Curtly Ambrose was saying on TMS that he wanted to be an athlete or a basketball player, but his Mum nagged him into playing cricket instead. If that generation of fast bowlers were the more popular sports' cast-offs, it's scary to think what we could have been facing.
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Has there been an increasing identification with or pride in individual islands rather than the WI as a whole, and has that had an effect?Comment
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To return to the earlier discussion, fantasy XIs are all very well but they are exactly that. What is sad to see is a promising young player like Jofra Archer who is evidently more likely to play for England in future.
Edgbaston showed this West Indies team at its worst but they can and have performed better in recent times. Tests in the UAE aren't easy to win*, which they did over the winter (Brathwaite 142* and 60*, Holder 5-30) and they would have had a respectable drawn series in the home return had Shannon Gabriel not lost his head and tried to slog Yasir Shah with 7 balls of the match remaining. Roston Chase has three centuries from his first 10 tests - from what I've seen of his batting in those series he is capable of digging in and batting for long periods.
Yes, they were terrible at Edgbaston but there is some talent in this team. Given the environment the WICB has created for these players over the last 20 years, performances of that nature are hardly surprising. The first class game in the Caribbean is in a dreadful state - see the stats in Kimber's article on how many games these players have played at that level, let alone test matches.
* For the record, England have lost 5 and drawn 1 from their two tours thereComment
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DD- I've heard that said, more so 10 or 15 years ago when the decline might have been seen as temporary.
UA- My basketball question was really based on seeing kids in urban Britain playing it rather than cricket. But of course it'll never get the investment the posh Olympian rowers and equestriennes get...
I was surprised to see at Edgbaston that Kragg Brathwaite has 38 test caps. His equivalent in England has changed 10 or 11 times since Strauss retired. The West Indies lack experience of winning, not of playing.Comment
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I was really responding to the many commentators who use Basketball as the monocausal villain of the decline. I thought it was smart of you to note that the game's popularity has also increased in Britain (and the Antipodes, for that matter).
I don't know about increased identification with individual islands/countries. It was long argued that the cricket team was by far the primary element of joint identity. It seems very natural that would decline in line with the team's performance.
The WICB has been extraordinarily inept and pigheaded, even by the very, very low standards of cricket administrators worldwide.Comment
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Yeah, they don't seem to play Test series that they might win - don't know if that's because those tours don't make any money or they're just shit scared of losing winnable matches. They haven't played Zimbabwe since spring 2013, Bangladesh since autumn 2014, Sri Lanka haven't visited the Caribbean since all the way back in 2008, which was so long ago Murali and Vaas were still going. They win some matches here and there, but largely seem to be spending time getting repeatedly whupped by better teams and players.Originally posted by Duncan Gardner View PostComment
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Two changes for West Indies - Gabriel and Bishoo are in.Comment
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We're not going to be able to conclude much about how Stoneman, Wesley and Malan might fare in Australia from this series, are we.Comment
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Gabriel bags Cook!Comment
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I think the selectors think stoneman will play the Australian pitches better than, say, Jennings so I think, barring a complete failure in these next few tests, he will be in the ashes squad.
Has root lost the toss as England captain yet?Last edited by Jon; 25-08-2017, 10:50.Comment
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Ooo er.Comment
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In a few years time I'll see Westley in a county match and go "remember that time he played for England?"Comment
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37 for three!Comment
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Where was that graph I had of England's inconsistency in Tests..?
(edit, here, though it's missing two wins from SA and WI)
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Root dropped. A straightforward slip catch.Comment
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Better from WI, same as it ever was from England, but this has been proper new ball bowlingComment
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Was just watching that drop while a colleague was waiting to ask me a question. He thought our entire system must have collapsed from the horrified facial expressions I was making. Much as I always want England (and Notts) to win everything, ambarrassing cricket still embarrasses me.Comment
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Sheeeeesh.Comment
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Ah well, who needs a top order anyway?Comment
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Poor as it may be, is anyone else reading the score as 71-1, because we've only lost 1 batsman that I wan't expecting?
For the Ashes, Hameed (as stated on every page of this thread so far) at 2, Hales at 3 (He'll score a double century in one innings, and get out in single figures in the other 9, but I've run out of options), and give Ballance a try at 5.
Sorry, I know I'm always going on about giving players a chance, I'm just pissed off.Comment
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Hameed should be taken in the squad if he's in any sort of form. Interesting TMS convo where Vaughan is saying if Malan, Wesley etc have not made a score, they should take Hales, because at least he's used to touring, which I think is a reasonable, if depressing, argument.Comment
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Well, this sight screen / advertising board farce is quite funny.Comment
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Strong chance the magic threesome will all get another bat this match, though.Comment
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Still think stoneman will get a nod. Whether he'll play down under is uncertain but I think he'll make the squad. pebble is right. In this series, being three or down for England is not the calamity it might be given a) the players were were out and b) the strong middle order that is to come.Comment
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