The New Generation – Part One

woakes

As we wait with bated breath for the T20 World Cup to begin – I’ve just been on SportsBettingDime.com checking out how Kieron Pollard’s injury has affected the latest odds – we’ve got time to assess how England might regenerate the test team. In particular, we’d like to identify which players are past their sell by dates and which ones are ripe for international picking.

As I’ve never been one to mince my words, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the follow players should never play for England again: Carberry, Bresnan, Tremlett, Rankin and Panesar. This might seem harsh, but I believe there are players of equal (or better) ability waiting in the wings that are younger and therefore have more potential.

When you consider that Swann has retired, Pietersen has been retired, and Trott is unlikely to play again – if he can’t tour, he probably has no future (think Marcus Trescothick) – England need to replace half the squad. How on earth are we going to do that I hear you ask? With difficulty is the answer.

With the exception of Compton, who might provide a short-term solution at the top of the order, the obvious place to look for new blood is the Lions squad currently playing in Sri Lanka. Although this side lacks any potential world-class standouts, the good news is there are a number of players who could prove useful, if not spectacular, performers at test level.

The first man I’d like to talk about is Chris Woakes.

A couple of years ago, Woakes was the butt of a few jokes around here. I should know as I made more jokes than most. There was an assumption that he owed his place in England ODI squads because of his close relationship with Ashley Giles at Warwickshire. Although I’m pretty sure that was the case back then, I’m not sure it is now.

Woakes is an improving player. His bowling will probably always have its limits (although he could do well in English conditions) but his batting has come on leaps and bounds; therefore I cannot see any justification for persevering with Tim Bresnan ahead of him. It’s time to put our faith in the younger man.

Woakes is a batsman with more potential than Bresnan (he could be a legitimate test number seven) and it simply isn’t fair to criticise his bowling for a lack of pace whilst Bresnan, who looked like the archetypal English trundler this winter, continues to get picked.

This might seem a tad tough on Timmie, who wasn’t 100% fit during the Ashes, but a bowler as injury prone as Bresnan needs to hit top gear quickly when he returns to action. Instead, whispers are beginning to circulate that Bressie takes an eternity to find his rhythm after missing time.

In an era when international matches come thick and fast, England need to move on from Bresnan. Woakes should be the new bowling all-rounder.

James Morgan

Written in collaboration with SportsBettingDime

7 comments

  • James, finish your article! Did the phone or the doorbell ring?

    You’ve basically backed my comments from a week or so ago about a massive clear out of the England team. So come on, Woakes is one, who else then?

  • I know Woakes is great in the county game and for the lions, but whenever I’ve seen him in ODIs it hasn’t looked like he’s got the bite to trouble international batsmen. Woakes’s batting though, has always looked to be of a good standard for an all rounder. Nevertheless, I should imagine Stokes fills that slot providing he continues to do well, and I would probably rather have a more specialist third seamer.
    By the way, are you going to discuss Onions? I know he’s not part of the new generation, but he’s seriously good (based on his average). Do you think there’s a case to bring him into the team?

    • I agree re: woakes’ lack of pace, but I don’t see him as a third seamer. More of a 4th seamer (think Ryan Mclaren’s role for SAfrica). There’s no way I’d play him ahead of Stokes, but there’s a case for both of them at 6&7 or 7&8. I suppose the point I’m making is that if England are going to persist with Bresnan, they might as well switch to Woakes. Bees die also lacks the bite to trouble the best.

      Re: Onions I’ve deliberately avoided talking about him because my views are likely to be unpopular. He’s a great bowler in county cricket, but I think he needs help from conditions. Everyone remembers the 2009 ashes when they think of Onions but he isn’t the same bowler now. When I saw him last year he struggled to hit 80mph at times, plus he isn’t talk, so I just can’t see him being effective. He also looked average in his last test against the Windies in 2012. Onions has become a symbol of everything the selectors got wrong in Oz, but I actually think the rationale for leaving him out was sound. Having said that, he probably deserves another go just through weight of wickets. I wouldn’t expect him to set the world on fire though.

  • Okay, I get what you’re saying, but maybe it would be better to try to find someone who we think would be a great bowler rather than looking for a second all rounder? I suppose it depends on
    a) How reliable we think Stokes is with the ball and
    b) Whether whichever spinner we settle on can bat. Maybe there was something in the selectors trying out Borthwick?
    On Onions I was just going on his average, so if you’ve seen him play (and I’m a fairly new cricket fan, so I haven’t much) I’m happy to go with what you say.

    • Sorry! I’m actually Matthew Forest and I was trying to reply to James replying to me. I’ll get it right next time (I hope).

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