If I were Fletcher's replacement

[Underzaker]

The side I pick would be:

1 Strauss
2 Trescothick
3 Vaughn (c)
4 Pieterson
5 Collingwood
6 Bell
7 Flintoff
8 Panesar !!!
9 Read
10 Hoggard
11 Harmison

12th man Cook

[Rachael]

In fairness... that's pretty much the side the Fletcher wanted to see playing in Australia: that's more or less the side that would have played last summer had Vaughan been fit and had Flintoff been able to play in place of Mahmood.

Tresco's absense resolved the two-from-Cook-Bell-Collingwood dilemma... Harmison's lack of form and concerns about Flintoff's knee changed the balance... and Panesar looking completely out of sorts as a bowler appears to have convinced them to make a last minute change of heart in favour of Giles - but the only clear disagreement with your selection would have been on Jones vs Read... and let's face it, Jones hasn't kept too badly.

[Ernest]

IMO would make little difference, the side you have picked is almost the same as that getting thrashed in Australia, Vaughan would only add to the list off batting failures IMO.

Read is a good keeper, but neither he nor Jones can bat, I think that has to be faced.

[Underzaker]

the side you have picked is almost the same as that getting thrashed in Australia, Vaughan would only add to the list off batting failures IMO.

Fine with me

I have to pick from the resouces I have.

Read is a good keeper, but neither he nor Jones can bat, I think that has to be faced.

We just saw Flintoff barely use Mahmoud. So why not bring an extra batsman to cover Read.
It will also reduce responsibilities of Flintoff.
__________________

[Underzaker]

but the only clear disagreement with your selection would have been on Jones vs Read... and let's face it, Jones hasn't kept too badly.

He was abysmal today.

Clark and Hussy should have been out for 2 and 48 not make centuries.

Not that I mind but like many Pro-Australians , as sweet as it is seeing England get stuffed , I prefer a contest.

[Moss]

Originally Posted by Rachael

... and let's face it, Jones hasn't kept too badly.

Did you not see today's play?!


Terrible keeping.

If I was Fletcher I would change the side NOW for the Boxing Day test.

Strauss should Captain. Cook should make way for Joyce. Pietersen and Collingwood should swop places in the order and Jones needs to replaced by Read.

[greg]

Earth to Rachael?????

How the hell was that the side he would have picked.he never wanted Panesar or Read and Flintoff was always going to be at 6 as Fletch wants 5 bowlers.

For the record next summer i would go with this if fit..

Vaughan (capt)
Strauss
Cook
Collingwood
Pietersen
Bell
Flintoff
Read/Davies
Broad
Panesar
Hoggard

Realistically Vaughan won't be fit so Strauss has to captain and Joyce will have to play with Cook opening and Bell at 3.

[Rachael]

Fletcher came right out and stated, early in the tour, that had Flintoff been 100% fit they would have looked at bringing him in for Mahmood rather than for Collingwood (who was expected to miss out until Tresco went home). Fletcher explicitly stated this, but explained that the option was a non-option as they dare not risk over-bowling Flintoff.

The Jones decision came shortly thereafter... and one suspects that was in part a reaction to Flintoff returning at 6: Fletcher may well have been happy enough with Read at 8 all summer... and Read had done everything that could have been asked of him at 8... but with the possibility of a tail of Read, Hoggard, Harmison. Anderson and Panesar.... the call (whilst appallingly handled, and not one I would have made) was not inherently unreasonable.

The Panesar decision was, by all accounts, not made until 24 hours before the 1st Test... which is why Panesar was preferred in the warm up match: Fletcher and Flintoff fully intending to play him. They didn't panic and opt for Giles' batting: Panesar bowled himself out of contention by struggling to find form.

This has now been widely reported, most recently by Stewart, who is pretty straight talking and said that's what he was told when he went into the England dressingroom.

So.. if the players had all been fit and in form (as they were in 2005) the Fletcher side would have been pretty much what most of his critics would have wanted.

If we're going to have criticism of Fletcher let's at least keep it to the far bigger ****-up: scheduling the Tests before the ODI series and scheduling so few warm up games. The teams selected have been good enough to compete... the players have just been undercooked!

ps. Watching the highlights I'm struck by just how close England were to making Australia look like muppets today: I slept through most of the first session this morning but it's pretty clear Australia gave stacks of chances and that Hoggard, in particular, could easily have had a 5-for before lunch.

[acker]

If I was Fletchers replacement, I would have

Made sure another 4 day lead up match against a state team was scheduled prior to the first test
Refused to let the side go on the feild until they let the Barmy army guy have his trumpet.
Made sure Vaughan stayed home in England until he was able to come into the side batting with his form and fitness OK or until after the ashes finished.
Made sure Trescothwick was mentally right before selecting him.
Started with Mahmood instead of Anderson and Panesar instead of Giles.
Batted Flintoff at 7 and played an extra batsman.
Made sure the team had another selector not just me and the captain.
Made sure if I selected a wicketkeeper because of better batting ability, he actualy performed or got sacked quickly.
Had Ian Bell as my captain.

[flanflinger]

Well for me there were several key factors that have made England so poor, some have been covered but here goes

1. Preparation, two "warm up" games is not enough, it has been the case for several tours now, and it is about time we had proper schedule of a minimum of 3 games, over four days. We are playing five day Tests, yet the two "warm up" games were three day affairs. It is a lesson we have not learnt from, and need to
2. The keeper, Jones lost his place for a reason, what did he do to deserve a re-call, and how stupid does Fletcher look now for backing him and seeing him fail in every innings. Read then rubbed salt into the wounds by managing to finish with a not out at the "G".
3. Panesar, in the summer he was the "best finger spinner in the World" according to Fletcher, but sadly not good enough for England in the Ashes?? He should have played from the off.
4. Troy Cooley, who ever opted to offer this guy a one year contract, when he wanted two, should be taken out of his office (bound to be a pen pushing accountant), placed in stocks and publicly humiliated. For me the loss of Cooley was huge and why we allowed him to go, I will never know.
5. Flintoff as Captain, the guy is doing too much, as good as he is, he is only human. Strauss had to be the better pick
6. Complacency- Australia had a boot camp, we were living on past glories. The fact is that Australia wanted this Ashes, and they would stop at nothing to get them back. We didn't get ourselves prepared one bit, because we thought we had them under the kosh, we didn't and we are paying for it!!