Who Plays in The Ashes

Donnie Darko

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It is a weak side, they have just one series win outside england in the last 4 years and they lost at home to SL they also lost a test to the windies at home couldn't beat the windies away and couldn't beat pakistan and nz at home, us being shithouse doesn't make england a good side.

The question is when was the ashes last contested by two teams this ordinary?

Citing the Sri Lanka loss ,when it happened even before the previous ashes series.
good one !!!

if we're weak , there , must be no strong sides in cricket.
 
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Citing the Sri Lanka loss ,when it happened even before the previous ashes series.
good one !!!

if we're weak , there , must be no strong sides in cricket.

You really think you're a strong side right now?

Our team rightly cops grief for struggling to adapt and mostly boosting the win column at home but your side has been poor away from home the last 4 years as well but at least we easily put away teams like nz pakistan sl ect in our conditions but you guys fail to win a fair few series where you are clear fav's going in.

p.s. i should add that yes there really aren't many strong sides in test cricket right now, the fact that pakistan and australia have both reached number 1 in the last 18-24 months should tell you all you need to know about how good most test teams are.
 
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Jak!x

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I think Alex Carey will be a bolter and make the side, if not at the start of the series then definitely at some point throughout the series. He may not be ready yet but there's no point going backwards to Neville, Whiteman is injured and Paine, Pierson, Inglis and Harper aren't Test standard.
I'd like to see Pattinson over Cummings for the third pacer spot, I just feel like Cummins and Starc can't play together just yet, and Pattinson has the form and is the better longer form bowler at this stage in their careers.
I don't see the batting order changing too much, it's reasonably solid for Australian conditions. I'd like to see Travis Head and Kurtis Patterson around the squad as the next in line to come in. I'm not sure if Cartwright or Maxwell are up to it just yet, but Maxwell starts through pure virtue of batting okay in Bangladesh
My side for the first test would be -
Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith*
Handscomb
Maxwell
Carey+
Starc
Pattinson
Lyon
Hazlewood
 

Daniel McL

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1 - Warner
2 - Renshaw
3 - Khawaja
4 - Smith
5 - Handscomb
6 - Maxwell
7 - Nevill/Carey
8 - Starc
9 - Cummins
10 - Lyon
11 - Hazlewood
12th Man - Pattinson

Considering we know Smith doesn't really care for bowling M. Marsh/Cartwright much, I can see them just sticking with Maxwell at No.6, while I do rate Cartwright too (at least in AUS), I prefer Maxwell's fielding and considering they'll be in the side mostly for their batting think they'll just stick with Maxwell.

Don't think they'd pick any bolters at No.6 like a Ashton Turner, Kurtis Patterson. So it's either Maxwell/Cartwright.
 

to1994

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The Australian team isn't all that great but I do think we're better then England right now. Cook is past his best (though his spot will never be in jeopardy given a suitable partner hasn't been found in years), Root is struggling to convert his 50s (still world class but puts him below Smith/Williamson) and the rest of the batting order is a mess aside from Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen who're left to do most of the work for the top 5. Their bowling attack is also reasonably weak away from home, Broad still has a lot to offer but has been out of form this summer for them. Anderson does well as always in England but I don't think anyone expects him to have a good series here, Moeen is nowhere near the level of Swann who had nothing to offer last time and the third seamer spot is anyone's guess given the injury concerns.

I think England should give Ballance one more shot here as he's the only option who's actually looked international class at some stage. Westley and friends look like the product of a domestic system that's too large with a lower skill level then in previous years so I'd be sticking with guys like him and Hameed (though obviously his finger injury means he'll likely not play).
 
I think Alex Carey will be a bolter and make the side, if not at the start of the series then definitely at some point throughout the series. He may not be ready yet but there's no point going backwards to Neville, Whiteman is injured and Paine, Pierson, Inglis and Harper aren't Test standard.
I'd like to see Pattinson over Cummings for the third pacer spot, I just feel like Cummins and Starc can't play together just yet, and Pattinson has the form and is the better longer form bowler at this stage in their careers.
I don't see the batting order changing too much, it's reasonably solid for Australian conditions. I'd like to see Travis Head and Kurtis Patterson around the squad as the next in line to come in. I'm not sure if Cartwright or Maxwell are up to it just yet, but Maxwell starts through pure virtue of batting okay in Bangladesh
My side for the first test would be -
Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith*
Handscomb
Maxwell
Carey+
Starc
Pattinson
Lyon
Hazlewood

I would be surprised if Nevill doesn't get another go at home as a Wade replacement.
 
