Ramprakash backed for Test recall

[sten_super]

Pav, you know your cricket, but I don't know where this dislike of Trott has come from. It's certainly not the stats. He is 28, hardly old for a cricketer. He is 2 years younger than Graeme Swann who has only recently come into the side. He could comfortably play for England for another (say) 6 years; that's a further 3 Ashes series.

The rest of your team is also nonsense, to be fair. Trescothick could not deal with the pressure of playing for England, and has said he will never again play for England, so that's a complete non-starter. Mark Butcher laughed at the prospect of Ramprakash, said he'd never get through 5 days. I also don't know how many opportunities people want to give Harmison, he gets chance after chance and bowls dross in all of them.

There is a serious lack of number 3s; the only real alternative is Key, or Carberry (given that they appear to dislike Key). I'd also bring in Trott for Bell. Flintoff (assuming he is fit) in for Harmison, failing that I'd go left-field and bring in Rashid (although the more likely option is Bresnan).

My team would therefore be;
Strauss (c), Cook, Key, Trott, Collingwood, Prior (wk), Flintoff (Rashid), Broad, Swann, Anderson, Onions

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Thank goodness no-one has mentioned a number 3 who is in the form of his life, has played for England within the last 4 years, and has recently completed an aggregate of 200 run for 1 dismissal in a county match (as well as a number of 100s in all forms of cricket).

Don't tell anyone about Ed Joyce... ssshhh.

 

[BensGrandad]

Which top 4 inspires more confidence?


Strauss
Trescothick
Cook
Ramprakash

My suggestion last week just to win 1 game then go back to the drawing board as we have nothing to lose the Aussies have the nod over the current squad. Forget past records and go for the 2 most inform batsmen at the moment.

 

[keaton]

My suggestion last week just to win 1 game then go back to the drawing board as we have nothing to lose the Aussies have the nod over the current squad. Forget past records and go for the 2 most inform batsmen at the moment.

The most inform batsmen in the County Game is ............ Jonathan Trott!

 

[Gwylan]

All the speculation has concentrated on Bopara and Bell, but how about looking at replacing Cook? He's only got one score past 50 this series and has got a batting average below 30 against Australia

England have a bit more choice when it comes to openers: Moore, Denly and Key are all options here.

In other circumstances, the selectors would be taking a hard look at him.

 

[keaton]

Bopora, Cook, Swann, Bell and Onions sent back to practice with their counties

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/aug/10/ravi-bopara-essex-england-ashes

 

[Pavilionaire]

Sten, I've got nothing against Trott personally but to my mind if a bloke has been overlooked for the last 7 years and lesser players have been ahead of him in the queue is he REALLY all that?

I guess I just don't rate the likes of Key, Trott, Carberry - pick them and we'll lose, the Aussies have NOTHING to fear from that trio.

And I just don't buy the argument that it's laughable to consider Trescothick or Ramprakash because they consistently outscore the Keys, Trotts and Carberry's year-in, year out.

And having faced McGrath, Gillespie and Lee is it REALLY going to be hard for Trescothick to face Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Johnson?

As for Swann, spin bowlers have a much longer shelf life than other players - see Pat Pocock, Shaun Udal, Emburey etc.

As for Trescothick declining to make himself available - what is wrong with the man? His country needs him, it's one match, if he fails then so what - he's in a Shearer-style 'no lose' situation. Arguably, you could say he left under a cloud so now has the chance to redeem himself.

If the Aussies saw your XI on the teamsheet they'd be booking the strippers and champagne for the evening of the third day.

 

[BensGrandad]

Hence my original suggestion of begging Trescothick to make 1 final test appearance as he is undoubtedly the best English opener playing at the moment.

 

[Gwylan]

It's a much nonsense to say Trescothick could come back as it is to say Pietersen should play in the final test.

Trescothick is ill - it's not a question of deciding not to make himself available, he's not fit to play and that's the end of it.

 

[Pavilionaire]

How can you be fit to play county cricket, one day finals etc but not a test match?

Is facing Johnson, Hilfenhaus and Siddle at The Oval any harder than facing Harmison, Onions and Plunkett on a seaming Chester-Le-Street wicket?

 

[Pavilionaire]

Trescothick is ill - it's not a question of deciding not to make himself available, he's not fit to play and that's the end of it.

So ill that he scored a hundred in each innings for Somerset last week?!

 

[sten_super]

Sten, I've got nothing against Trott personally but to my mind if a bloke has been overlooked for the last 7 years and lesser players have been ahead of him in the queue is he REALLY all that?

I guess I just don't rate the likes of Key, Trott, Carberry - pick them and we'll lose, the Aussies have NOTHING to fear from that trio.

And I just don't buy the argument that it's laughable to consider Trescothick or Ramprakash because they consistently outscore the Keys, Trotts and Carberry's year-in, year out.

