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Episode 138: Does England's Reset Amount to Zero · Death by Multimedia

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You're listening to the Casual man cutter on thoughts from the
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metal Cavern. England's 2021 test record was
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one of the bleakest in the history of test Cricket though,
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arguably. Also one of the toughest they
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lost the Series in India where few teams have won over the past
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30 years, they then lost a home Series against New Zealand who
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were then crowned, as well, test Champions and found themselves
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behind in a home series against India before covid issues.
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Put paid to the final test of that series.
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They then headed to Australia where they have won.
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Only one series since 1987 and duly lost for zip in between
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that they were beaten in. The semi-finals of the T20 World
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Cup a tournament, they had all been expecting to win.
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All in all very little went right over that 12 month.
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Period. And it was obvious to most that
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something had to change. If they were to put a halt to
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the bleeding and start to climb back out of the cellar.
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One of the questions requiring answering is, do they have the
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depth of plays in the red ball game to do that?
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And just how will the England selectors or select or go about
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that? Well that was the answer this
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week with the announcement of the test Squad to travel to the
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West Indies for their three test series.
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And it's fair to say that it has caused some controversy.
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So with Australia currently more concerned about sacking
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successful coaches today, we'll have Have a quick look over the
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squad, that England has selected and discuss.
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Whether or not the changes that have been made are sending the
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team in the right direction or if it is just shuffling deck,
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chairs on the Titanic. So that is today's discussion on
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the casual mean quatre on the podcast that professes to have
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some idea on certain issues, thoughts from the middle cabin.
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Good idea. And thanks for joining me.
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Once again, as I ramble on about Cricket that I obviously have no
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facts about that. I'll give you my opinion because
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I like to talk about Cricket. So we currently have a
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situation, where England are going to the West Indies,
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they've had no victories in cricket for some time.
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And they need to make a stand. Now, what's the best way to go
3:08
about that? I guess, in some ways, they had
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to do what they did, which was they've moved on Ashley Giles as
3:16
the head of cricket and they've moved on Chris.
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Silverwood, is the coach and I guess given the fact that they
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had had a pretty ordinary 12 to 18 months, I didn't have much
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choice in doing that, they brought back Andrew Strauss as
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the interim head of cricket. And they've installed Paul
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Collingwood is Interim, coach to go to the West Indies.
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They've also retained J root as Captain.
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Now whether that he's the right man, for the job is probably not
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as important as the fact is, is there anyone else who can do the
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job and in the current England team?
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Probably the only people who could do the job would be
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firstly, Ben Stokes who has only just returned to Cricket after
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having some time off for injury and mental health issues and
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things like that. And he's also said that he is
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not willing to take on that role more or less.
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Probably the only other guy who is in the running to be captain
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of England is Stuart broad, Stuart broad isn't going to the
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West Indies so there wasn't much Choice than to stick with Jared.
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Despite the fact that he's record is fairly ordinary.
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He's had his critics none more so than Ian Chapel if you listen
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ABC radio. But I certainly believe that
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there are other English pundits out there, who believe that, the
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job that rude does on the field, probably isn't good enough to
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continue in the role again though.
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If you don't pick him, who do you pick?
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And that's where they've stuck at the moment.
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So England picked a 16-man squad to go to the West Indies and
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that was chosen by Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood as
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is the way with English Cricket at the moment.
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Generally it's been the recent times has been just the coach
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which is completely wrong but you've heard me say that before.
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And so those two along with James Taylor, the former England
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batsman with a three, who sat down and chose this squad, So,
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they had to come up with, I guess some changes from the
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squad that came to Australia and some changes from the squad that
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had played in England. Last their last summer, in order
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to find a way to stop this losing streak, So from the squad
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that toured Australia, eight men have missed out on this next
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tour. Now, I guess if you've lost for
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nil and you were losing 2-1 to India in England and you'd Lost
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the series news and you had to expect some changes, but are
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they all correct? I guess is the best way to put
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it. So the players who toured
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Australia, who are not going to the West Indies include, Jimmy
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Anderson, and Stuart Broad. Just Butler.