I think Alex Carey will be a bolter and make the side, if not at the start of the series then definitely at some point throughout the series. He may not be ready yet but there's no point going backwards to Neville, Whiteman is injured and Paine, Pierson, Inglis and Harper aren't Test standard.
I'd like to see Pattinson over Cummings for the third pacer spot, I just feel like Cummins and Starc can't play together just yet, and Pattinson has the form and is the better longer form bowler at this stage in their careers.
I don't see the batting order changing too much, it's reasonably solid for Australian conditions. I'd like to see Travis Head and Kurtis Patterson around the squad as the next in line to come in. I'm not sure if Cartwright or Maxwell are up to it just yet, but Maxwell starts through pure virtue of batting okay in Bangladesh
My side for the first test would be -
Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith*
Handscomb
Maxwell
Carey+
Starc
Pattinson
Lyon
Hazlewood
Harper is 50/50 on being 1st XI for Victoria, Gotch was very impressive in his last 3-4 games in the shield
 
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Broad is past it. Although with TRJ out he probably gets a reprieve.
He's past it? That was quick. Coming off 3 of the best years of his career and has to play second fiddle to Anderson last series. Looked good against South Africa for half of it in a topsy turvy series. Underrated bowler, better than Cummins.
 

The selectors have been instructed to pick the team on form and fitness as normal.
Stokes will be going on tour.
He might have court dates in England, and what if he's found guilty and serves time? It's no guarantee yet
 
no charges have been pressed..
nobody knows what he is supposed to have done .
I haven't kept abreast of what's happened, just know that he was arrested for assault, which I assumed he was charged with as well.
 
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The Australian team isn't all that great but I do think we're better then England right now. Cook is past his best (though his spot will never be in jeopardy given a suitable partner hasn't been found in years), Root is struggling to convert his 50s (still world class but puts him below Smith/Williamson) and the rest of the batting order is a mess aside from Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen who're left to do most of the work for the top 5. Their bowling attack is also reasonably weak away from home, Broad still has a lot to offer but has been out of form this summer for them. Anderson does well as always in England but I don't think anyone expects him to have a good series here, Moeen is nowhere near the level of Swann who had nothing to offer last time and the third seamer spot is anyone's guess given the injury concerns.

I think England should give Ballance one more shot here as he's the only option who's actually looked international class at some stage. Westley and friends look like the product of a domestic system that's too large with a lower skill level then in previous years so I'd be sticking with guys like him and Hameed (though obviously his finger injury means he'll likely not play).

Cook has averaged 53, 44 and 43 the last 3 calendar years. He’s the least of their worries.
 

to1994

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Cook has averaged 53, 44 and 43 the last 3 calendar years. He’s the least of their worries.

I don't think he's one of their biggest worries but I don't consider him a class batsman anymore. If you look at more then just the overall numbers the yearly averages have mostly been improved by a once in a blue moon knock such as his double against the Windies playing some of their worst cricket and that other double against Pakistan a year or two before it. Like Root he's struggled to convert 50s as well.
 
English squad in:

Batsmen: Joe Root, Gary Ballance, Alastair Cook, Dawid Malan, Mark Stoneman, James Vince
All-Rounders: Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes
Keepers: Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes
Bowlers: James Anderson, Jake Ball, Stuart Broad, Mason Crane, Craig Overton, Chris Woakes

So as far as a side looks like:

Stoneman
Cook
Vince/Ballance
Root
Vince/Malan
Stokes
Bairstow (+)
Ali
Woakes/Overton/Ball
Broad
Anderson

For me their side should be (given the squad):

Stoneman
Cook
Ballance
Root
Bairstow (+)
Stokes
Ali
Overton
Woakes
Crane
Anderson
 

Jascave

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Have the English selection panel made a total blunder by picking three players who are now past their best, that is Cook, Anderson and Broad?


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Have the English selection panel made a total blunder by picking three players who are now past their best, that is Cook, Anderson and Broad?


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Cook is their best opening bat. Anderson has taken 39 wickets @ 14 this year and has taken 80 wickets since the start of 2016 at an average of 19. He's in the best form of his life in actual fact.
 

to1994

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Selecting both Vince and Ballance really show's they're struggling for options. Their bowling line-up also looks thin with Wood, TRJ (injury) and Finn all missing for Ball and a couple of debutantes who're likely not ready. I think we've gotten lucky here as I don't see how we can lose despite our team having several holes in it.
 

Donnie Darko

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English squad in:

Batsmen: Joe Root, Gary Ballance, Alastair Cook, Dawid Malan, Mark Stoneman, James Vince
All-Rounders: Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes
Keepers: Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes
Bowlers: James Anderson, Jake Ball, Stuart Broad, Mason Crane, Craig Overton, Chris Woakes

Horrible selection from the panel...
Leaves us with no options. They filled in the squad slots with scrubs like Vince , Ballance , Overton ,etc....


Vince gets on tour after averaging just 34 in county cricket .
 
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Jascave

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And still no room for Kevin Pietersen in the England squad.If Stokes is pulled out of the team during the course of the series (ie 3rd Test Perth) to answer police charges back in the UK, would the England selectors swallow their pride and recall KP back into the English lineup?


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