And having faced McGrath, Gillespie and Lee is it REALLY going to be hard for Trescothick to face Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Johnson?

As for Swann, spin bowlers have a much longer shelf life than other players - see Pat Pocock, Shaun Udal, Emburey etc.

As for Trescothick declining to make himself available - what is wrong with the man? His country needs him, it's one match, if he fails then so what - he's in a Shearer-style 'no lose' situation. Arguably, you could say he left under a cloud so now has the chance to redeem himself.

If the Aussies saw your XI on the teamsheet they'd be booking the strippers and champagne for the evening of the third day.

I'm certainly not holding Trott up as some kind of saviour, but in the absence of any other options (and I'm sorry, a player who physically can't make 5 days and one that can't mentally deal with playing for England are NOT options), and given the dross that Bopara et al have served up I can't see a better plan. Your argument holds exactly the same for Key or any other option. The players that lost the last Test so dismally are the only ones with decent international experience, and probably ARE the best available, it's just that (with a couple of honourable exceptions) they are horribly out of form and my concern now is that these bowlers have the Indian sign over them, in the same way that Warne, McGrath et al had over previous generations of English cricketers.

I can see a case for Ramprakash, although if Butcher says he's not fit enough for 5 day cricket that's enough for me. Don't be so harsh on Tresco though; the man has a mental illness, as Gwylan saying it's not a case of not wanting to play.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Pav - ffs, you're a smart man and a quality poster, but don't you get it? The man has psychological illness that made him physically sick at the though of getting on the plane to go on an overseas tour. He physically can't play for England because of this debilitating illness. What part of that do you not get??

 

[sten_super]

Pav, watch your tone. The man is ILL. Just because you have no experience of mental illness, do not assume that it doesn't exist.

Also, are you seriously suggesting that playing in front of 300 people at Chester-le-Street is the same pressure as playing in the most important English cricket match of the past 4 years, with the hopes and expectations of an entire nation of cricketing fans? Don't be ridiculous.

 

[Gwylan]

So ill that he scored a hundred in each innings for Somerset last week?!

Completely different - he's said many times that he can't handle the pressure of test cricket.

Can you imagine the Australian players' reaction if he were picked, they'd be rubbing their hands with glee. This is a side that has taken the art of "mental disintegration" (as Steve Waugh called it) to a fine art. There would be joy unconfined at the thought of a player who, by his own admission, is already in a fragile state.

Look what happened to Darryl Cullinan when he tried to return to test cricket after similar problems: Warne hounded him mercilessly and he retired soon after

 

[Silent Bob]

Pav - ffs, you're a smart man and a quality poster, but don't you get it? The man has psychological illness that made him physically sick at the though of getting on the plane to go on an overseas tour. He physically can't play for England because of this debilitating illness. What part of that do you not get??

The plane bit - no one is asking him to go on an overseas tour.

 

[jordanseagull]

Agree with what many are saying here. He is not the future, therefore not the asnwer. A bit like our loanee's last year..

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

The plane bit - no one is asking him to go on an overseas tour.

Quite - twas just an example of how the pressure gets to the man, as you well know.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I buy the 'no-touring' thing with Trescothick but find it strange that if he's not fit to play test cricket why he hangs with Somerset thus depriving a younger batsman of an opportunity?

Hey, I'm just an accountant - a number of professional cricket pundits are also saying he should play at The Oval.

Michael Vaughan was in a similar position and had the good grace to bow out once he knew his test career was over.

And on the subject of the pressure of test cricket, what if the Australians had played Somerset, rather than Sussex, in a 4-day warm-up match. Are you telling me the Aussies would have been on their best behaviour because he was wearing a Somerset badge and not an England one?

 

[Gwylan]

I buy the 'no-touring' thing with Trescothick but find it strange that if he's not fit to play test cricket why he hangs with Somerset thus depriving a younger batsman of an opportunity?

Hey, I'm just an accountant - a number of professional cricket pundits are also saying he should play at The Oval.

Michael Vaughan was in a similar position and had the good grace to bow out once he knew his test career was over.

And on the subject of the pressure of test cricket, what if the Australians had played Somerset, rather than Sussex, in a 4-day warm-up match. Are you telling me the Aussies would have been on their best behaviour because he was wearing a Somerset badge and not an England one?

My guess is that Trescothick wouldn't have played in a tour match - as we dropped Prior, Yasir and Goodwin (hey, we thought he was our best batsman then).

Which pundits did you see suggest he should return? I've read quite a few Ashes reports today and didn't see a single one suggest him (apart from some bloke in the Mirror who I'd never heard of). In fact, the vast majority of commentators say what I do and that changes should be kept to a minimum - one or two at the most.