Comments: 12 

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Posted by kort on (January 05 2008, 20:51 PM GMT)

I do wonder what Chris Read did wrong after he replaced Geraint Jones. England seem to want a Gilchrist clone, but I would say thats impossible. Pick your best wicketkeeper (Chris Read) as opposed to a batsmen who can keep.

Posted by jomtien on (January 05 2008, 15:09 PM GMT)

Having been out in Sri Lanka I have to say that Panesar was a total disappointment-somebody is trying to turn him into another Giles. Maybe a spell in India and a few lessons from Bedi will help.

Posted by Hajai on (January 05 2008, 12:47 PM GMT)

Is the present selection based on reputation or performance? What more must Ramprakash do to convince the selectors that he is currently and by far the best batsman in the country? Also, what is the point of picking Owais Shah if he is merely going to carry the drinks. I think he has been treated been very badly by the selectors in recent times, allowed to play only if there is an injury to another player and often overlooked in favour of unproved players like Bopara.

Posted by diteras on (January 05 2008, 08:16 AM GMT)

Here we go again. Back to the bad ole days of in and out. Really someone should take responsiblity for the mess in the last test and resign. Prior was never going to be an international keeper any more than Jones. He was tried before but everyone chose to forget. Wishful thinking, not selection. Now Moores and co have plumped for another ex Sussex man - I suppose if we were smart we should all rush to the bookies and attempt a wild bet on whomever was the third team, under fifteen keeper for Sussex, in Moores day - as the next next England keeper. Should be good odds. Lets just pick the best men to do the jobs and stop this overthinking of these marginal calls in selection. We really beat ourselves and everyone must think it's a big English joke. It's either that or kidnap Adam Gilchrist and attempt to brainwash him by forcing him to wear a bowler hat - sounds daft? well it's no dafter than picking a series of lads to do one job then sacking them 'cos they cant do another.

Posted by HOTCHA on (January 05 2008, 05:46 AM GMT)

Nice to have Strauss back in the Test ranks, but I wish the England Selectors took performance as the criterion to selecting teams, rather than go by reputations.

Posted by Badgerbonce on (January 05 2008, 00:22 AM GMT)

I can't help thinking that Prior is worth his place in the side for his batting, especially compared to the others !

Posted by alfie_noakes on (January 04 2008, 21:59 PM GMT)

changing out prior at this stage seems a bit weird.. is he the reason we constantly fail to take ten wickets in test innings? I doubt it. Panesar and pietersen should have made way for swann and shah before the last test at least, maybe it's time to accept that they aren't all they are cracked up to be? or accept they need rest and let them rest? Peter Moores doesn't seem to be very observant and the whole "everyone did their best and that's all we can ask" mantras desperately need to be replaced by something along the lines of "you're playing for your country, you have been chosen as the best we've got, now get out there and win (at all costs)" Alex Ferguson NOT Steve Mclaren. If people don't show some guts and make a desperate effort 100% of the time then why are we bothering at all? The Ashes in 09? yeah right, I bet Australia are having a right laugh about that now

Posted by HRman on (January 04 2008, 19:54 PM GMT)

before he was selected i was watching Sussex play kent. The general conscensus amonst Sussex fans was That Prior was a stopper who slogs as a batsmen. Geraint jones developed into a good keeper Prior hasnt. Praise to the selectors for having the bottle to admit they made a mistake. Dont get carried away by prior's batting. The aussies would destroy him as they did jones

Posted by margarath on (January 04 2008, 19:22 PM GMT)

Good decisions from the selectors. If we wanted someone to average 41 in test cricket and drop critical catches (Mahela, VVS, Tendulkar), why not put a batsman behind the wicket? Better to have someone in the test squad who may average 25, but take every chance behind the stumps will actually save us runs in the long term. For me, Mustard is that man. If you look at the future tail, it includes Stuart Broad and Liam Plunkett, both batsman capable of scoring test half centuries, so the situation would not be too dire. People also need to remember that Strauss has been recalled into the squad, not the team. If he cannot buy a run in his state games in NZ then he shouldn't play. But if you omit him from a squad (that has 4 bench players anyway) and then he scores runs by the bucketload, you look a little silly trying to blag him back into the squad. He needed a break from the stresses, he's had a rest, had a nice winter, now he should be back to his old self. We can hope!

Posted by not_that_andrewhall on (January 04 2008, 17:04 PM GMT)

Tim Ambrose is a pretty punchy call from the selectors - must have been a tough one for the coach in particular to swallow. England's search for a batting keeper continues. Good to see Strauss back - a lot of his apparent loss of form was a result of some very dubious umpiring decisions. Don't quite understand why Tremlett seems only to get in ODI squads when his best performances have been in Tests to date. England should win this series - but both sides are at a pretty low ebb, so it could be quite an ugly contest.