England in Sri Lanka

[Ali TT]

Originally Posted by gmdf

I read it has been delayed until Tuesday somewhere.

Secret location?

[tigertiger]

So delayed for additional persuasion of Ali/Rashid or arguing?

[1000yardstare]

England Test squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) captain, Dominic Bess (Somerset), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Dominic Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham) vice-captain, Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

[AJ101]

So no Ali or Rashid and Buttler ahead of Bairstow but thankfully Foakes is included.

[Chin Music]

Originally Posted by 1000yardstare

England Test squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) captain, Dominic Bess (Somerset), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Dominic Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham) vice-captain, Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

So no;-
Anderson (fair enough, doesn't make sense to rush him back)
Bairstow (who doesn't deserve a spot)
Moeen - much as he is a so up and down player we needed him in SL IMO. Spin bowling looks short compared to the series played in late 2018

Don't know why we needed all of Broad, Woakses and Curran when probably only one of those should play alongside Mark Wood (fitness permitting) with Stokes as a seamer too.

The rumours were that they were dropping Denly, but he has been retained as Bairstow misses out and Jennings comes back as a spin facing specialist with Burns out.

[1000yardstare]

Originally Posted by Chin Music

So no;-
Anderson (fair enough, doesn't make sense to rush him back)
Bairstow (who doesn't deserve a spot)
Moeen - much as he is a so up and down player we needed him in SL IMO. Spin bowling looks short compared to the series played in late 2018

Don't know why we needed all of Broad, Woakses and Curran when probably only one of those should play alongside Mark Wood (fitness permitting) with Stokes as a seamer too.

The rumours were that they were dropping Denly, but he has been retained as Bairstow misses out and Jennings comes back as a spin facing specialist with Burns out.

Of Broad, Woakes and Curran I think it will be Curran.
Wood, Curran, Stokes, Leach and Bess, with Root and Denly if needed.

[Aidan11]

That squad seems fair enough.

Buttler probably being the luckiest player to be there. Had a shocker in SA. Presumably he will be reserve to Foakes here.

[oldandfat]

Originally Posted by Aidan11

Buttler probably being the luckiest player to be there. Had a shocker in SA. Presumably he will be reserve to Foakes here.

We can but hope!

[Sir Virgs and Zamora]

Gutted moeen doesn’t feel he is ready to tour with England again. I wonder if that might mean he is done with the test team. They might decide it is time to move on. It all depends on how they get on, I guess.

[Sir Coolerking]

Likely Team: Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Curran, Bess, Wood, Leach

I reckon Buttler retains his spot for some reason. Which leaves only two spots open to question. Does Jennings sneak into the top 3? I would have said yes until Denly showed in the ODI's that he can actually score against spinners. And then it's Woakes or Curran for number 8.

Not sure why Broad is touring really either.

[paulsre]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Not sure why Broad is touring really either.

Not sure why England are touring, either. Have already had 2 winter tours in 2019/20 and had a three-Test tour to Sri Lanka in November 2018, so why on earth are they going there again just over a year later?

[Comte Nom de Plume]

Originally Posted by paulsre

Not sure why England are touring, either. Have already had 2 winter tours in 2019/20 and had a three-Test tour to Sri Lanka in November 2018, so why on earth are they going there again just over a year later?

Makes no sense to me either.

Nor does the possibility that Graves may be in line for ICC chairman - hopefully just an ugly rumour.

[Jock McTuffnel v3]

Originally Posted by Sir Virgs and Zamora

Gutted moeen doesn’t feel he is ready to tour with England again. I wonder if that might mean he is done with the test team. They might decide it is time to move on. It all depends on how they get on, I guess.

Not many series where they need a specialist 3rd spinner so I reckon that is that.

[Sir Virgs and Zamora]

Good to see broad defending him.

https://twitter.com/stuartbroad8/sta...440345088?s=21

[sanskritsimon]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Likely Team: Sibley, Crawley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Curran, Bess, Wood, Leach

I reckon Buttler retains his spot for some reason. Which leaves only two spots open to question. Does Jennings sneak into the top 3? I would have said yes until Denly showed in the ODI's that he can actually score against spinners. And then it's Woakes or Curran for number 8.

Not sure why Broad is touring really either.

I'm glad to see that the rumours of Bairstow at 3 were false.

In your team I'd swap Buttler for Foakes (better with gloves and bat) and Curran for Woakes (probably better with ball and bat). The alliterative advantage (Stokes Foakes Woakes) would merely be incidental. I don't know whether there are any proper warm-up matches but if so, Jennings may push hard for a place if given a chance.

Addendum from OP:

March 7-9 - Tour match v SLC Board President's XI, Katunayake, CMCG
March 12-15 - Tour match v SLC Board President's XI, Colombo, P Sara Oval

[Jock McTuffnel v3]

Originally Posted by Sir Virgs and Zamora

Good to see broad defending him.

https://twitter.com/stuartbroad8/sta...440345088?s=21

Cherry pickers stick together !

[sharky]

Surely they need a backup spinner? Hopefully they have the sense to at least take Virdi along for some experience.

[Ali TT]

Originally Posted by sanskritsimon

I'm glad to see that the rumours of Bairstow at 3 were false.

In your team I'd swap Buttler for Foakes (better with gloves and bat) and Curran for Woakes (probably better with ball and bat). The alliterative advantage (Stokes Foakes Woakes) would merely be incidental. I don't know whether there are any proper warm-up matches but if so, Jennings may push hard for a place if given a chance.

Addendum from OP:

March 7-9 - Tour match v SLC Board President's XI, Katunayake, CMCG
March 12-15 - Tour match v SLC Board President's XI, Colombo, P Sara Oval

I'd prefer Curran than Woakes with the new ball in SL. Probability is that afterwards, neither will be required while a toss up over the batting.

They may judge after the warm-ups but I suspect Buttler is still being considered as the preferred choice.

Originally Posted by sharky

Surely they need a backup spinner? Hopefully they have the sense to at least take Virdi along for some experience.

They have three spinners plus Root and Denly.

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Ali TT

I'd prefer Curran than Woakes with the new ball in SL. Probability is that afterwards, neither will be required while a toss up over the batting.

They may judge after the warm-ups but I suspect Buttler is still being considered as the preferred choice.



They have three spinners plus Root and Denly.

Oh yeah, I missed Parkinson's name.

[Chin Music]

Originally Posted by Sir Virgs and Zamora

Gutted moeen doesn’t feel he is ready to tour with England again. I wonder if that might mean he is done with the test team. They might decide it is time to move on. It all depends on how they get on, I guess.

Did you see the Dobell interview on cracinfo? As you know, I did think that he needed to be dropped after the Edgbaston game. However the handling by the management appears to have been appalling. In my view, Moeen in his right mind is probably the best spinner England has available, yet to cast him out even from having a central contract for test, even after one admittedly appalling game, is dreadful management.