So Christmas has come and gone faster than a Phil Tufnell innings. Santa brought me everything I wanted – my new Alastair Cook calendar is hanging proudly on my office wall – but what will the next twelve months bring?
This year is a massive one for English cricket – both massive in size (the exhaustive schedule suggests the ECB care more about revenue than player welfare) and massive in the sense that it could make or break a number of careers. Will Cook, Moores and Downton still have their jobs this time next year?
To put it bluntly, the fixture list is enough to make England supporters soil themselves. There are three tests in the Windies in April, after which it’s basically one frightening challenge after another …
There are two tests in May against a very dangerous New Zealand team, the Ashes reunion with Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson in July/August, a daunting trip to the UAE to play three tests against Pakistan in October, and then perhaps the toughest test of all: four tests against the Cricketboks in the winter.
A pessimist would be tempted to throw in the towel at this point and abandon all hope. However, I’m feeling a little bullish today; therefore I’m prepared to countenance something other than a 0-14 whitewash. England might not be as strong as we were a couple of years ago, but we do have some good young players – and the interesting thing about young players is they can be unpredictable.
Consequently, having thought about the upcoming series long and hard, I’ve come to the following conclusion: I have absolutely no idea what will happen in 2015. My crystal ball is misfiring. You might as well ask Krystle Carrington.
The problem is we’d don’t really how strong England are. Predicting what will happen in the World Cup is easy – we’ll either get knocked out in the quarter or semi finals – but the test team is another caldron of turbot. We could have a brilliant young team on our hands or a hastily compiled rabble ripe for implosion. Only time will tell.
With the exception of Cook, Bell, Anderson and Broad, the England side is exciting but entirely unproven. The likes of Ballance and Moeen have shown promise, but they haven’t been tested against proper international class bowling yet: neither Sri Lanka nor India have attacks anywhere near as good as Australia, Pakistan, South African or even a rapidly improving New Zealand outfit.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Gary and Mo prospered (as they’ve clearly got talent) but on the other hand they could be blown away. The same goes for the rest of the batting line up with the possible exception of Ian Bell, who usually plays a few sublime innings a year but probably isn’t capable of carrying the whole side on his shoulders.
Then there’s Joe Root. I am one of Root’s biggest supporters. I think he looks as solid as a rock in the middle-order, and I don’t see too much wrong with his technique; I also like his temperament and fighting qualities. However, we can’t ignore the fact Root struggled in Australia when the standard of cricket improved. Was it simply because he was opening, or was it because he was out of his depth at the very top level? I suspect it’s the former but I can’t be sure.
The are also big questions about the openers. I have no idea whether Alastair Cook will ever become a solid test opener again. Were his problems in 2014 (and 2013 to a certain extent) mental – a combination of pressure and fatigue – or has he simply been found out?
Here’s some food for thought concerning Chef: he averages less against New Zealand (38), Australia (40), Pakistan (36) and South Africa (41) than he does against all the other test sides. It’s almost as if the schedule has been designed to finish him off. He’ll need some runs in the Caribbean or it could be a horrific year for our embattled leader.
Then we move on to the bowling. Anderson and Broad remain quality, proven, test class bowlers when fully fit. I’ve italicised those last few words for a reason: can we actually rely on them to stay fit in 2015? Both are currently recovering from operations.
Anderson will have to be wrapped in cotton wool if he’s going to survive 2015’s torrid schedule. Meanwhile, we all know that Broad is ineffective unless he’s one hundred per cent healthy and in rhythm.
Moores will need to be strong with Broady. He’ll want to play every match as he’s a determined sod, but I doubt this will be possible. Occasionally the staff must save Stuart from himself and only let him play if he’s absolutely right – otherwise he’ll exacerbate his problems, aggravate injuries and miss more time down the road.
I wouldn’t worry so much about Broad’s fitness if the support bowling was stronger. I have big doubts about Jordan, Finn and Woakes becoming consistent performers at test level. I know the latter has improved a little, but I doubt he’ll test the world’s best batsmen.
