Former Pakistan all-rounfer Imran Khan has been arrested in Islamabad. Police in Pakistan have not confirmed that his arrest is in connection with ball-tampering while he was playing for Sussex.
If that does happen then I will be disappointed but I think it says all we need to know about how some players are used and others dictate when and where they play to reflect upon the fact that Foakes has played in just two home series but no less than six away.
Foakes is in the top two or three keeper/batsman in the world and to me you pick your best keeper, five best batsmen, best all rounder and four best bowlers. That should make the selection process easy enough except that, for some reason, England insist on picking Crawley, an opener who isn't even the best at doing the job at his county. A First Class average of 30.47 (as against that of Foakes 39.72), when you don't have a second discipline, shouldn't guarantee you a spot in county cricket let alone opening against the Aussies. If England are using the fact that Crawley has had two or three scores in the CC this season (average 38.89) as credentials then why are they ignoring Foakes' 52.80 compared to Bairstow's 27.67 ???
Crawley I don't understand how he keeps on getting opportunities? He's not in good nick in the Championship so whys he still getting test chances? Foakes for me is a must for what he gives you as a keeper.
Very harsh on Foakes, hope it doesn't cost us - catches win matches etc.
Agreed. I guess the thinking is that the deficit between Bairstow and Foakes as keepers is less significant keeping to seam bowlers.
The last Surrey Champ match would disagree. Foakes being the keeper that he is was able to stand up to our quick bowlers (Who are quicker than Broad or Anderson) and so was able to prevent their batsmen from batting out the crease or coming down the wicket which with the pitch and conditions was about the only effective tactic the bastmen had. It was a major major reason we were able to get 20 wickets and win the match. So effective it was that John Simpson (an excellent keeper in his own right) copied Foakes in doing so as the match went on. In no way is Bairstow a good enough to do that to the seam bowlers.
I also have doubts about Bairstow's fitness to keep in 5 pretty much back to back tests. Its one thing being fit enough to bat in test cricket but after an injury the fitness to keep for long periods takes months to build up. There is very very little breaks between tests. I'm not confident he will be fit for that battle.
Not sure how much I believe these reports as last week there were loads of reports that Stokes was going to open to the extent that Butcher and Athers even discussed the reports on sky comms during the Surrey match.
Archer out of the whole summer with another stress fracture to his elbow.
Does slightly feel like the wheels are falling off despite the best laid plans and the positivity over last summer and the winter. All the talk of 8 fast bowlers required and 3 out and out quicks seems to have fallen apart. Archer injured again, Stone injured. Overton and Mahmood not yet properly back from injury. Looks like Wood as the only point of difference bowler and he cant play back to back games so we will be using Potts/Woakes as rotation.
Throw in Stokes unlikely to be able to bowl and the confused decision making around Foakes (who along with Root has very much been the glue of this batting lineup particularly in some of those run chases last year) and it suddenly feels like all the good feeling and optimism of the Stokes era has faded already.
It was never gonna last forever but my only ask was that we got one good ashes from it - seems like even that was too much to ask.
Seems its been confirmed that Bairstow will take the gloves for the Ireland test. hopefully its a fitness/form thing rather than a plan for the ashes. Foakes should rightfully be massively pissed off.
In other news Pope has been confirmed as Englands vice captain. Good call in my view. and could be more significant than we think in the immediate future as I get the feeling that Stokes will sit out the Ireland test.
The one aspect that I'm not sure that the ECB realise they are doing is the damage that they are potentially doing to themselves in the message they are sending. They probably feel that they can muck Foakes about because he is centrally contracted and a Compton or similar type because they don't do "Bazball" and they might not be T20 players. Crawley might never make a Test opener and Bairstow hasn't got that many years left in him as an international (34 this year) so what do they do when those up and coming players decide to chase the money and go off to play in the IPL series around the world because they see no way of getting international recognition on a regular basis?
In other news Pope has been confirmed as Englands vice captain. Good call in my view. and could be more significant than we think in the immediate future as I get the feeling that Stokes will sit out the Ireland test.
Is Pope "Captain" material? He's never struck me as being particularly vocal
In other news Pope has been confirmed as Englands vice captain. Good call in my view. and could be more significant than we think in the immediate future as I get the feeling that Stokes will sit out the Ireland test.
Is Pope "Captain" material? He's never struck me as being particularly vocal
They say his cricketing and tactical brain is one of the best. I guess as vice captain you don't need to be too much of a leader but a thinker/suggester of ideas. If he had to captain a whole series I would worry it was too early. Don't see why he shouldn't be considered the next England captain.
If I was Foakes I would just announce I am retiring from test cricket and say they can get some other mug to keep wicket in the less attractive winter tours
Comments
Archer returns home from the IPL to rest his right elbow
If the soft signal is out, its out unless proves wrong isn't it?
If the onfield umpires have any doubt about a catch, and they refer it to the 3rd umpire, the 3rd umpire now has the total power
Very harsh on Foakes, hope it doesn't cost us - catches win matches etc.
Foakes is in the top two or three keeper/batsman in the world and to me you pick your best keeper, five best batsmen, best all rounder and four best bowlers. That should make the selection process easy enough except that, for some reason, England insist on picking Crawley, an opener who isn't even the best at doing the job at his county. A First Class average of 30.47 (as against that of Foakes 39.72), when you don't have a second discipline, shouldn't guarantee you a spot in county cricket let alone opening against the Aussies. If England are using the fact that Crawley has had two or three scores in the CC this season (average 38.89) as credentials then why are they ignoring Foakes' 52.80 compared to Bairstow's 27.67 ???
I also have doubts about Bairstow's fitness to keep in 5 pretty much back to back tests. Its one thing being fit enough to bat in test cricket but after an injury the fitness to keep for long periods takes months to build up. There is very very little breaks between tests. I'm not confident he will be fit for that battle.
Not sure how much I believe these reports as last week there were loads of reports that Stokes was going to open to the extent that Butcher and Athers even discussed the reports on sky comms during the Surrey match.
Throw in Stokes unlikely to be able to bowl and the confused decision making around Foakes (who along with Root has very much been the glue of this batting lineup particularly in some of those run chases last year) and it suddenly feels like all the good feeling and optimism of the Stokes era has faded already.
It was never gonna last forever but my only ask was that we got one good ashes from it - seems like even that was too much to ask.