Cricket Thread

[TinFoilHat]

The England dressing room, we are assured, is not a place for ‘weak men’, yet it does seem to be rather full of men who cannot play a possible 25 days of cricket in 49 days.

It's looks like cricket is getting in the way of their beer/golf tour of Australia.

 

[ancoats]

Plenty of batters averaging high 40’s and 50’s in the championship. Hammed scored 1200+ runs at over 66 but doesn’t get a look in.
As for spin bowlers, Jack Leach was the stand out last season, took 52 wickets at 22, whilst keeping Bashir out of the team!

England central contract list is a mess

England Two-Year Central Contracts (30 September 2027)

Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Brydon Carse (Durham)
Sam Curran (Surrey)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)

England One-Year Central Contracts (30 September 2026)

Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)*
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)*
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)*
Jamie Overton (Surrey)*
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Phil Salt (Lancashire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
Luke Wood (Lancashire)*

*Denotes newly centrally contracted player for 2025–26

England Development Contracts

Josh Hull (Leicestershire)
Eddie Jack (Hampshire)
Tom Lawes (Surrey)
Mitchell Stanley (Lancashire)

How can anybody from county cricket that is playing well get picked
Also, over 10 people on that list are never picked for test cricket and are playing whiteball only ?

holy fuck it's easy street for far too many ? Why have white-ball cricketers on central contracts ? They are making £milliions playing for IPL teams all over the world

 

[Gabriel]

It's looks like cricket is getting in the way of their beer/golf tour of Australia.

It’s all part of the well-worked out plan. It’s interesting that 4.5 days of work can be written off rather breezily, but woe betide anyone who suggests putting down the clubs.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Saqib Mahmood is a crazy decision. He’s never fit and even when he is, he’s bang average at best.

 

[crystal_mais]

Plenty of batters averaging high 40’s and 50’s in the championship. Hammed scored 1200+ runs at over 66 but doesn’t get a look in.
As for spin bowlers, Jack Leach was the stand out last season, took 52 wickets at 22, whilst keeping Bashir out of the team!

As i may have mentioned before - they may not meet the required ethos - batters with intent who are not afraid to go for it - fearless cricket before steady run scoring. Bowlers who bowl quick, god knows what they want from spinners

There is an interview from Rob key where he outlines what he thinks the skills are for Test cricket

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Are they replacing Wood? Overton would be my pick, wonder boy Sonny is gash every time I've seen him

Hasn’t Overton retired from test cricket?

 

[crystal_mais]

It's looks like cricket is getting in the way of their beer/golf tour of Australia.

A few of the U19's lads play with 0 handicap

 

[johnny crossan]

Hasn’t Overton retired from test cricket?

Apparently it's Matthew Fisher?

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Apparently it's Matthew Fisher?

Probably Stokes mate from Northern Superchargers.

Makes a mockery of the central contract system.

 

[dadnlad]

is Moeen Ali on the plane yet

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

is Moeen Ali on the plane yet

With Sam Curran…

They were both playing franchise T20 in UAE yesterday.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Probably Stokes mate from Northern Superchargers.

Makes a mockery of the central contract system.

He's out there already with the Lions, I think, so available at short notice. It's not important though, as I doubt he'll be in consideration for Adelaide. He might get given a run (2nd test for him) in a meaningless test.

I have no idea who he is or who he plays for!

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

He's out there already with the Lions, I think, so available at short notice. It's not important though, as I doubt he'll be in consideration for Adelaide. He might get given a run (2nd test for him) in a meaningless test.

I have no idea who he is or who he plays for!

On a scale of 1-10, how shocked would you be if I told you it was Surrey?

 

[Gabriel]

He's out there already with the Lions, I think, so available at short notice. It's not important though, as I doubt he'll be in consideration for Adelaide. He might get given a run (2nd test for him) in a meaningless test.

I have no idea who he is or who he plays for!

Surrey. Persistent and consistent, but that last Test was in 2022.

 

[melrose40yarder]

Pope needs dropping he is absolute gash against the Aussies.
Smith has at least another 10 failures b4 he is dropped wouldnt anyway.Crawley and Pope get plenty of chances.Just drop Pope play an extra bowler If the top 6 aint getting runs thenvthe tail aint.We are at the point of now needing 20 wkts.Stack the bowling

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

As i may have mentioned before - they may not meet the required ethos - batters with intent who are not afraid to go for it - fearless cricket before steady run scoring. Bowlers who bowl quick, god knows what they want from spinners

There is an interview from Rob key where he outlines what he thinks the skills are for Test cricket

Rob Key? 15 tests, 775 runs (221 in one innings), average 31 with a strike rate of 47. His ODI figures were even better! 5 matches, 54 runs, average of 10.8 strike rate of 40.
He actually said, when offered the job, that he’d need to see how much it would interfere with his golf…

 

[ancoats]

I would love to see 3 england legends vs 3 Aussie legends, pick a team out of the current squads for a one-off test

 

[geoff hammond]

Was looking forward to this series but I’m afraid it’s going the way I feared.
I usually treat myself to an all night watch at some stage of the down under tour but so far I have not even watched a single ball live

 

[crystal_mais]

Rob Key? 15 tests, 775 runs (221 in one innings), average 31 with a strike rate of 47. His ODI figures were even better! 5 matches, 54 runs, average of 10.8 strike rate of 40.
He actually said, when offered the job, that he’d need to see how much it would interfere with his golf…

Rob Key should be 1st one they look at from his role, he has basically said they are not looking at County players when selecting England players. Its interesting as I have 1st hand experience of the pathway and how they are selecting the future England stars.

Problem is U19's just got hammered in West Indies, Lions are currently getting hammered in Oz.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Rob Key should be 1st one they look at from his role, he has basically said they are not looking at County players when selecting England players. Its interesting as I have 1st hand experience of the pathway and how they are selecting the future England stars.

Problem is U19's just got hammered in West Indies, Lions are currently getting hammered in Oz.

I personally think Key has got more right than wrong and shouldn’t automatically be sacked as soon as Australia retain the Ashes. The same can be said of McCullum.