Ian Bell for captain

[Younis Khan #1]

Originally Posted by acker

Wayne Rooney through a lot of hard work gets a well deserved goal on the stroke of half time

HAHA, you flatter Rooney.

[darksideofthemoon]

Cook is the next captain for England. Better batsman than Bell. Bell only bats well when there is a big player at the other end like Pietersen or Flintoff. When Trescothick and Vaughan are back Bell will be left out. Even Shah is better than Bell.

[Younis Khan #1]

Thanks, Ern.

[acker]

? His 50 in the first Ashes test in Brisbane he batted with allmost the whole England team at the other end.

[flanflinger]

Acker,

There are a lot of English "fans" that have it in for Bell, and like to find reasons to drop him. Personally I think any batter with a Test average of 43 after 23 Tests, at Just 25 years of age, is not one to drop...

Particularly when the players that end up getting a mention are older, have inferior Test records (Adams, Crawley and Ramps)!!

I still wouldn't make him the Captain though...

[acker]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Acker,

There are a lot of English "fans" that have it in for Bell, and like to find reasons to drop him. Personally I think any batter with a Test average of 43 after 23 Tests, at Just 25 years of age, is not one to drop

An average of 43 after 23 Tests that included 10 Tests against Australia! Without looking up stats guru nobody really springs to my mind in the England team, or in the contenders for spots in the England team; that are going to challenge him statisticly for that kind of average against mainly a high calibre opponent.
Sure a few fortunate to have been playing against Bangladesh or other lesser opponents may have good soft stats. But their is no doubt Ian Bell has earned his against quality.

Originally Posted by flanflinger

I still wouldn't make him the Captain though

Well his opponents for the job appear to be. Michael Vaughan and his dicky leg, Andrew Flintoff and various addictions, Andrew Strauss a man dropped for poor form, Paul Collingwood a man to close to retirement and Marcus Trescothwick a man who may or may not turn up to the match and who probably does not need any additional pressure to his life.
I just cannot see how any of the above options are better choices than Ian Bell.

[Younis Khan #1]

Originally Posted by acker

An average of 43 after 23 Tests that included 10 Tests against Australia! Without looking up stats guru nobody really springs to my mind in the England team, or in the contenders for spots in the England team; that are going to challenge him statisticly for that kind of average against mainly a high calibre opponent.
Sure a few fortunate to have been playing against Bangladesh or other lesser opponents may have good soft stats. But their is no doubt Ian Bell has earned his against quality.

Well his opponents for the job appear to be. Michael Vaughan and his dicky leg, Andrew Flintoff and various addictions, Andrew Strauss a man dropped for poor form, Paul Collingwood a man to close to retirement and Marcus Trescothwick a man who may or may not turn up to the match and who probably does not need any additional pressure to his life.
I just cannot see how any of the above options are better choices than Ian Bell.

Tresco is older than Collingwood i believe.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by acker

Paul Collingwood a man to close to retirement

Blimey - he is only 30!! Which means that he is younger than most of the Australian team, does that mean most of them are on the verge of retiring!!

Strauss will do a job in the interim, Vaughan is the best candidate IMO, all he needs to do is stay fit!! For me the FEC is Cook, and I feel that Vaughan and Moores should be looking at a succession plan, i.e. developing his leadership skills, his media skills, his people skills, his tactical awareness and his listening skills.

Developing future Captains is not something England have been particularly good at, it tends to be the case that a Captain runs the team and when he leaves the job (whether jumped, pushed or personal choice) then we have to rapidly look around for a successor.

I would prefer a long term plan, and that would mean Cook (or Bell) being coached into the role, and for the moment leave Vaughan at the helm, but with a remit to work with a potential successor to pass on his skills.

[acker]

Geez you blokes are hard on Bell. Even Ricky Ponting was excused his black eye at the Beef Steak and Biffo bar at 6-7 am on a night that got away 5 or 6 years back.

[EllN]

Bell just isn't leader material neither cool under pressure or a true leader, but is a quality player and should no doubt be in the test side