The Ashes and Cricket World Cup Discussion Thread

So with the county season brought to an end and the England/Pakistan contests drawing to a close it is time for the Ashes and World Cup to begin. I'm looking forward to the 25th of November when our first win since 86/87 will hopefully begin. So whos in your first XI? Who else goes on tour? Who do you reckon should be selected for the Lions/Performance squads?

Ashes XI
Stratuss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Finn
Rest of the squad : Morgan, Davies, Rashid, Shahzad and Bresnan

Lions players : Carberry, Tremlett, Hildreth, Kieswetter, Buttler, Tredwell, Wright, Mahmood, Bopara, Yardy, Panesar and Woakes would be the sure picks for that I believe.

Rough World Cup Side at the minute : Stratuss, Davies, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Morgan, Yardy, Broad, Bresnan, Swann and Anderson

Ashes Squad:
Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Steve Davies, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar

Performance Squad:
Jimmy Adams, Jonny Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Michael Carberry, Maurice Chambers, Jade Dernbach, Andrew Gale, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Ajmal Shahzad, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes

I can see why they have picked Panesar instead of Rashid, but I expect that only if Swann is injured that Monty will be in, so yeah I personally believe they won't play two front line spinners. 'Fifth Bowler' wise I reckon Collingwood, Pietersen and Trott to get through some overs during the tour. I'm well pumped for the series, can't wait. BRING IT ON!!!

(23-09-2010 19:35 )rocksaviour Wrote:  Ashes Squad:
Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Steve Davies, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar

Performance Squad:
Jimmy Adams, Jonny Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Michael Carberry, Maurice Chambers, Jade Dernbach, Andrew Gale, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Ajmal Shahzad, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes

I can see why they have picked Panesar instead of Rashid, but I expect that only if Swann is injured that Monty will be in, so yeah I personally believe they won't play two front line spinners. 'Fifth Bowler' wise I reckon Collingwood, Pietersen and Trott to get through some overs during the tour. I'm well pumped for the series, can't wait. BRING IT ON!!!

...and it is ONLY nine weeks away!!!

Like anyone who's followed English cricket since the dark days of the late 80's decline and the pit of English cricket's underachievement during the 1990's, if I'm ruthlessly honest I'd take the draw down under to retain the ashes. I know Australia aren't the team they once were, but on home soil they're still a match for anyone. I'm very pleased to see the selectors favouring aggression with the squad, though. Tremlett and Panesar are both bowlers who care more about taking wickets than restricting run rates and as much as I respect Tredwell and Rashid, the Aussies are well known for their frailty against attacking left arm spin, so if he ends up being needed I think Monty will give them far more to think about than Tredwell or Rashid would.

I know a lot of people are up in arms about Bresnan's inclusion, but I'm not one of them. He's an improving batsman, possibly a genuine test match no. 7 in the making (far more than Broad, who was once thought of to eventually fill that slot), and is usually economical with the ball, if not what you'd call dangerous. If England go into the last match in the series needing to defend a lead, Bresnan could find himself thrown into the pressure cooker to try and stifle the Aussies, with Prior moving up to no. 6. A role I think Bresnan might well be ideally suited for. Some purists will disagree, but there are times when you need a seamer who can just bog down one end for a lengthy spell.

I really like the look of that performance squad, into the bargain. By the time Australia come over here next, and also assuming their development continues as it has, I can see three or four names on that list who should have forced their way into the full test side. For the first time in my life as a cricket watcher, I feel genuinely hopeful that England can retain the Ashes down under (by win or draw) and win them outright again back on home soil. It's a strange feeling, I have to say, and one which is always tinged with that faint hint of panic at the possibility of abject failure. God knows, I've seen enough false dawns in the past.

I'm not even thinking about the World Cup just yet. I'm simply enjoying the feeling of England being world champions in at least one form of the game, for now. I'll start thinking about the world cup after the Ashes.

The big day is drawing closer!!!

Pietersen's return home to SA hardly went well did it, a 30 in one game and a two ball duck in the next is all he had to show for. Mind you I have heard in the past couple of months (from various media) that the two batsmen that will win his team the Ashes are Pietersen and Clarke - and Pup hardly scored a stack of runs and took apart the Indians did he in the tests.

England beat Western Australia in the first tour match and Australia FINALLY win again after winning a dead match in terms of the series against Sri Lanka. Dare I say but I'm feeling confident right now

England play Australia A starting from tonight, the likely team is:
Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Morgan, Prior, Bresnan, Shahzad, Tremlett, Panesar

don't fancy the aussies getting even so much as a sniff in the upcoming series. It's a 2-0 or 3-0 victory for us. Swann will be chief destroyer.

Don't get to confident. Aussies don't like to loose.

And if we do beat them they'll come out with lots of excuses like, 'Bodyline' or 'Teams full of 'Foreigners' or 'They kept bowling at the stups'.

I'm going for 2-1 to us. Writting down the two teams, we may just edge it name for name.

We can't get too cocky as it is Australia and they are at home. Despite recent form, captain and vice captain(s) in question and some questionable decisions like dropping Hauritz for this Doherty how has a bowling average in the high 40s and he doesn't give the side anything with the bat, so they've picked him because of Pietersen's apparent weakness against slow-left arm?

It's been good to see that everyone has got runs and picked up wickets and since they've been down under there was only that slight injury scare for Swann and in the warm-ups we've won two and drawn one (because of time taken out of the game with weather I must add). The Gabba did look especially green in the report on SSN, so lets hope we win the toss and put them in and get well into them and make some serious in-roads on the first day.