| Th'Ashes Down Under on 07:51 - Dec 8 with 1079 views | pioneer |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 09:09 - Dec 7 by isitme | More time to play golf though. There are some good courses in Australia. |
They are up at Noosa, playboy territory, getting some undeserved R&R and preparing (too hard no doubt) for the next challenge…and getting paid for it. Hope they keep off the electric scooters. They should pay them the tour fee based on the numbers of hours of cricket they play with additional payments for hours spent training on a cricket field. |  | |  |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 11:41 - Dec 8 with 957 views | TalkingSutty |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 07:51 - Dec 8 by pioneer | They are up at Noosa, playboy territory, getting some undeserved R&R and preparing (too hard no doubt) for the next challenge…and getting paid for it. Hope they keep off the electric scooters. They should pay them the tour fee based on the numbers of hours of cricket they play with additional payments for hours spent training on a cricket field. |
They should sack Keys, McMillan, replace Stokes as captain and stop awarding central contracts. Too many players in their comfort zone and being rewarded for failute. A massive shake up is needed and it needs to start at the top. |  | |  |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 11:48 - Dec 8 with 951 views | isitme |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 11:41 - Dec 8 by TalkingSutty | They should sack Keys, McMillan, replace Stokes as captain and stop awarding central contracts. Too many players in their comfort zone and being rewarded for failute. A massive shake up is needed and it needs to start at the top. |
Mark Wood has a central contract for the year and I suspect will never play for England again after bowling 10 overs. Bairstow was also contracted last year and played no games. Good money if you can get it. Bashir is without a county and got 0 for plenty in the Lions v Australia A game and also has a central contract. I wonder if Tom Moody would fancy the job? I was discussing at work whether we should be looking to bloody Rehan Ahmed as the all rounder replacement for Stokes. He could bat at 7 and be a decent 'outside of the sub continent' spinner. I would also look at playing Potts next test. He can perform the accurate donkey work role, that currently we do not have. Carse/Stokes and Atkinson have been too erratic with their line and length. |  | |  |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 12:04 - Dec 8 with 942 views | TalkingSutty |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 11:48 - Dec 8 by isitme | Mark Wood has a central contract for the year and I suspect will never play for England again after bowling 10 overs. Bairstow was also contracted last year and played no games. Good money if you can get it. Bashir is without a county and got 0 for plenty in the Lions v Australia A game and also has a central contract. I wonder if Tom Moody would fancy the job? I was discussing at work whether we should be looking to bloody Rehan Ahmed as the all rounder replacement for Stokes. He could bat at 7 and be a decent 'outside of the sub continent' spinner. I would also look at playing Potts next test. He can perform the accurate donkey work role, that currently we do not have. Carse/Stokes and Atkinson have been too erratic with their line and length. |
Good observations those. International bowlers who can't bowl consistent line and length, it's a joke really. We're crying out for a Jimmy Anderson, he'd probably still bowl better than this lot. Then we have Stokes captaincy, his field placings are laughable. Australia batsman spent all day accumulating runs behind the wicket and Stokes just didn't respond. His batting has been poor also. |  | |  |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 12:05 - Dec 8 with 936 views | D_Alien |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 11:41 - Dec 8 by TalkingSutty | They should sack Keys, McMillan, replace Stokes as captain and stop awarding central contracts. Too many players in their comfort zone and being rewarded for failute. A massive shake up is needed and it needs to start at the top. |
Stokes is absolutely the right man to be captain, but the Stokes /McCullum partnership has run its course, a glorious experiment while it lasted but now outrun its usefulness. It's McCullum who needs to go There's no obvious replacement for Stokes, but he needs a manager who can tell him and other players the hard truths. The likes of Brook and Smith are in danger of having very promising careers ruined by not having more discerning management who'll rein them in [Post edited 8 Dec 12:06]
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| Th'Ashes Down Under on 13:06 - Dec 8 with 852 views | TalkingSutty |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 12:05 - Dec 8 by D_Alien | Stokes is absolutely the right man to be captain, but the Stokes /McCullum partnership has run its course, a glorious experiment while it lasted but now outrun its usefulness. It's McCullum who needs to go There's no obvious replacement for Stokes, but he needs a manager who can tell him and other players the hard truths. The likes of Brook and Smith are in danger of having very promising careers ruined by not having more discerning management who'll rein them in [Post edited 8 Dec 12:06]
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I think Stokes is a poor captain. I think he's a reactive captain and doesn't anticipate things, At times he doesn't even react, as we've seen with his field placings. He let's games drift when we are fielding and let's his emotions cloud his judgement, over bowling himself is one example. His reluctance to change our approach to Test cricket has brought us to where we are now...out batted, out bowled, out fielded, out thought against a under strength Australian team. Then you have the arrogance, he and his players like playing bazzball and they aren't accountable to anybody, not even cricketing greats. I'm not disputing Stokes a fantastic cricketer on his day but he's not impressing me as a captain. He's not the only all rounder to struggle when it comes to also being the captain, Flintoff was another. The problem now though is if Stokes is relieved of the captaincy he'll probably retire from Test cricket and we'll lose a great cricketer. I'd ask Root if he'd consider having another stint as captain. [Post edited 8 Dec 13:11]
