Apparently we've already lost a 20/20 match to Sri Lanka, and are currently playing an ODI. No-one cares any more, do they.
-
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Pretty much. A muppet for a coach, a nodding dog for a captain and the greatest batsman of his generation ostracised for speaking the truth.
Saying that, it's not often Lasith Malinga goes for 9 an over. -
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Moore coaching record is excellent. One black spot is falling out with a twat who has fallen out with just about everyone else and hasn't scored a run since the India tour.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
I care.
Decent-ish performance by England last night, but what the hell are these new sky blue shirts? Surely they've got to settle on one colour and stick with it. I'd probably go for blue, which seems more appropriate than red, although the latter looks better.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Heh, I was coming on here to ask exactly the same thing...diggedy derek wrote: what the hell are these new sky blue shirts?Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Pietersen missed 1 series against New Zealand, failed in the other, but only Ian Bell scored more than him over the 10 Ashes tests.Etienne wrote: Moore coaching record is excellent. One black spot is falling out with a twat who has fallen out with just about everyone else and hasn't scored a run since the India tour.
We haven't satisfactorily replaced Collingwood yet, never mind Strauss, now we have to replace Trott and Pietersen at the same time. I don't care if people don't like KP, I don't like a lot of people I have to work with, until there is someone clearly better than him he should play.
Moores alienated a number of the squad last time with his methods. I can't imagine he has changed that much, I wonder if there will be naughty boy practice sessions after play this summer.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Only being outscored by Bell in the Ashes and not scoring a run generally are not incompatible, no-one other than Bell scored a run in the Ashes tests. Pietersen has hardly scored a run in any format, can barely run anymore and seems to be in a precipitous decline. Maybe he'll now score pots of runs as a globetrotting t20 player but I doubt it. I think people are upset at losing the Pietersen of the last decade, rather than the current incarnation.
Rather than let him stagger on trumpeting the message that one guy is bigger than the team, better to get rid of him now and work though a fairly easy looking few tests with some newer players.
Moores certainly made mistakes last time, he's said as much himself, but his fantastic record before and since suggests he can learn from it. Not sure who is a better alternative out there - don't think Kirsten fancied it.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
I care too.
A bit like Australia a few years ago, we've lost a number of key players in a short period of time and its therefore hard to keep at the top. However, as much of a prat he's been at times, Pietersen is still a genuinely great player and still can offer much to England, so I'd still pick him until either he calls it a day, or his form falls away so much that he can be dropped.
Paul Downton's comments on all this show that this issue has become a personal one between KP and the ECB/England Management and that does not reflect at all well on them.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Etienne, there's no doubt that he is on the downward curve. Is he making the runs he was 6-10 years ago? No, just the one century in 3 series shows that. Is he still outperforming the majority of the England batting line-up and all of those already unconvincingly tried as replacements for Strauss, Collingwood, Trott and himself? Yes, over the last 2 years he is averaging over 40. Is there anyone not already in the squad capable of replacing these runs at this moment in time? Very doubtful.
Downton's interview was appalling. Every time Agnew asked him a difficult question his stock responses were along the lines of "that was before my time" and "i don't know, you'll have to ask the people involved". For someone running the show, I expected a bit more.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Pietersen probably would score slightly more runs than any younger replacement now, because making the step up to international cricket is tough. So do it now in a relatively easy home series rather than a tough away one or whenever Pietersen next decides to retire from international cricket to spend more time with his sponsors. It bemuses me that when a guy who fell out with natal, South Africa, Nottinghamshire, and Hampshire falls out with the ecb that it's the eye's fault.
I've not heard the interview, but it appears to be ecb policy not to say anything in interviews. I think it's a crap policy but it tells us nothing of the issues involved.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
I understand that, but when England are already going to be playing 3 batsmen in the top 6 that aren't quite ready then maybe they should persevere with KP for one more summer. It's not as if anyone has stood up and made themselves indispensable after recent series against New Zealand and West Indies.
As for the fallings out, there are plenty who have disputed whether he is disruptive, Compton, Carberry, and Vaughan amongst others. If England are only going to pick people who get on with Broad and Prior they are going to be in for some slim pickings.
Listen to the interview, it is available on bbc iplayer. Downton is very forthright until challenged, Giles Clarke must love this characteristic.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
More infighting in the camp? Chef will need his own mate in the squad, someone he can talk to about sheep farming.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
The problem with the KP thing is this confidentiality clause that both parties have signed meaning that we won't find out what really happened until October. We've had this before with KP, no-one knew really what had happened at Headingley in 2012 until Strauss revealed the details in his autobiography. So in the absence of these facts we get a summer of speculation, rumour and negative comments (on both sides). Neither party comes out well though, the ECB clearly can't manage difficult individuals and since his sacking KP has shown himself to be even more narcissistic than anyone thought.
Everything since the Ashes though has shown how conservative English cricket is. No new players coming through (who's the spinner going to be?), a conservative choice of coach, an ODI opening pair that take us back to the 80s. It all smacks of still being run from the MCC Coaching Manual from 1952.
On a lighter note, I received my tickets from Yorkshire CCC for the Test yesterday. I note with some amusement fancy dress (including headgear) is limited to blocks A and B. I expect this will be roundly ignored and people will be turning up claiming they regularly dress as a Roman warrior or in a banana costume.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
A sunny but chilly Durham today. England put Lanka in and are chasing 260. Kula Shaker has just snagged Carberry in the third over. Scoops Dilshan top scored earlier.
Edit: he can't have worked up a sweat- now wearing a wooly hat
Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Huzzah! Dinger Bell wafts outside off stump and we're back in this. 26/2 in the fifth.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
29/4 now, Ballance and Root didn;t last long.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
I expect England supporters will get used to this type of scoreline this summer.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
A disinterested, distracted performance.
Still, the captain's family background is very strong, so there's nothing to worry about.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
DURHAM, Chester le Street
Serendipity 256
Little England 99Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
I've got tickets for the first day of the second India test along with my Indian mate. I have a worrying feeling that he'll be the happier one.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
My oh my.
Lanka skittled out for 67Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Christ, I'd forgotten that it was on. Takes an American to let us know what cricket's going on over here...Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
England get them in 73 balls without losing a wicket. Where's Dunc?Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
Jesus wept, that's a proper mullering and no mistake, This lad Jordan looks increasingly tasty.Comment
-
England's Indian (and Sri Lankan) Summer
I think this is going to the fifth match...Comment
Comment