interchangeable for 2 spots.

Robson likely to keep his spot for the rest of the summer and then England doesn't play another test until next May, against New Zealand.

Finn the only possible bolter, but he needs to lift on current form. Ali is the spinner - the one that bowled the tailender that went straight on was a beauty.

 

[Donnie Darko]

Barring injuries, the team that won today. Jordan / Plunkett / Woakes interchangeable for 2 spots.

Robson likely to keep his spot for the rest of the summer and then England doesn't play another test until next May, against New Zealand.

Finn the only possible bolter, but he needs to lift on current form. Ali is the spinner - the one that bowled the tailender that went straight on was a beauty.

http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/england/future-england-tours-and-tourists-to-england


schedule says there are 3 tests in West Indies prior to the NZ tests .

 

[swingdog]

Hmm, didn't come up on Cricinfo.

 

[PTizzle]

Think Lyth from Yorkshire is probably ahead of Hales for an opener's spot if Robson doesn't cement his place.

I wonder what's going on with Lyth - hasn't been selected for the Lions in the upcoming triangular series. He's a better FC player but you'd think if he was around the fringes he'd at least be in the squad. He's absolutely killed it in County this year and is only 26 so I agree he'd surely have to be next in line after Robson, but it did seem like an odd call to me not to have him in the Lions squad.

Ali definitely deserves a prolonged run after his bowling performance in the last test, batting looks up to it at test level too. Early days but definitely worth sticking with given the options.

If Borthwick were to play I think he'd have to bring his batting up to top 6 standard - bats at 3 in County and he'd be a similar style 'all-rounder' to Ali in terms of usage, just a slight bit more towards the bowling side. He has time on his side and I'd expect him to get another run down the line, but I don't think he'd be in the frame for the 2015 Ashes.

Stokes also has time on his side but seems a bit Faulkner-ish at the moment - batting not good enough for top 6, bowling not quite good enough for frontline seamer (although the latter is less true than for Faulkner given the relative quality of seam bowling in each country).

 

[Donnie Darko]

I think that Hales is a natural fit for international cricket. Put him in the test team I reckon he would for an impact like Marcus Trescothick .
Sure you get players who put up big numbers in county cricket ,but you look at them and arent sure if they are international quality.

 

[Donnie Darko]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/708695.html

Hales smokes a ton for the Lions

 

[The_Reaper]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/708695.html

Hales smokes a ton for the Lions

Hales would be a perfect cap #666

 

[Donnie Darko]

Hales would be a perfect cap #666

I hear ECB will let the player skip 666 and go to 667 if they dont want that number . haha