according to the BBC, Buttler is keeping wicket, batting at 5 with Bairstow at 7 .. surely not
Another "committee" choice where none of them agree and end with a rubbish compromise that doesn't solve anything.
It's getting beyond a joke, if it's true, but wouldn't supprise me in the slightest. Weak leadership.
I don't agree that telling the captain he has to bat in an un-preferred position, telling a player who is determined to keep wicket that he's not going to and not selecting England's World Cup winning strike bowler that he's not playing is "weak leadership". You might not agree with those decisions; but making them is far from weak.
I love the fact you can be arsed to go on a number of diffrent threads and intentionally twist peoples words in the pursuit of a few lols. Takes trolling to a whole new level and you actually must invest the best part of a working week doing so.
Root batting at 3 is the right thing, but just swapping him with Denly isn't the answer, it's a compromise.
Picking a specialist batsman at 7 behind an batting all rounder that is worth his place in the team as a bowler but is so out of form with the bat he looks like a tail ender is a compromise. Pushing Buttler up the order and giving him the gloves is a compromise.
Archer isn't fit, if he is would you leave out England's best new ball bowler in the world cup or either of England's leading 2 wicket takers?
The first 2 are weak leadership. The last one is if you think he is fit then again its weak, just say he isn't picked.
Edit: I know Ali is down to bat at 8 but my point about Bairstow is still valid.
So do you still think the selectors are showing weak leadership? Or would you agree with me that, whether the decisions are right or wrong, they're demonstrating the polar opposite of weak leadership?
Archer needs to be selected if he is fit .. the other quicks, as good as they are, will not be able to put the fear of god into the sandpaper boys .. would like to see them reduced to sawdust
I think that the selectors are not sure that Archer is 100 per cent fit - therefore the best option is let him recover for another 10 days and get him fully fired up for the next 4 games.
They know that Archer isn't 100% fit, and with Anderson not a 100% they went for Jimmy instead of the debutant. The last seamer spot had to be between the two recently injured pair.
Are you suggesting it was a straight choice between Archer and Anderson? If so... Blimey
On this occasion I don't see the joke ?
Broad and Woakes are fit, Hopefully Stokes is fit to bowl as many overs as needed. The last seamer choice was between Archer and Anderson, the injured bowlers who I said couldn't both be picked last week as One breaking down in a test is careless, two would be incompetent.
There no "joke" at all. It's just amazing that we have found ourselves in a position where we have to choose between two bowlers who would be automatic picks for any other side in the world.
I have a sneaky feeling that , despite the rumours and misinformstion, both Archer and Anderson are 100% fit. And that the reason they've gone with Anderson is that they've produced a pitch that suits him perfectly: low, slow bounce, swinging conditions, a green top, like the last Ashes match at Edgbaston. And they've done that to counter Australia's quicks.
Setting up a pitch to suit, say, Archer would work perfectly to suit Starc, Cummins, Pattinson et al. So they've gone in the more traditional, "English" route. Partly to suit Anderson, partly to dissuade the Aussies from using a fast-growing barrage and partly to avoid the types of conditions that suit players like Warner and Smith.
Archer will play in the series. And when he does, it will be set up for him.
It's all very well wearing numbers (and I am a traditionalist in this regard) but isn't the point of them lost when players choose to wear jumpers over them?
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Come on England please put my pessimism to bed and give the sandpaper cheats a bloody good hiding.
It's a glorious position to be in.
Setting up a pitch to suit, say, Archer would work perfectly to suit Starc, Cummins, Pattinson et al. So they've gone in the more traditional, "English" route. Partly to suit Anderson, partly to dissuade the Aussies from using a fast-growing barrage and partly to avoid the types of conditions that suit players like Warner and Smith.
Archer will play in the series. And when he does, it will be set up for him.
Boo the shit out of Bancroft and Smith. Completely ignore Warner. Don't give him any fuel.
Batting looks a bit weak to me with Wade at 6.
Not confirmed yet though.