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Rory Burns had seen her, need David malan, donbass and also
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seeing Billings who came into the squad to fill in his keeper
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for that last test in Hobart. So I think some of these are
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straightforward emissions and people coming back in and I
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guess when you look at it, adjust Butler wasn't automatic
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Miss for this tour. He just hasn't done the job that
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England required of a wicketkeeper batsman and given
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that they keep picking as the we could keep up.
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Because they expect him to score runs and he has failed to score
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runs at a test level for a very long time.
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It's surprising it took this long for them to get this
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mentality around. Round them, that he's not the
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right person for the job, and the person that should have had
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in this position all along, in, my opinion is been folks, and
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he's the guy who's been picked a gauge of the West Indies.
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He's probably the best gladman of all the ones in.
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England of tried a certain times, which is Butler.
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And they've now try Billings, have obviously tried bairstow in
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the past and I guess in the long run, there's no guarantee that
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folks will actually be the keep it because best I was still in
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the squad and they could will go back to him to being the keeper.
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Ben which in my eyes would be an error.
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I think Ben fakes is the best person and he's shown they can
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bat and of all their wicketkeeper, batsman.
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He I think he still has the best average as a batsman in test
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Cricket. Once again though, England have
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made the mistake for many years of not, picking their best
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glove, man to be the wicketkeeper and it's cost them
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in a costume in Australia. Butler took a couple of
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screamers as we all know, but he also dropped some cities that
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cost them in the long run. So that was an obvious change
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that England had to make Rory Burns and has super.
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Mead have had a long time at the top of the order and their 12
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months has been awful. And so their problems, the top
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of the order have stretched probably.
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Since Andrew Strauss, retired Strauss and cook was the opening
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here then and then for 10 years, I've been looking for someone to
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replace Strauss The top of the order as a partner for Alistair
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Cooke and then of course, Alastair cook has now retired
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some two or three years ago and they're still trying to find
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people to replace at the top of the order.
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No one. In fact, probably Rory Burns has
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had the longest stint at the top of the order.
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He's had probably two years now and still hasn't been able to
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nail down his position. So they're going to have to go
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in a different direction. Again, there's that Crawley
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looks like he'll be given a run at the top of the order after
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having succeeded out. The last couple of tests.
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And Alex Louise has been brought into the squad, he was the
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captain of The A Team that came to Australia as well and he has
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good reports as an opening batsman.
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So, well, the pressures on now, the opposition is opened.
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He's been given a chance and no doubt he'll need to score runs
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if he wants to hold his position.
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And also, I guess the fact that Sam Billings was only in the
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team as a replacement is the reason he isn't going on the
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tool. But now let's talk about the
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others who have been left out and their Replacements and how
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that is going to affect the team going forward that out Along on,
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but he needs to be 25 seats, back.
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Probably the biggest controversy, not necessarily in
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my eyes but certainly, For most Cricket followers, is the fact
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that Jimmy Anderson and Stuart broad had both been left out of
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the squad now, both Collingwood in stress of command.
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Saying oh no doesn't mean it's the end of their test career,
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but we're going to go down a different direction and try
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something. Yeah, I think we all agree that
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they have been fantastic Bowlers in test cricket and that both of
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them were completely mismanaged in Australia.
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And when they should have played at what test matches, they
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should have played and how they should have been.
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Utilized. And that comes the into the
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selector on board, which was the coach, but also the captain, who
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obviously must have had some sort of input into which test
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they would play. And so we've been over how that
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was completely Miss. Manage the problem being that.
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If you look at the bowling averages from the test series
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out here in Australia, Anderson was first in the averages and
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Broad was third. And when it comes to taking
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wickets that's a different story, but Anderson played three
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tests. And averaged took eight wickets.
