The squad to retain the Ashes has been announced.
Andrew Strauss (capt, Middlesex)
Alastair Cook (vice-capt) (Essex)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Paul Collingwood (Durham)
Steven Davies (wkt) (Surrey)
Steven Finn (Middlesex)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)
Monty Panesar (Sussex)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Matt Prior (wkt) Sussex)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Tremlett (Surrey)
Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)
Thoughts? Predictions?
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Comments
Do we? Half the team is South African!
No chance Morgan missing out imo he is a must!
England to lose 3-1
Perhaps I should rephrase! We have a very strong generation of cricketers eligible to play for England at the moment. Strauss and Pietersen are virtually English anyway, especially Strauss.
I think Treadwell should have made it in there instead of Panesar.
I know, it was tongue in cheek anyway.
But i think the Aussies will win 2 or 3-1. Our ability to collapse will be our downfall.
Still unsure of Morgan at test level, I know he is a world class one day player. In 8 test innings he has scored 256 runs, 130 of them coming in one innings against Bangladesh.
I'm with Chizz on this. I think the series will be decided by the bowlers and even in aussie conditions, I think we have a better attack. The Aussie bowling attack is average, certainly not what it was with Warne, McGrath and Lee.
I fancy England to win 3-1.
The batting pretty much picks itself, once you decide that Strauss and Cook open. The middle order batsmen will be chosen from the four which beat Pakistan, plus Bell.
Prior will keep, unless they prefer a left-handed batter to keep wicket.
Finn, Broad and Anderson are all tall enough bowlers to hit the deck, with Tremlett offering cover for any of them. I think Bresnan will be doing lots of bowling in the warm ups and the nets, but not much else (which is a pity, as he could make a good bowling all-rounder).
Swann's the best spinner in the world, so will obviously be picked. The only issue I have is with Panesar. I would have gone with Tredwell as the second spinner in the squad. The reason being that the squad needs a spinner who can bat a bit as a potential replacement for Swann if he breaks down. But if we go with two spinners (probably only in Sydney), we can call up Panesar from the development squad (also touring in Australia), in the knowledge that he'd have had a lot of overs in proper matches, instead of spending days tossing up half-volleys in the nets for Pieterson and others.
The crucial thing for England will be in getting enough runs on the board to put Australia under pressure, they really need Strauss, Trott and Pietersen (the three best batsmen) to have massive series' and to each get 450+ runs over the five games.
Anderson will have no effect on the series at all, the Kookaburra does not swing and he will be fodder in Australian conditions, just like he was last time over here.
Tremlett, Finn and Broad could be a useful seam attack with Swann providing the spinning option - but I still feel we are a bowler short so I would like to see us play Bresnan as well and push Prior to 6 and Broad at 7.
My XI would be
Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior
Broad
Bresnan
Swann
Tremlett
Finn
I'd have selected Shahzad for Bresnan on the grounds that he provides cover for Anderson, Tremlett is similar to Broad and Finn. not just in height but in terms of style. If Anderson gets injured we need a swing bowler and currently he's replacement will mean that England will go into a Test with Broad, Finn and Tremlett as their three seam bowlers.
And Bell is a better Test batsman at the moment than Morgan.
Team for Brisbane: Strauss, Cook, Trott, KP, Colly, Bell, Prior, Swann, Broad, Finn, Anderson.
All being well the team for Brisbane
I agree with BFR, Monty can turn the ball in the opposite direction and has done it in test cricket but I doubt he will play and I don't think we will play two spinners even in Syndney to be honest. So I would rather we put Tredwell in the squad as back up to Swann (if he gets hurt we will be truly f#cked)
Ian Bell is before Morgan for me, and Anderson should start and have faith put in him. He has the correct attitude to tour Australia and not give up no matter how little swing a branded ball gives
In non-helpful conditions or when the Kookaburra is around 30 overs old (whichever comes sooner) you can expect him to keep it tight, which hasn't always been the case in the past. The key to England winning the Ashes will be Anderson/Broad getting a wicket or two with the new ball and Swann continuing his great form of the last few years. Swann bowls a very Australian line - outside off and sharply spinning it in, and that is the right tactic on those wickets. Another reason to take Pansar is that the only weakness that Swann has as a bowler is that he can't bowl the doosra. England also have to protect Finn. As a novice fast bowler you can expect the Aussies to go after him, especially in the warm-up matches. He needs to be used in short spells and to bowl an on or just outside off stump line while pitching the ball up a tad further than in English conditions and he needs to have a third man. If Strauss captains him well he could surprise the Aussies.
I have a feeling our bowling attack is balanced very well with a decent batting spine more so than it has been for a long time
(After 100 overs, it's 346-2).
On this I'd say the way to beat Australia is not through brilliant cricket (though that will help) but through relentless pressure, the Ashes could well be won by the team that wants it the most and is prepared to put the graft in when it's needed, good old fashioned Test cricket in other words.
I am, however, there for a four day game against Victoria, so at least I'll get to see that
Australia to Win 50%
Series Draw 30%