Cricket

[Shaggy]

Yeah I've heard that too, from someone else (can't remember) and I agree with it. Flower is clearly a very intense bloke and I think that sort of management style takes its toll. A little bit similar to Rafa with us, you maybe have a four year cycle at the most under that type of management. They need to enjoy their cricket again and apparently they are not.

[Chazza]

Dean Wilson was on the radio earlier saying something similar. He was of the opinion that if Flower was going to continue then he would need to change his style from the back to basics flogging them in the nets and weekend boot camps approach he has had so far.

[Shaggy]

Re batting coach, maybe Thorpey or Colly could be given a go. I'd like to see Belly given the role of captain, as unlikely as that is. He is apparently a very forward thinking leader for Warwickshire. Broady is too much of a hot-head, too much of a cunt, to be England captain. Rooty is obviously the future captain but he needs to be left to find his slot in the team and start making runs again.

[Chazza]

Slightly off topic.

Jacques Kallis ended his Test career with a victory as South Africa beat India by 10 wickets in Durban.
The 38-year-old all rounder, who struck his 45th Test century on Sunday, is the third highest Test run scorer, with 13,289 runs from his 166 matches.
Kallis was not required to bat again as South Africa reached their target of 58 soon after tea to win the series 1-0.
Earlier Ajinkya Rahane was the last wicket to fall in India's 223, four short of a maiden Test century.

Kallis Big hole in that side now.

[Shaggy]

An amazing player. You could argue a case for him being the greatest of all time.

[captainfog]

Yeah I've heard that too, from someone else (can't remember) and I agree with it. Flower is clearly a very intense bloke and I think that sort of management style takes its toll. A little bit similar to Rafa with us, you maybe have a four year cycle at the most under that type of management. They need to enjoy their cricket again and apparently they are not.

Flower dismissed the suggestion that his intense leadership style had contributed to England's lacklustre display. Indeed, he insisted that, if anything, he should bring more intensity to the role.

"I think it is 180 degrees inaccurate," he said. "If anything I have relaxed a little in certain ways. If anything, I could bring more intensity and a closer control on certain things."

[Chazza]

Ashes 2013-14: Michael Carberry in no man's land - Stewart

Just when we thought England's Ashes tour couldn't get any worse, they proved that it could with their poorest batting performance to date in the second innings in Melbourne.

For the first time in the series England actually got themselves into a winning position in this Test match, but in the space of 61 overs they managed to throw it all away with possibly the worst display of shot selection I have seen.
I played in many England sides that collapsed horribly but I honestly can't remember as many bad shots or bad decisions as we saw at the MCG.

People can point fingers at the captain, the coach or other members of the England management team but the individual players are the ones who have to take responsibility for their own actions when they are facing the ball.

Alastair Cook spoke openly and honestly after the game. He said the work ethic is there, and I don't doubt that for one minute, but they are not then putting that hard work on the training ground into good effect out in the middle where it matters.

It looks to me now as though they are shot to pieces as they stare down the barrel at a 5-0 whitewash.

So how should the England selectors approach Sydney?

There will be a temptation for a complete overhaul, but remember they can only work with the players who are out there in the squad. It is more likely they will wait until the summer series against Sri Lanka before major decisions are made.

The selectors need to assess the state of mind of every player currently in the team and decide whether they are right to play, or whether being withdrawn from the firing line would actually help England in the long-term. This is what they did with Matt Prior, who I believe will benefit from the chance to recharge his batteries and come back firing in the summer.

The areas I expect them to look at closely are the opening batting slot and the pace attack.

Michael Carberry is a difficult one. He was picked on the back of his reputation in county cricket as a fluent stroke-playing opener and on his performances in the one-day matches against Australia last summer.

He started off positively, but he has gone completely into his shell and is now almost a mirror image of Nick Compton in his last couple of innings before he was dropped.

Why has it happened? Is it because he has got out pulling a couple of times in the first three Tests? I'm sure there is talk in the dressing-room about people putting a higher price on their wickets. That is common sense but it does not mean totally abandoning the tried and trusted ways that have got you runs throughout your career.

In the second innings in Melbourne, Carberry batted for two hours to score 12 runs, with one four. That isn't Michael Carberry batting with the freedom I'd associate with him. At the moment he's in no man's land and doesn't know whether to stick or twist.

The selectors have to decide whether Carberry is still going to be in their plans for the summer or whether they've already decided he hasn't got what it takes to be a Test opener.

If he remains in their thoughts then he should definitely play in Sydney. But if they are already thinking of going in a different direction against Sri Lanka in June then they should move Joe Root back up to open, allowing Ian Bell to go in at three and Gary Ballance to come into the middle order.

I am not in favour of just giving out England caps like confetti, but Ballance has effectively earned the right to play through other people's deficiencies, and it would give the selectors a chance to have a look at him in the Test match environment.

The other change for England to consider is whether one of the three tallest drinks waiters in the world is going to finally get the chance to hold a ball and not just a bottle or a glass.

Aside from Chris Tremlett's solitary outing in Brisbane, none of he, Steven Finn or Boyd Rankin have had a chance to influence the series.
The reason for that is quite simple - they have not bowled well enough, either in the first-class tour matches or in the nets.

At this stage of the tour, however, the selectors may just feel the time is right to give one of the big men a go which would mean one of James Anderson or Tim Bresnan missing out.

Although England will be determined to avoid the ignominy of a second Ashes whitewash in seven years, in many ways whether they lose 4-0, 4-1 or 5-0 is now irrelevant in the bigger picture.

Following the tour, the selectors need to draw a line under the Ashes and start planning for the future.

The first six weeks of the County Championship season should act as a trial, for the England players in possession to try to prove they are still good enough to wear the shirt, or for others such as Sam Robson at Middlesex or Compton at Somerset to force their way into contention.