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At twenty-three point. Three seven, his economy rate
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was under two broad plan, three tests also, took 13 wickets at
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twenty six point three and he's economy was under three.
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And you had all the other guys. They're like, like Chris works
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for institute has been picked in the squad, took six wickets in
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three tests at 55, so and yet he is going to the West Indies
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again now, I don't really understand that.
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Walks in about 10 days, will turn 33 years of age.
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And if you're going to talk about Anderson and broads age
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and 33 years of age, as a fast bowler or a fast medium bowl, or
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a meeting fast bowler for someone, whose average 55 on the
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previous tool, it seems like a really strange decision to keep
11:19
him in the squad. And yet let these other to stay
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at home now whether they want to use management issues or the
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fact that they say that they're not, they haven't been
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successful in the West Indies or that Any other reason they wish
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to use it just smacks of this organization.
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And I understand that they want to go in a New Direction.
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They've got to find, they need to find you fastballs, there's
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no doubt about that. These two can't last forever,
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and in the long run. Is it still going to be a
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successful tool if those to go? Would they decide it for three
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test series that they weren't going to play all three tests,
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there are any play to. They could only play one and
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they needed to have Bolas over there who they knew could do the
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job for three tests. I don't know.
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And it hasn't really been explained all.
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We know is that for a start, the two people in question, are not
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particularly happy with the fact that they haven't been picked to
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go on that tool and Apart from that, we all know that Holly
12:19
Robinson is going on the tool. Now Holly Robinson has shown
12:21
himself to be a terrific fast bowler for one spill.
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So unless he is going to completely change his Fitness
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and his ability and his stamina to go longer than one spell a
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day, then it's a waste of time. Anus and brought both could Bowl
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more than that and do this. Do a much better job in there.
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S bills then what Ali Robinson has shown in Australia, he could
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do Mark Wood is a terrific summer in Australia and showing
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that he's ability to not get injured every time he bowled has
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improved and he's going to be pretty handy over there.
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But what are they going to do? For the rest of the bowling
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attack. Now, they've picked two young
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fast Bowlers to tour instead of Venus in a bra and that is sucky
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Mahmood and Matthew Fisher. Now, I'm a mood has played out
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here in the big bash and he's showing good pace and he looks
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like he's as a A likely person to be a fast bowler.
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Matthew Fisher. I know nothing about.
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We also have, of course, apart from that we have Craig Overton
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who didn't play a test in Australia, who has been hanging
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around waiting for his chance and didn't get a chance and he's
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shown that he's good enough in the past.
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But again, I one or two session boldly.
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He's not a 3 session. Bhalla five-day Bola by the
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looks of it unless he's changed. So England's fast bowling attack
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is going to require a bit of tweaking as to who they pick and
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you expect that wood and Robinson will be the first to
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picked. So they need to find one other
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fast bowler, I guess to support those two through all three
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tests and how much they actually change their bowling attack
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around per test. Whether it's a horses for
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courses, we're going to rest bowls, I don't know.
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But the balling that's going to be backing those two up.
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If I mean it's if wokes is going to be picked, is he going to get
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wickets? If he couldn't get it in
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Australia. I know they're using the Dukes
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ball over in this series, which you would think of the using a
14:24
jig small, who would be the best to have out there buying with
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the Dukes ball are hang on. We haven't picked them.
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It's a strange time not to go with those two experienced
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Bowlers to at least be in the tour Squad and be there if
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they're required. On the other hand, let's look at
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the bedding. And something England did four
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years ago. They've done again for years
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ago. David malan, toured Australia.
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It's got a fantastic Century in Perth and looked a very likely
15:07
test batsman. Now he's output towards the end
15:10
of that series fell away. And then we have three months
15:13
later, England dropped him and he didn't play another test
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until last year. And he came into the England
15:20
side. And once again looked solid at
15:22
number 3, Suddenly, he made England, look a lot better with
15:27
their batting in that top order with himself coming at 3:00 and
15:31
root coming in at 4:00. So he came to Australia, he's
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done the same job. Now, he scored two 50s in the
15:36
first two tests. And then again, his output
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declined in the last three tests.