England really need someone like Overton or Mills to develop quickly and add real pace and menace to the attack. The problem is, I can’t see this happening as early as 2015.
Thankfully the spin bowling department looks a little more settled. I expect Moeen to do a decent job and hold his own. Comparisons to Nathan Lyon are fair: England could do with someone a little better than Mo, but we could do a whole lot worse too. Overall, I think spin bowling is the least of our worries right now. At least we know what to expect.
So bearing all this in mind, how do you think 2015 will go? Although it’s incredibly difficult to say (and I’m extremely tempted to sit on the fence) it isn’t fair for me to ask you guys for opinions while I prevaricate indefinitely; therefore I’m going to offer a few bold predictions … all of which I have no confidence in whatsoever.
England will beat the Windies 2-0.
England will lose to New Zealand 0-1
England will win the Ashes 2-1 (mainly because Ryan Harris has a dodgy knee and I’ve perfected the art of voodoo)
England will lose in the UAE 0-2
England will lose in South Africa 1-2 (our win will be a consolation victory)
I know it’s a tad controversial to predict an Ashes victory but I’m not entirely convinced by Australia at the moment. They’re a pretty good side of course, but with Clarke’s future in doubt and a lot riding on the form and fitness of Harris and Johnson, I can see a repeat of 2009 – a series that Australia dominated (in terms of having the leading wicket takers and runs scorers) but ultimately lost.
If England get the rub of the green, win the important tosses and play well enough in crucial sessions, it could happen all over again. And of course, if England beat the Aussies then Cook, Moores and Downton will probably survive the year.
What do you think?
James Morgan
It’s a real Catch-22 situation…
As you say a good year in terms of results will result in the bad news of at least 2 of Cook, Moores and Downton still being in their jobs this time next year.
Anybody else prefer short term pain for longer term gain? I would so long as a young team continues to show signs of progress…
I don’t buy this “short term pain for long term gain” argument at all.
Presumably the problem with Moores is that most of you think he’s not up to the job? If England are winning matches, he answers that question.
As for the larger ECB questions, the declining participation rates are a real worry. A World Cup and an Ashes year is guaranteed to get the game front and centre – and nothing will do more for participation rates than a generation of young kids seeing us win back the Ashes, hopefully playing an exciting brand of cricket.
I’m not saying any of this will happen of course – and if it doesn’t then let’s hope accountability takes its course. But I can’t be dealing with those who want England to lose, or Cook to fail. We may well get another year of poor results and angst – to actively wish for them is the height of destructive perversity, IMO.
Quite right Kev. Why punish the kids because you disapprove of the prevelant family structure.
England will lose everything – 1-0 in WI, 1-0 v NZ, 3-1 v Aus
Moen will end up as a no 8 until he stops taking wickets. Bell will struggle through to the Oval and be gone.
Every seamer worth a look will have a shout by the end of the summer (shades of ’89). Tremlett will get a game.
Nick Compton will be the leading the runscorer in the Ashes, leading to lots of finger-pointing and refs to his Grandad. Cook will be second. Cook will survive as captain because Root will poor and dropped by the fourth Test. Stokes will “go Botham” and win the Oval Test on his recall
Moores and his mob will bugger off in September. Gillespie and Collingwood will come in.
England will win 2-1 in SA under A. Cook who will be the leading runscorer.
If England somehow manage to do well at the world cup (semi finalists perhaps?) and Cook continues to really struggle with the bat he could easily find himself in a position where he could become a thing of the past, yesterdays man, if you like. Should this happen i can’t see him being in charge come the ashes.
It’s been a while since I’ve had any sort of opinion on English crIcket. all the business over Cook and that overly showy South African fellow who’s name escapes me has left me very weary of the whole show. I find it very hard to get excited about a set up that so clearly cares little or nothing for its supporters. After our victory in Australia that seems so long ago, I genuinely thought that the England set up had worked it out, that they understood that without the fans they were pointless. Since then they seem to have gone about systematically dismantling that good will. They have jettisoned Some very good players and seem to be only concerned with chasing the money.
