Changes in the England team? (Tom Partis branch)

[cantplaycantalk]

How about Johnson ahead of both? he has shown he can bowl effectively in English conditions, and I am wary of bringing and "old" player in who can only at best be a short term stopgap. We could use Johnson in these same type of conditions or in case of injury for years to come.

[Victor Frankenstein]

What do you think about caddick for jones though mike? same opinion? I see what you're saying about the lad needing to learn, i'm not so much saying he wouldn't be able to do it more that caddick could do better (if he shows form), by the same vein though if jones gets back to glamorgan and performs as well as caddick then i'd keep him in as he is the long term prospect. I just think that he's still finding his way back into cricket let alone international cricket and we need our absolute best to stand a chance against NZ, and that is caddick.

[Vaughan To Run]

Good points. I'm not a fan of Anderson after last summer, no idea what the management did to remove 5mph of pace from his bowling and stop him swinging it. I'm assuming he isn't quite back to his best yet otherwise he would have played the first one-dayer. I don't think we can blood new bowlers such a Mahmood in such a short series, could really backfire.

That's my lunch break over anyway, cheers for the contributions.

[Mark Kidger]

Originally Posted by cantplaycantalk

How about Johnson ahead of both? he has shown he can bowl effectively in English conditions, and I am wary of bringing and "old" player in who can only at best be a short term stopgap. We could use Johnson in these same type of conditions or in case of injury for years to come.

Seriously injury prone. Only effective in English conditions. Coming back from surgery. It is a bit of a dead end, although you can say that it is a Bicknell-like "horses for courses" option. Not sure though that it's a good idea to use a player who will only come in on greentops... A bit unfortunate for the regular who gets dropped just because conditions look good for the bowlers!

[Mike_Hock]

Why not play Jones when he has just been given a contract?

[Mark Kidger]

VTR, Anderson is very young and is a real long term prospect. He is much younger than Jones and has performed at the top level. If a greentop in May doesn't get his juices flowing then nothing ever will and we need to know that ASAP. His one game in the Carribean did suggest that he's getting it back together and most people expected him to play in the side instead of Kirtley.

Last season he was bowled into the ground when he was crying out for a rest. When he was finally rested for Bangladesh it was too late and the damage was done. Now we really do need to see if he can/has got it back.

[Victor Frankenstein]

fair enough mark, i wouldn't replace jones with anyone else other than a consistent performer so i'd still pick him ahead of anderson and mahmood (although i'd love to see him in some one dayers asap). As i say, i don't feel Jones did anything wrong, he bowled very well considering what he's been through, and he'd still be my long term prospect, just wondering if a few more matchs in county cricket might do him some good to get his control back (well, a bit more anyway)

[Mark Kidger]

Originally Posted by Mike_Hock

Why not play Jones when he has just been given a contract?

You tell me! Pitches more receptive to seam than to pace? But in the Windies he was concentrating more on line and length and using the pitch, with just occasional faster deliveries. Sounds like in his Carribean style he should do okay to me.

[Mike_Hock]

like I said, good bowlers should adapt to conditions

[cantplaycantalk]

I didn't know Johnson had been injured, but then so have Caddick, Harmison, Jones etc recently.

As to playing players only if the conditions suit. Would you play Giles every game even on a pitch that will swing/seam and has pace and bounce for the quicks? We already do drop players and bring in specialists as the conditions dictate, it's just a matter of who when and why.