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Much like everybody, to be honest.
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And yet, he still finished fourth in the averages, the any
15:49
average 24.4. He's good 250s of which only J
15:55
rude, better him. And now we find that he's out of
15:59
the team. Completely again, when here's a
16:02
guy who looks a likely guy a lot like batsman, who's going to
16:07
provide some stability at the top of that order.
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Now he could also open if necessary.
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But now he's gone from the squad completely.
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It seems a really a waste of a guy who obviously got some
16:20
talent to give him that short period again and then get rid of
16:25
him. For the sake of our, we've still
16:29
got Johnny best are we going to get back in there because he's
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suddenly scored a century? So he's obviously going to be a
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fantastic again. Which how many times is he
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disappointed people in the past it just Let's get on top of
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that. Ali Pope has been retained now.
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Only Pope came out here and play three tests and averaged 11 with
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the bat. Now I get that, he's a young
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kid, I get that. They looking into him as a
16:52
future, but who at the moment? Would you pick in your team if
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you had to choose between those two?
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I don't think anyone would pick Ali paper in front of David
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malan and yet my Lines been Expendable and Pope has stayed.
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Then we got Joe root who has suddenly come out in the Press
17:10
saying yes I am going to take on the role at number three.
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I feel ready and committed to take on batting at number three,
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this is the same guy who for years has avoided batting at
17:21
number three, even though he has been nominally.
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The best batsmen in England side, is the guy who should be
17:27
batting at three and he has avoided as much as he possibly
17:31
can. And now suddenly he's going to
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put his hand up and say, oh, it's alright.
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I'll bet it three again. Is this been part of Milan goes.
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So route has been told yesterday three.
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I don't know, but it's, or is it just that I'm facing the West
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Indies? And I'm not.
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So scared of batting at number three when I'm facing the West
17:52
Indies, rather than when I'm facing New Zealand or India or
17:55
Australia, it just seems really strange.
18:00
So obviously, as I said, both the openers have gone.
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Alex Louise comes in he looks like he's a chance.
18:06
Then, Lawrence is still in this corner.
18:08
Darren Lawrence. Has implied a taste in all in
18:11
Australia didn't again. He was and like another one
18:14
who's the bowl of donbass? Neither of these two guys played
18:17
a test match in Australia and yet, Dan Lawrence.
18:21
He's staying in there, that's great.
18:23
He's still part of the team is part of the squad.
18:25
Don best doesn't get a game. Jack Lew each plays, Jack
18:29
Lucha's record in the test matches was fairly ordinary 6
18:32
wickets at 53.5. Exactly stays in the squad.
18:37
Don Best. Go back to England and now
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they've brought in a young leg Spinner by the name of Matt
18:44
Parkinson. Who has been on one tool before
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but hasn't played test Cricket yet.
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So how do you feel if your dorm best if you just can't get a
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game? And yet you're Expendable from
18:54
the next Squad that again, that doesn't make any sense either.
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So I know that England are looking for a reset.
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They're looking to find answers as to how they overcome this
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consistent loss of test Matches. But is this kind of varied sort
19:12
of selection capability? Is that the right way to go?
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In the long run. What does this squad that
19:34
they've taken to the West Indies show with English cricket?
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It shows that in the long run, they don't have much to go
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within the still going to rely on the majority of the players
19:47
that they have had in their squad over the last two, three,
19:51
four years. They need to find 2 opening
19:54
batsman. They be hoping the exact Crowley
19:56
will fit that bill, and it Alex leaves can fit in behind him a
19:59
fruit bats at 3:00, does that mean that we're going to expect
20:03
the great all-rounder, Ben, Stokes to bed at 4:00.
20:07
Now unfortunately, this B, the fact that he has won a couple of
20:11
test matches off his own bat. He doesn't do that consistently
20:16
and he's batting average in test Cricket is still below 35.