I predict that 2015 will bring more of the same. Under strength sides will play the windies and the kiwis and will Probably draw both series. We will either lose or draw the ashes series meaning Australia will retain the urn and an under strength side will lose to Pakistan in a series that few will watch and less will care about. South Africa will beat us without breaking a sweat and as for the World Cup, I won’t be watching, mainly because I can no longer afford the subscription. The race for the pound has priced me out of the market. At the start of 2011 that would have been tragic to me, I would have genuinely mourned the loss. Now? I will spend the time with my kids and do other things which I am grateful for. So in summary, I will watch lots of cricket in the coming year. None of it will be on the TV, all of it will be local and live. I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone do the same. Get out and support your local club, they will be very very grateful and will always welcome you. Much more than can be said for the national set up.
I’m predicting a pretty up and down year – with the dips in form that you get from an inexperienced side. I think our best could be pretty good, but there will be some very bad days thrown in. I only see one series win though – so whether that’s enough to save Moores’ job remains to be seen. My predictions are more pessimistic than James’ but I think we’ll play some good cricket – but like most young sides, we won’t quite be able to take opportunities as they arise.
West Indies W2-0
New Zealand D1-1
Australia D2-2
Pakistan L0-3
South Africa L0-2
Results don’t look too good, but I think we’ll be competitive – except in the UAE, where our demons against spin will haunt us. That said, I reserve the right to change that prediction if Saeed Ajmal doesn’t play :)
Cook will come good in the Caribbean but quality attacks will wear him down over the summer. By the end of the year we’ll be in the same place with Cook as we are now, and I can see him giving it away. Moores will argue that performances have been better than results, and he’ll be just right enough to keep his job for another year, despite howls of protest.
Iam going to stick my. Neck out here and await howls of derision. I think KP will be back. Not perhaps in the Test team but i. Others. Cook has go e and it is clear the ECB tactic of backing him through thick and thin is left in tatters. If the selectors show backbone. As they did with Cook. And say they want KP back, well we shall see. I can dream of a miracle…….
I’ m with you all the way only problem is while Andy Flower is still there KP will not be allowed back.But I can dream too
Anonymous is me Julie.
It’s anybody’s guess really. In the World Cup I think we will be lucky to make it to the Semi’s. I would be pleased with that. The summer I think depends on Cook and the young players. If Cook can find his old form and the top order can put up a decent score it will give the youngsters a chance to play with confidence and flourish. We do have real talent there. Bell of course also has a role at the top. We need the batsmen to be consistent and score which will help to take some of the workload off Anderson and Broad. So often they have barely got off their bowling boots before they have to go out and do it again. As James has mentioned their support is still rather embryonic. I’m not at all confident about the spin. I wish Moeen Ali well but there are types out there who will be raring to get after him. I would think of keeping Samit Patel in mind as back up. I think Root will continue to do well. Very sorry we are down to two tests against New Zealand and missing one against the Safas. The schedule is all round ridiculous.
West Indies D1-1
New Zealand D1-1
Australia L1-3
Pakistan L0-3
South Africa W2-1
I’m hoping we will have it worked out by the time we meet South Afrca providing that most of them are still standing. If Cook does not come good it’s back to the tractor sadly. (James, may I please have your recycled Cookie calendar?)
Downtown has got to go.
Was there anyone of note who actually wanted the coaching job? I think candidates were very thin on the ground. Even if Flower should go along with Moores I can’t see there being a stampede. I think Moores will stay, almost whatever.
Hi Jenny. The Alastair Cook calendar is perfection. It has numerous poses Cliff Richard would be proud of. There’s photos of Alastair delivering lambs, hand feeding calves and nuzzling the family golden retriever. It’s every girl and middle aged telegraph journalist’s dream. It’s completely fictional of course.
Oh dear James, you spoiled it all. So it’s just a dream. Gutted :)
“Root struggled in Australia when the standard of cricket improved. Was it simply because he was opening”.
Pedantry corner: Root didn’t open in Australia – he batted No.6 in Brisbane and No.3 thereafter.
