Ashes squad

[CM]

Named tomorrow.

I see the squad looking like...

Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell,
Andrew Flintoff(*), Chris Read+, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar. Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones+, Ashley Giles, James Anderson, Stuart Broad

Reserves: Butcher, Shah, Dalrymple, Plunkett, Onions.

All in all I don't think the team is that much weaker than it was a year ago, talent wise it may even be a bit stronger?

The changes from the side that won the ashes are Cook for Vaughan. Read for Geraint. Mahmood for Simon Jones and Monty for Giles.

Cook is a more consistent scorer than Vaughan.
Read is a better keeper than Jones and is getting a few decent scores with the bat.
Panesar looks a lot better than Giles.
Mahmood isn't as good as SJones but he does have potential, hes getting the ball up at 93mph and can swing it, if he gets it right then he will be a threat.

The only area I would be a bit concerned about is the captaincy. Strauss or Flintoff. None have convinced me a great deal. I just have a gut feeling that giving it to Fred would be the better option, hes a big match player and will undoubtedly keep the troops fired up

 

[joe501]

Is Flintoff fully fit?

 

[Scarby]

england england england

 

[glyn]

Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell,
Andrew Flintoff(*), Chris Read+, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar. Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones+, Ashley Giles, James Anderson, Stuart Broad

Reserves: Butcher, Shah, Dalrymple, Plunkett, Onions.

I think they'll pick Plunkett instead of Broad for both the Champions Trophy which annoys me not because of any loyalty to Broad but the fact that Plunkett has been injured and was terrible in the ODIs. He's not good enough to warrant taking when not 100%, neither is Anderson for the tests (take him for the ODIs though).

 

[CM]

There are still a few doubts over Fred. He isn't fit enough to bowl yet but will probably play in the champions trophy as a specialist batsman.

I'm not entirely sure Broad would go either, I think if everyone was fit he would be nowhere near the squad but I do think he has a good chance of getting included. Anderson, Plunkett, Flintoff and Harmison are all carrying some kind of knocks at the mo. It would make sense for us to pick at least one reserve seamer whos played a lot of cricket this year be it Broad or Onions.

 

[Hazzman]

I be honest, I dont think Broad should go, the lad need a rest. If they do take him, I wouldnt play him.

I can see him having a good Champions Trophy and them going for him.

I hope Anderson can make a similar impact to what Jones did in Australia last time we were here.

 

[CM]

I hope Anderson can make a similar impact to what Jones did in Australia last time we were here.

Seriously? You want him to tear all his interior ligamants in his right knee after an hour of play on the first morning's test?

 

[Hazzman]

Seriously? You want him to tear all his interior ligamants in his right knee after an hour of play on the first morning's test?

For him to the 59 minutes of what Simon Jones did in the last Ashes tour. The Aussies were shittin themselves

 

[Orifice]

Broad to stay at home.

England squad for Ashes tour: A Flintoff (captain, Lancashire, 62 Tests), A Strauss (Middlesex, 31 Tests), M Trescothick (Somerset, 76 Tests), A Cook (Essex, 9 Tests), K Pietersen (Hampshire, 18 Tests), I Bell (Warwickshire, 18 Tests), P Collingwood (Durham, 15 Tests), C Read (Nottinghamshire, 13 Tests), S Mahmood (Lancashire, 5 Tests), S Harmison (Durham, 45 Tests), M Hoggard (Yorkshire, 58 Tests), M Panesar (Northants, 10 Tests), G Jones (Kent, 31 Tests), A Giles (Warwickshire, 52 Tests), J Anderson (Lancashire, 13 Tests), L Plunkett (Durham, 6 Tests).
England squad for Champions Trophy: A Flintoff (captain, Lancashire), J Anderson (Lancashire), I Bell (Warwickshire), R Clarke (Surrey), P Collingwood (Durham), J Dalrymple (Middlesex), S Harmison (Durham), E Joyce (Middlesex), S Mahmood (Lancashire), J Lewis (Gloucestershire), K Pietersen (Hampshire), C Read (Nottinghamshire), A Strauss (Middlesex), M Yardy (Sussex).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/5333960.stm

 

[CM]

Broad to stay at home.

Not quite, he is in the academy squad that will be in Australia at the same time. I was a bit concerned about us having two reserve seam bowlers who are both currently crocked but if there are 14 players based in Perth at the same time then its less of an issue.

Academy squad: Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Rikki Clarke, James Dalrymple, Steven Davies, Ed Joyce, Robert Key, Jon Lewis, Graham Onions, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Tom Smith, Chris Tremlett, Michael Yardy.

Quite a decent squad, now its down to the medical people to make sure that it is fully fit in 2 months time.

 

[Orifice]

Quite a decent squad, now its down to the medical people to make sure that it is fully fit in 2 months time.

Chances are that the full squads won't remain injury free for the full duration. I think that the reserve set-up is almost as crucial as the main squad.

Can' wait. Well, that's a lie but there you go.