When Flintoff is fit what would your starting line up be for the ashes. Mine would be: Strauss (Cap) Trescothick Cook Pieterson Bell Flintoff Read Mahmood (or Jones if fit, or maybe Plunkett not sure) Harmison Hoggard Panesar
Strauss (Capt) Trescothick Cook Pieterson Bell Flintoff Collingwood Read (or Jones) Hoggard Panesar Harmison I would get Collingwood to work on his bowling before arriving in Australia and Flintoff and Collingwood 'floating' in the order as I do not think that Pieterson and Flintoff bat well together.
i really worry about this, the hiding we have been giving pakistan is very flattering but we are a shadow of the side from last year. compared with the class that aus have in most positions i think this could be a very harrowing experience - back to earth with a bump. Strauss - good bat but makes a rubbish captain and i think he has been worked out recently Trescothick - hopelessly out of form, may not even start Cook - can't play legspin and will get killed on tour Pieterson - ok but too cavalier for most situations Bell - i suspect he will get murdered on tour Flintoff - overhyped and will be underprepared. also a very mediocre skipper Read - can't bat, end of. good 'keeper though Mahmood - all over the shop. fodder. G. Jones - can't bat (at the moment) or catch Plunkett - bowls short, gets tonked. it's a recurring thing Harmison - awful away from home, can't be trusted Hoggard - dependable but will be a bit toothless on aussie tracks Panesar - can't field and will take stick. adds to long tail. love his bowling but its not the finished article
Morning All - and my starting 11 for the first Ashes test is: Strauss Cook Bell Pieterson Collingwood Freddie Read Broad Hoggard Harmison Monty Tresco needs to do a Go Jo and go and find some form and confidence. If the Pakistani medium pacers have sussed him out, what will messers McGrath and Lee do? Additionally we need to take 20 wickets and protect Fred, so we must play 5 bowlers 3 + Fred is asking for trouble.
the SA pitches are even more similar to australia, although thankfully i don't think the pitches were the main problem. he is still far too inconsistent and his confidence obviously takes a massive hit when he can't unwind from a day of none-for-plenty with a newcy brown and a bag of scraps
Trescothick Cook Pietersen Collingwood Flintoff Bell Read Broad Harmison Hoggard Panesar I wouldn't even bother taking Strauss - as has been mentioned previously, he has been found out as an international skipper, and as such, his batting has suffered. Also, my captain would be Trescothick, not Flintoff - just how much pressure do we want to put on him, seeing as though he ain't got enough, what with being our "go-to" bowler and batsman who will try to see the innings through..... Antony Macgrath (Yorkshire) would be another useful addition - very similar to Collingwood, but can bat a touch better..... Andy
