I'd have gone for Loye based on experience alone. Unlike Bopara he has actually faced the Australian attack, ok so he hasn't really set the world alight with his batting, but he has been on the big stage at the very least.

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- VVVRulz..

As you guys know, I've not been a fan of Loye. He's opened the batting in the CB, and failed to notch up a half-century in - how many? - seven attempts. His average is little mroe than 20, and he's 34, and therefore no investment in the future. He's also a poor judge of singles, and ran himself out!

it's better to try with youth, and fail, than to try with players who are past their best, with no hope for the future.

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Nobody has a batting stance quite like the mighty Shivnarine....

Yes his average is just over 20, but it has to be realised that he had just made is debut in a poor team.

He improved with every game - was unlucky with the umpire on one occasion, and run out in the last match.

So would you replace him with J W M Dalrimppe who only managed to average 13.9?, or Vaughan who averaged 14.33?, or pehaps Strauss who averaged 19.30 .

Even Bell only averaged 29.20 - and Nixon 11.56.

You may not like Loye, you are not alone in that, but there is no one to replace him at the moment in IDI's.

ODI - Batting & Bowling Analysis (England)
click here

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Ern

Personally, I would replace him in the squad with Owais Shah. Yes, I know, Shah hasn't had a brilliant ODI average yet, but he has had a good debut Test, and he's aggressive, and is a good player of spin. He's also played well in domestic one-dayers. And, crucially, he's under 30!

I would use Shah in the middle order, and open with KP.

But I'm wasting my breath.... DF would never try such a ploy!

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Nobody has a batting stance quite like the mighty Shivnarine....

Exposing kevin pieterson to the new ball would be a travisty, look at flintoff batting at 3, it doesnt work, opening is one of the hardest skills in world cricket, and it is an art you must learn from a young age at the start of your carrer, putting k.p to the new ball would not bring the best out of him, and he is much more usfull to keep the middle part of the innings run rate above 5 an over, picking extrondary gaps

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Finally England have risen from the ashes.

Well England lost the Ashes because their front line players Strauss, Bell, Cook could not protect players like Pietersen and Flintoff and the keeper from the new ball.

Opening with pietersen would have the same result - if it does not come off - then what, the WC has gone.

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Ern

I'm not sure that I agree with you on that....

this is ODI cricket, not Test cricket. One of the most successful ODI opening partnerships is Gayle-Chanderpaul. And Chanderpaul never learnt how to open an innings!

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Nobody has a batting stance quite like the mighty Shivnarine....