******Cricket Thread******

[ancoats]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

now for the rest please

lets build for the next ashes and bring in the some young players and a new captain in the summer the only 3 that could stay from this mess of a team would be broad cook root

I would take the captain job of cook aswell and let him bat without fear and thinking about other players. the bowling setup would be the main change and I can see 4 new faces coming in only broad could stay if he can get fit and stay injury free

lets look forward and not back

 

[jay_mcfc]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

Just seems like he's had enough and from reading a few things I think people were preparing for his retirement after the series anyway. Probably the reason Kerrigan played last summer. The fact Swann has quit all cricket says his body has had enough and mentally he can no longer be arsed.

Had a great career, will really be missed but as I've been saying this is the end of an era for this great England team and it's time to move on. Finding a new spinner as good as him will be a lot more difficult than finding a batsman though.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

now for the rest please

lets build for the next ashes and bring in the some young players and a new captain in the summer the only 3 that could stay from this mess of a team would be broad cook root

I would take the captain job of cook aswell and let him bat without fear and thinking about other players. the bowling setup would be the main change and I can see 4 new faces coming in only broad could stay if he can get fit and stay injury free

lets look forward and not back

don't know who you can make captain, either Cook snaps out of this or gives it back. You don't really want to burden your top players with the responsibility as it's affected Cook and you don't want to risk it affecting Bell. Root isn't established enough, Jimmy is past his best and so it would seem Broad but his attitude isn't great, who does that leave, give it back to KP? He's the only one with an ego and mentality big enough not to let it bother him and it takes the pressure off the rest of the team. I don't know, it will probably stay with Cook but other than that it will likely be Broad but I'm not a fan of that idea.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

Pietersen reinstated as captain?

You must surely be a Surrey fan to even suggest such an absurdity.

He's averaging a meagre 33 for the calendar year.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

Pietersen reinstated as captain?

You must surely be a Surrey fan to even suggest such an absurdity.

He's averaging a meagre 33 for the calendar year.

I was running through our senior players to see a solution to the issue of Cook's form.

At the end of the day I think KP is the only player with the temperament to not be burdened by the captaincy and allow the other senior players to bat with the pressure off, as Cook has shown he plays better without that pressure on. If he can fix it great, if not the captaincy will likely go to Broad, who like Swann I don't think is about the team, I'm not saying KP always is but with his age he'd be transitional and in a couple of years someone like Root or a more mature Broad can take over.

At the end of the day I want England to win and maybe Cook's the answer, maybe it's Broad, it's needs seriously looking at and it's not a case of someone putting their hand up, it's genuinely whether they can shoulder that stress over several years, if you think our last few captains have all played poorer as captain than not, maybe we should move away from our best players being captain, or at least to the one who just does his thing with his game regardless of what the situation dictates.

 

[waspish]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

I think now we are going to go through a transition period the negativity of Cooks captaincy is what we need ;)

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

I think now we are going to go through a transition period the negativity of Cooks captaincy is what we need ;)

Clarke's put Cook to shame this series, even McCullum displayed better captaincy skills.

It's like we still did well as City with Tevez as captain because our team and players were better than the opposition, but eventually better organised and run teams will get the edge, with Vinnie we're a different animal. Clarke has got far more out of his team than Cook has and that's down a positive mindset, no complacency and a desire to restore some pride, that's reflected in the bowling changes, the field placements, the line-ups chosen, Cook just hasn't got that spark for me.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

As long as Flower is coach - who I won't deny has done a brilliant job - England will always be deemed as a cautious cricketing side no matter who is captain. It's difficult to forget the infamous 1-0 defeat to the West Indies, where we drew test matches we should've won due to unbelievably negative declarations.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

As long as Flower is coach - who I won't deny has done a brilliant job - England will always be deemed as a cautious cricketing side. I still don't forget the infamous 1-0 defeat to the West Indies, where we drew test matches we should've won due to unbelievably negative declarations.

Flower's already scaled back once, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go, I'm just worried as I'm not convinced over Giles and feel we would just become Warwickshire XI.

 

[Smith_]

Re: ********The Winter Ashes********

Pietersen reinstated as captain?

You must surely be a Surrey fan to even suggest such an absurdity.

He's averaging a meagre 33 for the calendar year.

I was running through our senior players to see a solution to the issue of Cook's form.

At the end of the day I think KP is the only player with the temperament to not be burdened by the captaincy and allow the other senior players to bat with the pressure off, as Cook has shown he plays better without that pressure on. If he can fix it great, if not the captaincy will likely go to Broad, who like Swann I don't think is about the team, I'm not saying KP always is but with his age he'd be transitional and in a couple of years someone like Root or a more mature Broad can take over.

At the end of the day I want England to win and maybe Cook's the answer, maybe it's Broad, it's needs seriously looking at and it's not a case of someone putting their hand up, it's genuinely whether they can shoulder that stress over several years, if you think our last few captains have all played poorer as captain than not, maybe we should move away from our best players being captain, or at least to the one who just does his thing with his game regardless of what the situation dictates.

Yes becauase last time KP was captain ended so well. Cook hasn't done a bad job (won in India, ICC final, Ashes win) one horrific series shouldn't affect his position. To make KP captain would be suicide, not particularly respected within the dressing room, bats irresponsibly (5 leg side dismissals this series suggests this) and will only be around for 2 years at most before he chases T20 money which is fair enough. Cook is the best man for the job and IF he doesn't want it, then Bell is the only real option.