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Post by Humair on Dec 20, 2016 11:20:43 GMT
The Leach story, if true, is unbelievable. Not sure why they had to release this information and destroy his confidence. Also why would they pick him in the lions squad if there was a concern.
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Post by belleoftheredball on Dec 20, 2016 11:29:27 GMT
Cook really is a classless act. And no, I don't know if he was the leaker, but this is the same petty, temper tantrum throwing, cry baby who whinged for months when forced to give up the ODI captaincy in spite of his general shiteness in the format. From his fondness for killing cute little forest animals for sport to the helmets he sports on his head, I really can't stand the guy and wouldn't doubt this being a part of his CYA strategy. I don't think Leach would've solved their problems though and to suggest that he would have is equally worthless Monday morning quarterbacking IMO. This entire series was a testament to Cook's lack of faith in spinners. I don't think Leach would have been afforded enough overs to make a real impact.
They say a team loss is bigger than any one man, but that doesn't mean a bigger man ought not take the loss FOR the team....
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Post by Mattzo on Dec 20, 2016 13:15:13 GMT
Chris Rogers said that Leach probably wasn't ready for international cricket. After the Kerrigan fiasco not taking Leach was a perfectly understandable decision - not saying right or wrong, but it was understandable. As to the leak, I agree with you all.
Of course Cook lacks faith in spinners. Ali and Rashid have combined figures of 2-343 in 70 overs this match. Which is pathetic. 33 wickets at 45.76 between them this series. Cook's been given very little reason to trust spin since Swann retired. Why would Leach not have been given enough overs? Dawson got plenty.
How dare he want to make his own choice about what helmet to wear.
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Post by belleoftheredball on Dec 20, 2016 13:22:40 GMT
Oh believe me, I'm all against the helmet rule. Rebel cricket is fine by me. But the rules is the rules and the rules should be abided by and not used as a tool for whinging like he did about not being able to see only to be given out after scoring 1. As an Essex fan, it still burns me up. Had his head in that helmet instead of the game.
Dawson was playing the Woakes role. Had Woakes not effed that up, he still would've been in it. I could very easily see Leach going the way of Ansari, Batty and even Rashid. There was one innings when Rashid went almost unused for a long time. (Or maybe it was Moeen, can't remember, don't really care enough to look it up). Seems more likely to me that Leach would've been left out to pasture rather than given an opportunity.
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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Dec 20, 2016 13:31:20 GMT
Can't blame Cook for lack of faith in his spinners. They were pretty shit, especially when compared to the Indian spinners, Leach has prob dodged a bullet by not going in all honesty, unlike Duckett who could well be waiting a long time for another chance. If it was Cook who leaked the info, massively unlikely then he's a dick, but why would he?
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Post by belleoftheredball on Dec 20, 2016 13:39:48 GMT
CYA moment. He was willing to look at anyone BUT himself during the whole ODI captaincy fiasco and flat out refused to change the way he played in that format, I can see him being equally shitty here seeing as how he's under the microscope again. My feelings about it may be a bit irrational, but the ODI and helmet things really left a really sour taste in my mouth for the guy. Agree with you all that he had absolutely no reason to trust the spinners, but outside of Stokes and a few glimpses from Broad the fast bowlers were pretty shite as well. And it's not as though Cook was using attacking field placements or doing anything creative to help his bowlers. He really was rubbish.
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Post by aneesh on Dec 20, 2016 14:08:48 GMT
If Leachy wasn't picked for his bowling action, then revealing the same is the most absurd thing I can ever imagine. It is equally confidence shattering, not having the faith of selectors, as it is to take a battering in the first series he plays. He was picked for Lions however, instead of action rehab.
As for Cook, he, just like every other English or Aussie captain, is poor in managing the spinners. The last serious non-SC captain who was bloody good in captaining the spinners was Michael Clarke. When he chose 4 fast bowlers for a turning deck in Mumbai, it spoke volumes about how much Cook trusts them.
Ali is a solid supporting spinner but cannot be used as the primary bowler like Ashwin or Yasir. Rashid is being chosen purely for his batting ability I think as he isn't even a proper spinner. So unless there is a change in captaincy, Leach wouldn't be selected.
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Post by aneesh on Dec 21, 2016 9:29:20 GMT
"Without being disrespectful, without two gun, world-class spinners, winning in these conditions is going to be hard. In other conditions with our seamers and spinners, who are decent without being completely world-class, we'll compete with anyone. But this is as hard as it gets for this side at the moment." - Alistair Cook
Well, the batsmen such as you need to be useful without being rubbish as well. Moeen, Bairstow and Cook got out playing horrible shots in the last innings. While playing out for a draw, they need to keep in mind that wickets are not to be lost in quick succession, yet they batted like T20.
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Post by Humair on Jan 10, 2017 11:46:47 GMT
England concede 304-4 in first warm-up match, Rayudu with a century for India A and MS Dhoni 68 off 40 in his last match as an Indian captain. Two wickets for Willey and Ball, but Woakes, Rashid and Dawson struggle with the ball.
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Post by waughandpeace on Jan 10, 2017 15:47:42 GMT
Regardless, a win for England by three wickets with an over to spare. Billings & Roy with 50s, Buttler, Dawson and Hales contributing most of the rest. Still 5 wickets taken by an Indian spinner... indeed, one with only 7 wickets to his name in List A stuff before that
Still, the ODI series should be a lot better from an England point of view...
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Post by waughandpeace on Jan 10, 2017 15:48:48 GMT
Although unfortunately, I don't think in the ODIs the India batsmen will just retire on 100 and let someone else have a go...
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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Jan 10, 2017 16:26:21 GMT
Well I never.....didn't think we'd chase 300 with a load of middle overs of spin to contend with, but this England ODI team are made of sterner stuff than in previous years. Hopefully this will be a really well contested series and we can push it close
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Post by pierredelafranchesca on Jan 12, 2017 9:49:43 GMT
Ah, this warm up match not going as promisingly, some decent starts in there but no one converting
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Post by waughandpeace on Jan 12, 2017 14:50:39 GMT
Yep, thumped second time around, even with David Willey at Number 11 and 7 decent bowlers
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Post by aneesh on Jan 13, 2017 10:25:13 GMT
After questions on Cook's future as a test captain with his form taking a battering, the spotlight turns to the next captain, Eoin Morgan. With a double failure in the warm ups and him skipping the Bangladesh tour, it seems likely that England will need to decide on his future as a captain too.
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