True enough.
But cynics corner.
Root didn’t open in Oz because the ECB were terrified what Mitch and Rhino would do to him, and therefore their – the ECB’s – investment.
You are not going to start in the heir apparent now are you? Be content with poor dear Cooky. ECB fall guy.
Thanks heavens we have you Simon. Would you like an official job as TFT editor? You’re totally right of course (as always). Are you Michael Carberry in disguise? Sentence should have read ‘against Australia’ not ‘in Australia’.
Considering how England’s top order batted in that series, it would be fair to say that Root was the effective opener for England’s batting.
I have real fears over the future of some players after the year that we have as this article so rightly indicates. I can’t help feeling that at least one from the likes of Cook, Bell, Anderson and Broad may no longer have an international career after this year. We may also see some of the younger players found out against high class bowling.
Will we send a likely shadow team to the Windies and end up coming a cropper? In fairness this will take place just prior to the IPL and that may have an effect on the personnel sadly on the Windies outfit. My hunch is England will probably win that 2-0 but I admit there are a lot of unknowns. England managed to lose to the Windies when possessing a far stronger side than at present and that the side we faced then was only a bit stronger than what they are likely to put out now. Sadly Shiv is showing natural signs of age.
NZ, I fear Boult and Southee will do a number on 1-0 NZ
Aus, I fear their seamers will do the damage no matter who they pick 3-1 Aus and it is possibly at this point Cook bows out as captain.
Pak in the UAE, trial by spin, no matter who they pick and this may be the end for Ian Bell. 2-0 Pakistan.
South Africa away 3-0 to the hosts with a farewell from Anderson.
This may be the point that Moores loses the coaching post too.
With that schedule it’ll be all about injuries. I predict a year when the team changes rapidly and frequently as players’ bodies give out. People will be playing for England that nobody’s ever heard of, especially bowlers. And Compton, Robson, Carberry will be back, even if only as temps.
If Cook remains Test captain I can’t see us winning any series except perhaps the W Indies, but we’ll manage the odd win or draw.
I expect some isolated amazing innings from Buttler, Ballance, Root and Moeen, usually gallantly fighting in a losing cause. Stokes will come in and do something wonderful, once or maybe twice. It will at times be possible to love England again.
Giles Clarke will not be re-elected as Chairman and his hopes of a Presidency will be dashed. Kevin Pietersen will send him a tweet saying “So sorry, Giles mate. Not.”
Supporters will not immediately see much change at the ECB, and Moores and Cook will continue to do what da yoof describe as chattin’ shit after every match. But gradually, just gradually, like the Russian thaw, we will begin to sense, just out of earshot, that the ice is melting.
Paul Downton will leave quietly at the end of the year. Other hoped-for changes will not be so quick, I think, but they will be on the way.
I have a feeling you might have that about right.
1) Giles Clarke does not get a grace and favour Presidency of the ECB and is thus prevented from further killing cricket at the ICC, His chairmanship is put to the vote and loses ignominiously to the Yorks Chairman, and is last seen heading for Patagonia to oversee his overflowing oil wells!
2) Under the new leadership at the ECB, Downton is “disenfranchised”
3) Moores and Flower start to feel isolated and a little lonely!
4) Eoin “no frills no bullshit” Morgan creates an atmosphere where the flair players can fourish and we win the World Cup
5) Mooresy and cooky team up again for the Windies which turns into a snorefest as the conditions are not favourable for Cook, who doesn’t score above 20, and we achieve an honourable draw in each match.
6) Despite immense presence in the dressing room and the best available strategies a laptop can devise we lose to Aus and Pak!
7) Absent on the plane to South Africa are Mooresy and Cooky who have (been) moved on. The new batting coach Mr K.Pietersen says “South Africa have everything to fear now!! (My crystal ball mysteriously misted over when looking for the new captain and coach) ;-/
New Zealand, on the other hand, are the elephant in the room for my predictions. It may well be, that they beat us so thoroughly and comprehensively that many of my predictions will be either fast tracked…or utter bollocks…all options are available! ;-)
Gotta say I am worried about the whole year, test match-style. New Zealand will be the first series loss after we do a reasonably OK job (1-1) versus the West Indies. NZ have the world’s current most amazing battist in B-Mac and enough swinging fast-medium grief for us to go the way of the pear. 0-2.
