Shows the shite state that cricket is in that Surrey with 2 of the best young spinners in the country (Virdi and Moriarty) name neither of them in the squad for the championship opener despite both of them being fit and available. Instead opting for 4 seamers plus the allround seam of Ryan Patel and the part time spin of Will Jacks. I know its April but its bad for cricket. how the hell are we expecting to produce top level spinners if the conditions give you a disadvantage if you actually play one let alone 2.
Kent have five pro spinners on their books now - Linde, Logan, Qadri, O'Riordan and Qais Ahmad plus part timers such as Denly, Leaning, Blake and Muyeye. South African Linde will be a fixture in the side from next week in the CC which means that the English spinners Qadri, Logan and O'Riordan are now competing for spots not just in the 1st team but in the 2nd XI too.
Although it hasn't been officially announced, I also understand that because of this abundance of spinners, an Academy player has been loaned out to Derbyshire just so he can get regular 2s games - although as he is at Loughborough so there is a geographical benefit to that too. Riley was at Loughborough and I don't think he was ever loaned out.
Shows the shite state that cricket is in that Surrey with 2 of the best young spinners in the country (Virdi and Moriarty) name neither of them in the squad for the championship opener despite both of them being fit and available. Instead opting for 4 seamers plus the allround seam of Ryan Patel and the part time spin of Will Jacks. I know its April but its bad for cricket. how the hell are we expecting to produce top level spinners if the conditions give you a disadvantage if you actually play one let alone 2.
Kent have five pro spinners on their books now - Linde, Logan, Qadri, O'Riordan and Qais Ahmad plus part timers such as Denly, Leaning, Blake and Muyeye. South African Linde will be a fixture in the side from next week in the CC which means that the English spinners Qadri, Logan and O'Riordan are now competing for spots not just in the 1st team but in the 2nd XI too.
Although it hasn't been officially announced, I also understand that because of this abundance of spinners, an Academy player has been loaned out to Derbyshire just so he can get regular 2s games - although as he is at Loughborough so there is a geographical benefit to that too. Riley was at Loughborough and I don't think he was ever loaned out.
Thinking about it, Ollie Robinson bowls leggies so added to the other nine and with Billings keeping, Kent could put out a team of spinners!
Shows the shite state that cricket is in that Surrey with 2 of the best young spinners in the country (Virdi and Moriarty) name neither of them in the squad for the championship opener despite both of them being fit and available. Instead opting for 4 seamers plus the allround seam of Ryan Patel and the part time spin of Will Jacks. I know its April but its bad for cricket. how the hell are we expecting to produce top level spinners if the conditions give you a disadvantage if you actually play one let alone 2.
Its totally ridiculous isn't it ...this is no time to play cricket..nobody gets anything from it all ( apart from broken fingers) ...and I beg the question are there any spectators?
Difficult in this country to know when we get good weather though. Nice this weekend and biggish crowd at Canterbury yesterday.
I think it's the right time for Joe to step down, I think we can have a few more years of he's excellent batting, as to who takes over, if Stokes wants the job, I would give him a chance, while looking for a long term replacement
Nothing is really going to change whoever is the captain. We will have to go through pain for another year or even longer simply because we do not have the batsmen capable of putting big scores together other than on the cricketing equivalent of a road.
The ECB have to take full responsibility for this as their eye has been solely on white ball. It appears that they've started to re-balance the situation with what appears to have been a directive to counties to produce decks that re-dress the balance between bat and ball.
I really don't see how Billings can be skipper for several reasons. One he is playing in the IPL potentially to the end of May so how can you give someone the Test job when he isn't even playing 4 day cricket - he's played 10 First Class games in the last three and a bit years during which time he's made more than 70 white ball appearances. And the other is that Foakes is in superb form with the bat for Surrey and deserves to keep his place as keeper for the next couple of series.
Stokes is injured and there is that constant doubt that he might not be fit. Really can't see how you can give it to Broad because he isn't even certain of his place - not saying his career is at an end but is he capable of of playing a full series?
At last !! Great batsman but rubbish captain. Haven't won a Test match in 11 attempts & currently bottom of the Test "table". A bit like trying to.choose our next manager - no idea who should be the next one but can't be any worse than the last one.
Or there is a promising young talent that has been making runs in the county game for Essex… he has some captaincy experience as well… (not a serious suggestion but I didn’t dream we would miss him as badly as we have)
Worst possible time for Root to stand down in my opinion. I would have liked him to retain the captaincy until there was an obvious replacement. I realise that may take a while.
