supercity88
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 9 Aug 2009
- Messages
- 15,803
All that time and effort money in central contracts building him up for the ashes 2025 and then doesn't play in any of the meaningful tests, England are going to lose the ashes 3.0 then play him in 2 dead rubbers.
Look, what is the point in moaning and calling for change when somebody has had that chance of 3 years in the england camp being touted as the best spinner in england only to not get the chance.
One Change and it's for somebody that is like for like and not a system change or an idea of playing spin
I said the other day, TALK IS CHEAP (Ben Stokes)
The prep for this series has been abysmal. It looks like they've premeditated what it takes to win in Australia and ignored all the evidence in front of them.
The Lions went to Australia at the start of this year. Tongue, Bashir and Sam Cook were part of the bowling attack.
In the two games Tongue played he took 0-139.
In the three games Bashir played he took 4-274.
In the three games Cook played he took 13-186.
He had one test against Zimbabwe and bowled okay without taking the wickets. But it was his first test and despite being the best English bowler in County Cricket for a number of years they decided that was it for him.
The video of Key talking about bowling at 70mph never winning an ashes series in Oz, whilst Neser and Boland were shown clearing us up...well there you go. The stat at the Gabba showing balls at the stumps from England had taken 3-33 yet only 7% of balls had targeted them summarises our approach and preparation.
We've just decided we're going to go and be aggressive rather than go and bowl well. Sam Cook might not have been the saviour, but with that record you'd surely say he passed his audition in Australia and was worthy of consideration. Based on Bashir's I'd have abandoned that plan and thought about going back to Leach and seeing if you could get him bowling more maidens and developing control. Let Bashir go play more County Cricket and come back in a year or two.