In response, Mooresy will say we’ll learn lessons in time for the Ashes. Whatever those lessons are, they won’t be the ones we needed to learn. The Aussies will crucify us along with the laptop. Mitch will be properly quids in, as part of a barrage of four quicks PLUS the miserly Watson. They won’t need Lyon. 0-4 because the weather will save us in one test.
Pakistan in the UAE? We will truly be lucky to get nil. 3-0. They won’t need Ajmal. South Africa? NO EFFING CHANCE. 3-0. If Moores and Cook are still stinking up the dressing room by then you’ll know they’ve got some seriously dodgy photos of Downton tucked away somewhere. And if Downton’s still there, he’ll have photos on them. Mutually assured destruction.
Flower will still be hiding behind the curtain – with his brand new laptop – waiting…
Sorry. Not very hopeful. Maybe we’ll do OK in the World Cup. But I expect we’ll be eliminated before the official song is released. Again.
Would love to see a KP rejuvenation in county cricket but sadly can’t see it leading to a re-reintegration. Would be great if he went hellbent for it, though.
Interesting question: do we actually what our best Test XI is yet? Let’s try to map it out:
1. Cook? Is he really one of the top 2 opening Test batsmen in the country anymore? And if not, who should replace him?
2. The other opening spot: Lyth? Lees? Compton (less likely)? Carberry (very unlikely)? Trott (if he proves himself recovered with the Lions)? Many other options at county level…
3. Ballance, obviously
4. Bell, probably: but is he really better right now than, say, James Vince? James Taylor? Could be gone soon unless he starts turning out centuries again…
5. Root, of course
6. & 7. Is Moeen’s Test batting good enough yet to bat at 6? Should he perhaps swap with Buttler?
8. & 9. Here’s where the real problems start. Who are the best two quicks in the country apart from Jimmy and Broady? I haven’t seen anyone really put their hand up to be England’s next frontline pace bowlers yet. Lots of “promise”, but no consistent wicket-taking.
10. Broady’s brilliant when fully fit, but ineffectual when not. Bit of a worry, what with dodgy knee and intense summer 2015 schedule.
11. Jimmy: marvellous swing bowler, but not getting any younger. Still recovering from injury, and intense summer 2015 could be the end of him. Wouldn’t be surprised if he burns out completely before the end of the year.
Extra players for the 15-man squad:
1) Another spinner. Moeen’s progressed a lot, but we’re going to need at least 2 (preferably 3) frontline spinners in the UAE. Time to dust off at least one of Monty, Borthwick, Kerrigan, Riley, Rashid, Parry etc.
2) Another all-rounder, but one who’s actually good enough with both bat and ball to win matches, unlike Stokes 2.0. Could bowl either pace or spin.
3) Another batsman-wicketkeeper, in case Buttler gets injured: Billings, perhaps?
4) Another proper quick like Overton, Mills or Brooks, to add some extra aggression and (hopefully) control.
What think ye, fellow commenters?
I agree with a lot of that.
I’d pick Lyth for one of the openers – it’s probably 12 months too soon for Lees.
Cook’s place is entirely dependent on his performance in the Carribean, as far as I’m concerned. It’s way past time for him to post some decent scores, and if he can’t do so then, he deserves dropping, not least because that’s how anyone else would be treated.
Bell – too good a batsman to drop now, but again, need to prove himself still up to the job against the Windies.
Balance & Root – agreed; and it’s interesting that the youngsters (the batters, that is) all seem to be getting better as the seniors get worse.
As far as the spinners are concerned, it’s time to pair Rashid with Moeen when the pitch suits. Both can bat and would complement each other as bowlers.
Seamers… I have no idea.
Anderson & Broad if fit, obviously, but neither are long term solutions.