20:20
So expecting that he's going to be going to come out and just do
20:24
the job as a batsman in the top border, I think is misguided.
20:30
Then you have to figure out who's going to bed in that
20:31
middle order. So Johnny Bear stay you would
20:33
expect is one of those guys who do we have coming in at 6:00?
20:39
And then we have a problem there where they have the keeper who
20:44
has to bet it is going to bed at 6:00, or he's going to bed at.
20:46
7:00 is Ali. Pope kind of bed at 6:00.
20:49
Is that going to be his spot? Does Dan Lawrence, get a chance
20:52
to bat in that top order as an all-rounder come batsman, the
20:57
batting is still really, really A thin and you can't change
21:01
that, no matter how many changes you make, if you haven't got the
21:03
batting depth then you can't improve that team and that's
21:07
where England's problems are going to lie, more than anything
21:09
else with the bowling. As I said, you can expect it
21:13
would and Robinson probably works again to be in their top
21:17
three seamers, you've got Jack Lew, choose going to be the
21:22
spinner. You can't believe that they're
21:24
going to throw this young Matt Parkinson in front of him
21:26
anytime soon. So the bowling still has that
21:30
same similar feel to it. And despite the fact that would
21:33
was excellent in Australia, Robinson was good in those first
21:38
spills, but beyond that, he was almost useless.
21:41
Wokes had a very ordinary tour of Australia.
21:43
Does the change of ball, just make him more dangerous or do
21:47
you have to start getting Craig over to go if you have to throw
21:51
so keep so Mahmood into the team.
21:57
Is a lot of problems for England still, and if they lose the
22:00
series in the West Indies and they've only won in the West
22:03
Indies once since 1968, even though the West Indies have gone
22:07
through this period of the last 20 years where they have been
22:10
completely and utterly weak as a test Nation, England are still
22:15
only won once there since 1968. So I can't see how this squad
22:23
that England of chosen are going to be any better.
22:26
So what does that mean for the future of English Cricket when
22:29
they gave back to England to play the next Home Series in a
22:32
few months time? Well, it means that there are
22:35
going to have to be a lot of kids that they hope do very
22:38
well. In first class Cricket in the
22:42
county Championship to start jumping out of the ground to
22:48
revisit this team. Me too to refresh England's red
22:54
ball Cricket. It's not a short-term solution.
22:58
They have got to spend probably the next two years at least
23:02
trying to find a way to rebuild this team because once Henderson
23:06
abroad go and woods getting on the bowling is going to be
23:11
subject to problems. And the batting is still a
23:16
problem, even when they bring any young kids in.
23:18
Because I just don't seem to All the score enough runs to hold
23:21
their position or to win test matches.
23:24
So English Cricket as a Red Bull team have got some major major
23:28
problems going forward and finding the right coach for a
23:33
start. They need to find someone who's
23:35
eventually going to be the next Captain and hey as an Australian
23:45
you want English, cricketer Beauty reasonably tough and
23:49
reasonably successful. But in the long run as an
23:53
Australian supporter. Do I minding the losing not at
23:57
all. But I, well, that's enough for
24:12
me on this Edition. Again, this is gripped up and go
24:16
on much longer than I actually expected that it would sometimes
24:21
my rambling. Gets even more rambley.
24:23
A as I get along. I hope that some of the
24:27
information that I managed to get out was interesting and
24:30
useful to anyone who's listening.
24:32
And if you've got any other thoughts on the matter, feel
24:36
free to contact me through the usual channels.
24:39
And perhaps I can use that for the next time I come back for
24:42
this marvelous web podcast of the Casual man cutter on
24:48
thoughts, from the middle cabin. Cheers.
24:55
Your story walking pal, Australia, right on top of the,
24:58
I love them. All, you have been listening to
25:03
a metal Cavern production Your story walking pal, Australia,
24:58
right on top of the, I love them.
24:59
All, you have been listening to a metal Cavern production