In the last few weeks, England have let themselves and their supporters down. Let's hope in 2014, they can make us proud of them again.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25547655

[Chazza]

Ashes: Spinner Monty Panesar a doubt for fifth Test in Sydney

England spinner Monty Panesar is a doubt for the final Ashes Test in Sydney because of a calf injury.
Durham leg spinner Scott Borthwick could come in for his Test debut or Kent off-spinner James Tredwell might play after joining the tour party.
England say Panesar, 31, has a "tight calf" and has not been ruled out, but will be assessed at training.
Australia are 4-0 up going into the final Test, which starts at about 23:30 GMT on Thursday.

[Urethra Franklin]

**** Tredwell. They will cart him to all parts.

Don't know anything about this Borthwick cat, but **** it. Play him.

[captainfog]

I think Borthwick would be a disaster. I'm praying Monty is fit.

[Shaggy]

I'm on the Borthwick bandwagon

[Chazza]

The only issue with playing Borthwick is the same situation as when Kerrigan played got carted round the park and dumped.

If he is earmarked as the long term then the one dayers might be a better bet.

[captainfog]

There is no point playing a lad if he's not ready yet because you run the risk ruining his career before it's even begun and Borthwick clearly isn't ready. If he was he would have been knocking on the door in the last 12 months, especially with Swann struggling with injury and Monty's off field problems. If he plays it smacks of desperation. It's a huge gamble.

[Harv]

"Im praying Monty is fit"

Never thought i'd hear those words

[Chazza]

England could give three players their Test debuts in Sydney as they fight to avoid a 5-0 Ashes whitewash at the end of a disastrous tour.
Batsman Gary Ballance, leg-spinner Scott Borthwick and fast bowler Boyd Rankin are all tipped to be included in a rejigged team.
Michael Carberry, Tim Bresnan and Monty Panesar could make way.
Asked whether England could blood three new caps, captain Alastair Cook said: "I think it's possible, yes."

"Settled sides happen when you win games of cricket and perform well," he added.
"When you lose games of cricket and people's performances don't justify selection, then there's going to be lots of changes."
Panesar is struggling with a calf strain after the eight-wicket defeat in the fourth Test in Melbourne, while Carberry has looked almost neutered at times since a promising start at the Gabba seven weeks ago.
With Bresnan failing to find a cutting edge at the MCG, Rankin - one of the three tall pace bowlers England brought on tour but have barely used - will finally be given a chance here in Sydney to impress.
England last gave three men their Test debut eight years ago, when Cook and Panesar were joined by one-cap wonder Ian Blackwell in winning call-ups in India.
Having already batted at six and three, Joe Root would move up to open with Cook, with Ian Bell moving to three, the 24-year-old Zimbabwean-born Ballance at five and Ben Stokes at six.
Cook said: "It gives people an opportunity who might not have played in this series to make a difference.
"That's what is exciting - that they can go, 'If I can score a hundred here, I can play another Test match for England'."
While Australia captain Michael Clarke said he expected Matt Prior to be recalled as wicket-keeper, Cook made it clear that Jonny Bairstow will keep his place at seven, with Borthwick - who scored three first-class centuries for Durham last season - likely to bat at eight.
Clarke felt England missed Prior's experience in Melbourne.

The Sussex player was replaced by Yorkshire's Bairstow for the fourth Test after averaging only 17.83 runs and missing two stumping chances offered by David Warner in the third Test.
However, 24-year-old Bairstow scored only 31 runs at the MCG.
"It's probably not my place to say that - but if I was in England's shoes, I would certainly be getting Matty Prior back into my team ASAP," said Clarke.
"The one player I think England missed last game was Matt Prior - and more so for his leadership and experience.
"That's certainly not having a crack at Bairstow - he's a wonderful talent and has a huge future for England.
"But I think when you're not performing as well as you would like as a team; that senior player - that tough-nosed senior player - helps the group a lot."
Borthwick represents a gamble almost beyond imagining at the start of this series, having been called into the touring party only before Christmas when he was playing grade cricket for Northern Districts in Sydney.
His leg-spin is far from the finished article (last summer his 24 first-class wickets cost 38 runs apiece) but with England's original strategy in disarray his chance has come early.
Australia, in total contrast, may yet be unchanged once again after Clarke hinted that the same XI that has had so much success in the four Tests so far will once again take the field on Friday (23:30 GMT on Thursday).
Cook spoke well in the news conference and was both honest about his own shortcomings and bullish about his team's future.
He said: "When you lose games of cricket and you lose games of cricket like we have, it's a tough place to be as a captain. It does affect people - make no mistake about it, it hurts for me.

"For me to say I'm 100% right would be wrong. I am proud of the way I've handled myself in this series, but I do know I have a hell of a lot to learn as a player and as a captain.
"I do want to continue. I love doing the job. I like the challenges it presents to me. It's a real test of who you are as a person, whether you are up to it or not.
"I wouldn't have changed anything about our preparation coming into this tour and how we've gone about this tour. But I'd change a lot of what has happened in the middle, and that's what counts."
Cook has come in for particular criticism from former Australian great Shane Warne, who has been covering the series for Australian television.
Warne has accused Cook of tactical incompetence and a lack of adventure while being fulsome in his praise of former team-mate Clarke.
But Cook said: "I have to be the man I have to be, I have to be true to me. I can't change because Shane Warne says I need to change totally.
"I can certainly look at his stuff he says, and he might have a point with some of it, but if you listened to everything your mind gets muddled anyway.
"I have to do it the way I think is the right way for me and this England side.
"You have to believe you're making the right decisions. You can't be thinking 'someone in the commentary box might be thinking something else'."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25572213