One of England’s biggest failures is in bringing on new fast bowlers. I can’t unequivocally demonstrate that they ruined Finn, but one could certainly present a prima facie case.
A mirror image of the batting – the old guard carry on, and the youngsters fail.
Another all-rounder, but one who’s actually good enough with both bat and ball to win matches, unlike Stokes 2.0
A pretty tall ask. If not Stokes, then who ?
Well, preferably Stokes 1.0, but he seems to have disappeared for the time being (David Saker seems to have put him back in his box). I actually thought of Peter Trego at one point. Rashid might be another option (as well as providing the one thing England don’t have atm: leg-spin).
And here’s the point: as with all the other types of players I’ve asked for, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a top-quality all rounder (for instance) from all of the 18 counties to fit the bill. (If it is, then obviously we just have to accept that there are no good enough players of that type in the country, and make up our XI or XV another way.)
But we do have a selection policy in England which makes it incredibly difficult for people either to a) get into the England team when they’re playing fantastically or b) get dropped when they’re playing badly. I’ve always felt we need a “revolving door of merit”, if you like, so that the England XI or XV always consists of the 11 or 15 best players in the country AT THAT MOMENT (whether it’s Tests, ODIs or T20s).
Very interesting. It is early for Lees but the two Yorkies make a good pair and that counts for something. Taylor certainly if Bell under performs. What about bringing back Samit Patel to back up Monty?
Sorry, Moeen. I need that editor.
Samit Patel is yet another guy in a long list of guys who was dropped for bureaucratic reasons rather than performance reasons. They said Patel wasn’t fit enough – but would Shane Warne have been fit enough? Rangana Herath certainly isn’t fit enough to pass the England bureaucracy tests, and he’s the best Test spinner in the world at the moment. Clearly, tubby spinners can still win matches.
Yet again, the England selectors seem to pick their players based on almost everything EXCEPT performance – so it’s no surprise that England consistently under-perform.
Samit Patel was pretty unlucky to lose his place as an ODI “finisher”. He scored quite a few runs quite quickly in our last ODI series in India. However he was dropped from contention there. As a test match batsman, never mind auxiliary bowler, he didn’t look up to that standard. I went to Galle in 2012 and then the Mumbai test late in the same year and confess that I really didn’t think he was up to scratch in the long form of the game.
Even if you’re right about Patel in Tests, why isn’t he in the limited-overs sides? Or Luke Fletcher, who’s probably the best death bowler in the country atm?
“Rangana Herath certainly isn’t fit enough to pass the England bureaucracy tests, and he’s the best Test spinner in the world at the moment. Clearly, tubby spinners can still win matches”.
Well said. I don’t know or care what Herath’s bleep test is but he has more Test wickets since the start of 2011 than anyone else in the world:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=wickets;spanmin1=01+jan+2011;spanval1=span;template=results;type=bowling
Some great comments and discussions…
Personally I think England are staring down the barrel of an awful 2015 unless the opposition fall short.
We still have a young side that is unproven and my biggest fear is that they were undoubtedly flattered by an appalling Indian side last summer.
Predictions for series:
Windies – 1-1. An inconsistent bowling attack from Windies will feed a back foot Cook ton and their batting will fold at least once. However if they find their straps I fear they will blow us way with some hostile bowling once which will have the Aussies licking their lips.
New Zealand 1-0. Hugely underrated side will get the better of us. Runs in short supply on both sides in early summer but they have a more proven established side.
Ashes – 4-0. Australia should be far too strong for us but a lot will be dependent on the fitness of Clarke and Harris plus form of MiJo. They will be very focused before they start a period of transition. England’s “newish” batting line up will find out what top quality hostile test bowling is all about. The burden on Jimmy and Broad must make them feel tired even now.
Pakistan – 3-0. Another series horribly exposed against spin. No further comment!
South Africa – 3-0. If the weather is fair they will destroy us. Fabulous side with world class players in AbdV, Amla and Steyn plus very good ones in Du Plessis and Philander. Again I fear the batting won’t stand up to the quality of bowling and their middle order will grind us into the ground.
