What's the point in taking him? He's 36.
If he's playing well, why can't he carry on for a few years? I don't hate the decision I suppose - I'd love us to go back to the swashbuckling style of openers we had previously and Root has probably earned his spot as the anchor in the side over the years, but right now Malan is playing much better than Root, I think I'd at least have him in the squad. Maybe Brook is the new anchor backup?
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
I really don't see the point - we've got loads of young openers and this is a quick (pointless) WI tour then barely any ODI Cricket for yonks. I'd be amazed if he played it again - not a form thing, just time to move on.
With guys like Malan, once you slot him in, then you’ve got to make a team around him because he has only one tempo of a specific kind and that’s not worth it unless he’s world class. When he’s on form, sure but he’s not a guy you’d put down as one of the first names in a rebuild.
Yep. Yet they just gave out 29 contracts to most of them. Terrible from Key, embarrassing call.
Livingstone as a frontline bowler, no idea what is going on. Buttler is horribly out of form. No idea why Jacks hasn’t bowled a few overs.
Yes.
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
That’s a depressing reality check for the state of English spin bowling. Virdi hasn’t played a first class game in more than a year. Matt Parkinson got dropped for Lancashire and has had to move elsewhere and they’ve signed Nathan Lyon. Those were the 2 guys who were coming through a few years back. With Bashir, he’s lucky he’s at Somerset because he’ll play on pitches that develop his game but with Rehan I think England are basically taking it upon themselves to develop him as a spin bowler.
I don’t have a beef with Dawson not getting a call up, that would be very much a situational call up which doesn’t help England, or Dawson really, in the long term. Rather get hammered and develop some younger spinners than get hammered with Dawson in the side, even though that can be risky sometimes too (see: Dom Bess, Simon Kerrigan etc. etc.). I think Rehan will be fine mentally, even if he gets some tap, Bashir probably gets a go when the series is dead which will take some pressure off him. Hopefully they can get Swann with Bashir during the tour.
I didn't actually know Virdi hasn't played in more than a year, that's depressing. Tom Hartley is the other call up, not a great FC average but only 20 games. It will probably be Rehan and Leach playing I imagine.
TBF I think he will be more of a limited overs option for England rather than Tests.
Agreed with that, he just won't get enough games in county cricket and will learn very little. I still think we will do that wrong though, as we'll only take him to places where we think it will spin and he has to learn all conditions if we want a good spinner for the next 10 years or so.
I think the height is interesting too. It’s nice to pick bowlers based on attributes, problem is England are historically bad at developing spinners so just sticking them in and around the test team is not going to magically generate the spinners England need.