Worst possible time for Root to stand down in my opinion. I would have liked him to retain the captaincy until there was an obvious replacement. I realise that may take a while.
Exactly. Root might not be a great captain, the ecb is a shambles and there isn't an obvious replacement, with a guy who has played 1 test match being mentioned as a possible replacement.
Does the captain have to be a good player though ?? Brearley wasn't that special & Botham says he was the best captain he served under.
I agree, are there any Brearley figures out there in county cricket who are average but are great captains, as for Joe Root I’m glad he can concentrate on batting as to me he was a weak captain who was easily lead.
Does the captain have to be a good player though ?? Brearley wasn't that special & Botham says he was the best captain he served under.
The obvious figure here is Eoin Morgan. Not the best red ball player but a brilliant captain’s mind. He would take a lot of convincing (and money) though.
Does the captain have to be a good player though ?? Brearley wasn't that special & Botham says he was the best captain he served under.
There is a massive difference between the current side and the one Brearley captained - who, of our current batsmen, are our Boycott, our Gooch, our Gatting, our Gower, our Tavare or our Botham?
There are a number of England fringe players/rejects captaining in County Cricket, such as Rory Burns, James Vince and Tom Westley. If one of those had established themselves as an automatic pick, they might have had the job
Or even someone like Pope if he had established himself as a fixture in the side might have got the job. After all, most England captains these days have no county captaining experience.
Could Jonny Bairstow do it? Seems reasonably established in the side again, and doesn't have the injury issues of Stokes
There are a number of England fringe players/rejects captaining in County Cricket, such as Rory Burns, James Vince and Tom Westley. If one of those had established themselves as an automatic pick, they might have had the job
Or even someone like Pope if he had established himself as a fixture in the side might have got the job. After all, most England captains these days have no county captaining experience.
Could Jonny Bairstow do it? Seems reasonably established in the side again, and doesn't have the injury issues of Stokes
Not Johnny I appeal for anything Bairstow, we would lose our 3 reviews after the 1st over.
There are a number of England fringe players/rejects captaining in County Cricket, such as Rory Burns, James Vince and Tom Westley. If one of those had established themselves as an automatic pick, they might have had the job
Or even someone like Pope if he had established himself as a fixture in the side might have got the job. After all, most England captains these days have no county captaining experience.
Could Jonny Bairstow do it? Seems reasonably established in the side again, and doesn't have the injury issues of Stokes
Not that I want Bairstow - unless it is Stokes, he is the only half established player, I have a feeling it might be him.. Or Burns, which I would hate.
Comments
Although it hasn't been officially announced, I also understand that because of this abundance of spinners, an Academy player has been loaned out to Derbyshire just so he can get regular 2s games - although as he is at Loughborough so there is a geographical benefit to that too. Riley was at Loughborough and I don't think he was ever loaned out.
I don't think Stokes will do it, so I have no idea who might take over
There's no obvious candidate is there?
Stokes feels like a Botham/Flintoff mistake waiting to happen.
Has started missing games with injuries, had a period out with mental health concerns etc....
The ECB have to take full responsibility for this as their eye has been solely on white ball. It appears that they've started to re-balance the situation with what appears to have been a directive to counties to produce decks that re-dress the balance between bat and ball.
I really don't see how Billings can be skipper for several reasons. One he is playing in the IPL potentially to the end of May so how can you give someone the Test job when he isn't even playing 4 day cricket - he's played 10 First Class games in the last three and a bit years during which time he's made more than 70 white ball appearances. And the other is that Foakes is in superb form with the bat for Surrey and deserves to keep his place as keeper for the next couple of series.
Stokes is injured and there is that constant doubt that he might not be fit. Really can't see how you can give it to Broad because he isn't even certain of his place - not saying his career is at an end but is he capable of of playing a full series?
Or there is a promising young talent that has been making runs in the county game for Essex… he has some captaincy experience as well… (not a serious suggestion but I didn’t dream we would miss him as badly as we have)
I would have liked him to retain the captaincy until there was an obvious replacement.
I realise that may take a while.
English cricket is a mess
Or even someone like Pope if he had established himself as a fixture in the side might have got the job. After all, most England captains these days have no county captaining experience.
Could Jonny Bairstow do it? Seems reasonably established in the side again, and doesn't have the injury issues of Stokes
Private school, young, batsman etc, just the type.