The year will be interesting with regards to who will turn out as lack of form and fitness could see a revolving door or blind stubbornness. So here goes
Cook – his year will peak in Windies benefitting from some inconsisnt bowling. NZ and Oz will torment him. Dropped/rested for UAE. May not return.
Trott – if he comes through Lions…may trial him in Windies? He will get worked over but if he survives he could get the no2 slot. If not Lyth deserves a go.
Ballance – 2015 will be a contrasting year to 2014 as he struggles against top bowling. Will just keep his head above water tho
Bell – class comes through and god help us if it doesn’t!
Root – up and down year. Good series against Windies and Pakistan. Exposed against Oz and South Africa.
Stokes – keep coaches away from him. Sit him down with Colly. Tell him he ‘s a no6 and 4th bowler and trust him. Critical to make up of side and can deliver.
Butler – suspect his report card may say “can do better”. He won’t embarrass himself and will learn a lot in 2015
Moeen – unless he learns to play fast short bowling 2015 is going to be a problem. Batting at 8 will protect him but doubts will be there whether he can be a front line spinner. How he fits in to the side will be a conundrum. Rashid will come into the discussions.
Broad – broad will be broad…couple of five-fors surrounded by frustration.
Jimmy – a mature Jimmy will get wickets but Oz and SA may target him. Huge doubts whether the workload will be too much for his fitness. Limit him to tests.
Finn – make or break. Not sure he’s done enough to get in at the mo but I’d risk it esp out in Windies. Another to be kept away from Eng coaches. Not sure a better option at the mo. This slot should be Rashid in UAE.
Pessimistic viewpoint. Maybe we will find some further gears and the opposition have huge injury problems or loss of form. For the first time in many a year, the pessimism, attitude toward fans and ticket prices means I won’t see much, if any at all.
Makes rather depressing reading but I do confess to having similar, buried misgivings. Don’t like to think about it.
I’ll have a go.
Spring series: 1-0 to England
Early summer: 1-1 between Eng and NZ
Ashes: 3-1 to Australia
Autumn: 2-1 to Pakistan
Winter: 3-0 to South Africa
A gentle slide in overall performances and results, with the fairly positive start to the year allowing people at the top to keep their jobs until 2016. The slide could and will be put down to the heavy schedule, with more and more important players missing as time goes by. Jimmy will get the England wicket record, but fall injured frustratingly short of 400.
With this in mind, here’s the XI that will play at Centurion in the 4th test, starting 22/01/16:
Cook (c) – last match
Lyth
Root (Ballance injured after 2nd test at Durban)
Taylor (Bell could be in line for a recall after this tour, when Moores leaves)
Vince (came in after Ballance got injured)
Rashid (Mooen got dropped after the 1st test in UAE)
Buttler
Woakes (the new metronome, aka last seamer standing)
Willey
Overton – but my crystal ball isn’t clear enough to see which one.
Riley
We lose the match. We touch bottom. Things get better after.
If David Willey gets picked for England as a specialist seamer I think we’ve got massive issues. Useful limited overs player but a long, long, long way short of top quality. Sorry for being so blunt! :-) like some of the other picks though.
I supose if the cupboard’s bare we have to find xi from somewhere!
That’s absolutely fair comment, James. As a Northants fan, I allowed myself one ‘wishful thinking’ choice!
I’m not as on top of world cricket as the others, but regarding the Ashes…
I’m tipping a drawn series that will leave Australia holding the Ashes. This would mean that English fans would have to look forward to the next home series to win the Ashes back, as the current state of international cricket suggests that losing at home is rare. England might have a long wait.
If past experience is anything to go by, England’s best player will be the old stand-by known as “rain.” Australia’s test side appears to have some staying power right now (interestingly, Mitch Johnson will not play in the next Test at Sydney) and I can’t see any amazing talent coming up through the English ranks. Though I am prepared to be surprised on that count, as there is always the chance that some players will emerge who are so good even the ECB can’t ruin them.