Ashes Squad Poll

[keaton]

The Ashes squad is announced at the Oval tomorrow lunchtime, who does NSC want to make the 15-man squad?

 

[Gwylan]

I'd like to see someone young get the experience: Woakes or Lyth

 

[sten_super]

I nominated Tremlett as the 5th seamer ahead of Bresnan, but agree with Gwylan, I would like to see Woakes go. The only way I can see to take Lyth in the batting unit would be to take one spinner, but I don't think they'll do that.

edit: and in terms of a second spinner, I voted Rashid. While I can accept him being somewhere level with Panesar, I have no idea what Tredwell has done to deserve being anywhere near the position.

 

[Freddo]

Eoin Morgan?

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Eoin Morgan?

Is a very good point. Didn't notice him missing!

 

[keaton]

I knew there was someone missing but coudn't think who. I wouldn't have him in the squad though with Bell coming back.

For the sake of the poll, any votes for Harmison can be for Morgan, no-one can seriously argue we should take him

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I knew there was someone missing but coudn't think who. I wouldn't have him in the squad though with Bell coming back

Morgan is a definite for me. One of our most important players (although I must admit I didn't notice his name was missing from this poll )

 

[Uncle Buck]

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Morgan
Prior
Geriant Jones
Broad
Anderson
Finn
Swann
Pansear
Tremlett
Shazad

Think I might have one too many in there.

Would takes Jones as the second keeper, he has improved since England got rid of him and has experience of Ashes cricket.

 

[sten_super]

I knew there was someone missing but coudn't think who. I wouldn't have him in the squad though with Bell coming back

The Beeb reckon a squad of 16 though, so you could have him without affecting any of your other picks. I would most definitely take him.

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Morgan
Prior
Davies
Swann
Rashid
Anderson
Broad
Finn
Shazad
Woakes

 

[Gwylan]

The only way I can see to take Lyth in the batting unit would be to take one spinner, but I don't think they'll do that.

edit: and in terms of a second spinner, I voted Rashid. While I can accept him being somewhere level with Panesar, I have no idea what Tredwell has done to deserve being anywhere near the position.

If they took 16, they could take another batsman.

The talk on the street is that Tredwell will be second spinner, ahead of Rashid and Panesar. That hatful of wickets last week must have helped.

EDIT: While both Pietersen and Collingwood are 100% certain to go, I do wonder whether, for different reasons, they should be automatic choices. Pietersen looks mentally somewhere else and Colly looks physically shattered

 

[Uncle Buck]

If they took 16, they could take another batsman.

The talk on the street is that Tredwell will be second spinner, ahead of Rashid and Panesar. That hatful of wickets last week must have helped.

EDIT: While both Pietersen and Collingwood are 100% certain to go, I do wonder whether, for different reasons, they should be automatic choices. Pietersen looks mentally somewhere else and Colly looks physically shattered

It would be a mistake to take 2 off spinners.

 

[sten_super]

If they took 16, they could take another batsman.

The talk on the street is that Tredwell will be second spinner, ahead of Rashid and Panesar. That hatful of wickets last week must have helped.

EDIT: While both Pietersen and Collingwood are 100% certain to go, I do wonder whether, for different reasons, they should be automatic choices. Pietersen looks mentally somewhere else and Colly looks physically shattered

They will take 7 batsmen, 2 keepers, 2 spinners and 5 quicks by the looks of it. I think all 7 of those are nailed down, even though I agree with you re: KP and PC. At least if we did want to drop one during the series there would be a viable alternative (whoever isn't playing out of Bell/Morgan, and even at a push draft in Davies as a specialist batsman).

I said a couple of weeks ago that I thought that Tredwell would go as the second spinner. Doesn't make it any less depressing though.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Bat: Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Morgan
Wicketkeeper: Prior, Davies
Spin: Swann, Panesar
Quicks: Anderson, Broad, Finn, Shahzad, Woakes

 

[keaton]

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopora
Prior
Davies
Swann
Panesar
Anderson
Broad
Finn
Shahzad
Tremlett (if sixteen)

 

[Gwylan]

It would be a mistake to take 2 off spinners.

They've taken three before

 

[Uncle Buck]

They've taken three before

But then look at some of the yesteryear selections.

If they play 2 spinners, 2 offies is a mistake, coupled with the fact that Monty is in good nick and has touring and Ashes experience.

 

[Gwylan]

But then look at some of the yesteryear selections.

If they play 2 spinners, 2 offies is a mistake, coupled with the fact that Monty is in good nick and has touring and Ashes experience.

England management seems to be obsessed with tailenders who can bat. I think the time when we had Malcolm, Tufnell and Mullally as our 9,10, jack has scarred them for life. Panesar's lack of skill with the bat is going to count against him. Strange, as he's by no means the worst no 11 there's been.

They're never going to play two spinners though, one's a backup. And Australia have got three left-handers in their top six, so an offie would be useful.

 

[sten_super]

But then look at some of the yesteryear selections.

If they play 2 spinners, 2 offies is a mistake, coupled with the fact that Monty is in good nick and has touring and Ashes experience.

They obviously have no intention of playing 2 spinners though, do they? They are set on 6 batsmen, a keeper and 4 bowlers, and there's no way on God's green earth they'd play 2 spinners in a 4 man attack in Australia. Whoever goes will only be going to play a warm-up game or two and to play in a Test match if Swann is injured. And if he is we're f***ed anyway, it wouldn't matter who they'd taken as backup.

 

[Gwylan]

Three people who voted wouldn't take Trott - the guy who made the match-saving 100 in the last match, who's the world's top scorer in test match cricket this calendar year and who has an average of 55, higher than any other English batsman. I'd love to know who those people had in preference to Trott.

I reckon if NSC had been around in the 1930s, Bradman might have had trouble being selected by everyone

 

[Pavilionaire]

England were still competitive before Swann. And Panesar's done everything that's been asked of him since being dropped, i.e. taken wickets for his county and worked on his batting and fielding.

I'd give Monty the nod over Rashid because of his test experience. It's been a while since England have had such a settled, experienced squad at their disposal.