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| Th'Ashes Down Under on 14:09 - Dec 8 with 791 views | D_Alien |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 13:06 - Dec 8 by TalkingSutty | I think Stokes is a poor captain. I think he's a reactive captain and doesn't anticipate things, At times he doesn't even react, as we've seen with his field placings. He let's games drift when we are fielding and let's his emotions cloud his judgement, over bowling himself is one example. His reluctance to change our approach to Test cricket has brought us to where we are now...out batted, out bowled, out fielded, out thought against a under strength Australian team. Then you have the arrogance, he and his players like playing bazzball and they aren't accountable to anybody, not even cricketing greats. I'm not disputing Stokes a fantastic cricketer on his day but he's not impressing me as a captain. He's not the only all rounder to struggle when it comes to also being the captain, Flintoff was another. The problem now though is if Stokes is relieved of the captaincy he'll probably retire from Test cricket and we'll lose a great cricketer. I'd ask Root if he'd consider having another stint as captain. [Post edited 8 Dec 13:11]
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I disagree TS The single most important attribute that Stokes brings is leadership, perhaps the most important attribute of any captain. What he then does is try to lead by example, which can result in either great innings or great bowling spells (his first test bowling was superb, you're too easily forgetting this) The problem: no-one to tell him when he's over-bowling himself. That's where he needs a more objective manager, who's not a "mate". England were in a very dire state when McCullum took over. His initial psychological boosts worked wonders but they're past their sell-by date now As for Stokes' fields... someone like Root should be providing input. Does Root step up with that advice? He himself wasn't a great captain. Brooks as vice-captain is withering on the vine, too much too soon. There's very few "perfect" captains, all have their strengths and weaknesses, and i repeat, there's absolutely no-one else to fill Stokes' boots right now. He's big enough to take this tour on board and stay for the return Ashes at home, which could be his swansong [Post edited 8 Dec 16:01]
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| Th'Ashes Down Under on 15:15 - Dec 8 with 726 views | watford_dale |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 14:09 - Dec 8 by D_Alien | I disagree TS The single most important attribute that Stokes brings is leadership, perhaps the most important attribute of any captain. What he then does is try to lead by example, which can result in either great innings or great bowling spells (his first test bowling was superb, you're too easily forgetting this) The problem: no-one to tell him when he's over-bowling himself. That's where he needs a more objective manager, who's not a "mate". England were in a very dire state when McCullum took over. His initial psychological boosts worked wonders but they're past their sell-by date now As for Stokes' fields... someone like Root should be providing input. Does Root step up with that advice? He himself wasn't a great captain. Brooks as vice-captain is withering on the vine, too much too soon. There's very few "perfect" captains, all have their strengths and weaknesses, and i repeat, there's absolutely no-one else to fill Stokes' boots right now. He's big enough to take this tour on board and stay for the return Ashes at home, which could be his swansong [Post edited 8 Dec 16:01]
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With the increasing shorter formats of the game, their popularity and money on offer are we capable of being able to play test cricket again? Evidence thus far would be no. |  | |  | Login to get fewer ads
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 16:05 - Dec 8 with 713 views | D_Alien |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 15:15 - Dec 8 by watford_dale | With the increasing shorter formats of the game, their popularity and money on offer are we capable of being able to play test cricket again? Evidence thus far would be no. |
It's a fair question. The problem with central contracts (and some of them have already been highlighted by others) is that players, especially England players, are entering the test arenas the opposite of "battle hardened" Take Jamie Smith. He's immensely talented with the bat and a good enough keeper, but he's just not done the hard yards behind the stumps that's required to build up concentration levels. Result? He's faltered, both behind the stumps and with the bat. Putting him into the Ashes cauldron with so little match practice behind him is madness, and the same might apply to others [Post edited 8 Dec 16:07]
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| Th'Ashes Down Under on 07:14 - Dec 9 with 534 views | isitme | And there it is confirmation that Wood is ruled out for the rest of the tour. Matt Fisher has been called up. |  | |  |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 08:04 - Dec 9 with 520 views | TalkingSutty |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 07:14 - Dec 9 by isitme | And there it is confirmation that Wood is ruled out for the rest of the tour. Matt Fisher has been called up. |
We also have Archer and Stokes who need 'managing'. The cynic in me wonders if the central contract is in fact viewed as a financial comfort blanket by our cricketers. Poor performances, loss of form, break a finger nail and they still get paid. There is no incentive to rush back. As Bob Willis once said..' if i had waited to be 100% fit and pain free i would never have played'. |  | |  |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 12:05 - Dec 9 with 398 views | watford_dale |
| Th'Ashes Down Under on 07:14 - Dec 9 by isitme | And there it is confirmation that Wood is ruled out for the rest of the tour. Matt Fisher has been called up. |
The most inevitable thing to happen on an ashes tour has happened. Absolute bonkers that he was picked in the first place with his injury record. This is supposed to be elite professional sport and the most useful skill is being able to play. |  | |  |
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