Returning, with some thoughts...

[DaveGillespie]

I'm back posting here again after an absence, kicking off with a series of random thoughts that are currently in my cricketing brain.

Michael Vaughan - Is he getting an easy ride with his batting form because he is Captain and hence has extra pressure, or is he getting an easy ride because he's Michael Vaughan and we love him unconditionally for duffing up the Aussies?

Robert Key - Is he firmly ensconced in a window booth at the Last Chance Saloon? And if not, why not?

Ian Bell - Whose bright idea was it to send him in at the end of the innings with orders to biff? Why wasn't he bowled?

"Right Areas" - surely this should not be plural?

Jacques Kallis - Poor mans Geoffrey Boycott with less charisma than that which lives in the great man's left foot?

Zimbabwe - The likes of Cremer, Chimambura, Masakadza, Panyangara and Mpofu have obvious natural talent, and it is a crying shame that they have been thrust into international cricket at an age where they should be worrying more about spots than their averages.

Zaheer Khan - Shockingly overrated?

Kevin Pietersen - Knocking the saffers about in a quick game of hit-and-giggle doesn't mean you won't get "Tresco'd" by Gillespie and McGrath.

Geraint Jones - Get some runs quickly, or you're out on your ear mate.

[Rachael]

Back - and in fine style as well: I see we're of like mind on most things you mention.. though you're perhaps a bit harsh on Kallis' cricket (if not on his charisma): in ODIs the guy steps away from / across his stumps to turn good deliveries into run-scoring opportunities - that's surely something our favourite Yorkshireman would never have countenanced!

[Zainub]

What a fascinting post DG!

1)Michael Vaughan is not getting any "easy" ride with his batting, he's been unlucky, and is probably being dealth with correctly

2)Robert Key is under rated IMHO, I'm not prepaired to jump up to conclusions this early

3)Jack Kallis will always be boring for opposition fans, when he's making as many runs against them as he has then been off late then that's hardly a surprise. Ask the South African fans though and they'll tell you they love him

[Ernest]

Yes back in good style, daring to mention jones, the G. O. type at that, yes he needs some runs to be sure of his place.

Trouble is with Bangladesh, everyone is going to get runs, so how do we sort that out, Key could make a big 200, then try and drop him.

Hmm Michael Vaughan saves his best form for the Aussies, he was no ones bunny on the last tour.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Ernest

Key could make a big 200, then try and drop him.

Hmm Michael Vaughan saves his best form for the Aussies, he was no ones bunny on the last tour.

Key.. He won't score any runs against them, KP has just taken his place

Vaughan.. I wouldn't say he saves his best for the Aussies because we don't know what he's like against them when he's out of form. It'll certainly be a test for him (excuse the pun).

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

Robert Key is under rated IMHO, I'm not prepaired to jump up to conclusions this early

Come on, Zainub: you just love fatties :-)

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Pete

Vaughan.. I wouldn't say he saves his best for the Aussies because we don't know what he's like against them when he's out of form. It'll certainly be a test for him (excuse the pun).

Good point Pete, never looked at Vaughan from that angle, I will have to change to, I hope he plays as well this time against the Aussies, as when we toured .

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by DaveGillespie

Zaheer Khan - Shockingly overrated?

Yep, along with Pathan, Agarkar and Balaji.. In fact any Indian Seam Bowler....

Other overrated players include:-

Mohammed Sami, Imran Farhat, Andrew Symonds, Fidel Edwards, Abdul Razzaq, Salman Butt, Brett Lee

[Leafy Seadragon]

Overrated? Depends what you think of them in the first place. IMO Symonds for example is a useful (note not great or even very good) ODI player who had a good year or so and an excellent fielder. Does this make him overrated?

[Paoli]

Great to see you back Dave, You've got countless posts in the Great Posts section so obviously a quality poster...Zimbabwe you're on the money, as with Geraint Jones, Robert Key...

Zimbabwe have good talent but not the infrastructure which has killed them...Players were brought out of the CFX Academy at about 21 to play test cricket, now even worse, their being brought out of school which used to have 20-30 strong cricketing schools (now about 5) to play for Zim...The CFX academy was once rated alongside the AIS, now it is shameful..They just need a few rebel cricketers, Flower, Carlisle, Price etc to lend a hand to the young blokes...

Geraint Jones' spot seems to be coming under fire from Matt Prior in particular, although Ready may have fallen off the scene somewhat...Get some runs mate, as the great Dave Gillespie has uttered...

Robert Key is in the last chance saloon, and he might've just ordered his last drink before closing time...This super talent needs to lift himself up, lose a little weight and score heavily if he is given another chance...