TheGayTent

One team cannot be the best in the world forever. Similarly, sometimes the 3rd best side in one era, would have been the best side in another. He has the runs in the books in tests. He’s the best wicketkeeper in England. Besides, few batsmen let alone wicketkeeper batsmen are picked based on runs in county cricket. Some of those you mention have potential but none are really producing knocks that suggest there’s no way you can leave them out. Certainly there’s massive assumptions to jump, to state as fact they’re better than what we already have. Which says a lot given, if what you suggest is true, what we already have, isn’t up to much?

Fair points. If we’re going horses for courses, Woakes is nailed on in England just as Curran is nailed on to replace Woakes on the subcontinent. Define top. If you like rankings (I don’t, they’re a poor reflection of the past, nothing of the now), then England are currently the 4th best. Having lost an away series against the 2nd best, won an away series against the 5th best, and drawn a home series against the 1st. Who are these capable, younger batsmen waiting in the wings? If we’re talking about someone who should be dropped, Buttler should be front of the queue. I just pray they’re both fully fit November next year.

13 man squad announced. Moeen and Bairstow don’t even make the 9 strong reserves. I think the batting line up is fair and right as is the selection of Bess as spinner. Be interesting to see the make up of the bowling line up. 3 from Anderson, Archer, Broad, Woakes, Wood.

With potentially 6 tests coming up on the subcontinent, where having a good glovesman is so important, I think Foakes is a must for these home tests against WI and Pakistan. That would be sensible !

I think there’s scenarios where anyone (not specifically Denly) are worth keeping in place even if they’re viewed as a stop gap. By keeping a stop gap you’re not necessarily depriving a younger player of an opportunity. You’re potentially preventing that youngster from being damaged by being thrown into the deep end too early and doing more harm than good. Particularly mentally. It’s plausible a successor or successors have been identified, but they’re not quite ready. Time may be required to go away, learn their craft, gain experience, work hard away from the spotlight of test cricket. When they’re ready, bring them in gradually - by which time the stop gap has done their job.

Which tall medium pacers are you referring to?

I think I’ll start with the last sentence about continuous improvement. Denly’s average after the ashes was higher than it had been after the tour of the West Indies. After the tour to NZ his average was higher than it had been after the ashes. And...after the tour to SA Denly’s average was higher than it had been after NZ. In other words he’s continuously demonstrated improvement. England’s batting line up with Burns, Sibley, Pope, and Crawley is incredibly inexperienced. Chucking another new debutant in against the Windies is not a great idea - particular in the first test when they’re missing their experienced captain and best batsman. England’s tour of SA was a successful one. Do we really believe that was in spite of Denly? Or is the truth that it was in part down to the role he played. I.e the number of balls he faced, the time he spent at the crease, the shine and hardness he took off the new ball, the miles he put into the bowlers legs, allowed the likes of Pope, Stokes and the rest of the middle order to come in and do their job? Lawrence may turn out to be the second coming of Christ, or he may prove to be even worse than Tom Westley, I don’t know. To state he’s the future of England’s middle order is slightly hasty I’d suggest.

I don’t know. Never potentially? Bess has the shirt and his performances in SA do not warrant dropping him. If you were to drop Bess, then I would imagine for the Windies at least, with their almost non-existent Left handed batting line up, then Leach must enter your thinking. If the Sri Lanka tour gets rearranged and/or the India tour goes ahead, and two spinners are guaranteed to play - Mo could potentially get back in then? Whether by form or fitness, Moeen not getting an opportunity pretty soon is hard to imagine. At least, finally, we find out in a week!

Do you need/want to bed anyone else in? Burns, Sibley, Crawley, and Pope have only 30 tests between them. I would rest, rotate, drop(!) Crawley before I thought about doing likewise to Denly.

I’m not convinced Mo will play, and in many ways I don’t think he should. Would be extremely harsh on Bess - averaged under 26 in SA and went for no runs. He’s also looked in better nick than Moeen and Leach in this warm up game.

Travesty if Denly isn’t in that side, particularly with Root not playing the first test.

The last time they played a full series together was beginning of last year in the Windies.

Be surprised if they won 5 of those let alone 6

Get beaten twice in a season by West Ham and you don’t deserve Thursday night Europe let alone ‘champions’ league.

I’m surprised it appears you approve of Starmer given how vociferous your support for Corbyn has been on here in the past and the fact Starmer’s ideals are wildly at odds with Corbyn’s?