So, cricket starts

[Geoff Parkstone]

Wood isn't in the 13

None of quicks from Soton in squad now, so it's Broad Woakes SCurran or Robinson. Seems to lack bite on a pro pace pitch, but batting has length - Bess at 10 not 8. Unless they call up Wood, who evidently has a niggle

[Geoff Parkstone]

Now let's give Archer the Cummings treatment, sack him, never darken the doorstep again.

I wonder how hypocritical he will feel doing the BLM knee now?

[ramAnag]

Now let's give Archer the Cummings treatment, sack him, never darken the doorstep again.

I wonder how hypocritical he will feel doing the BLM knee now?

Why would he feel hypocritical over two things that are largely unrelated?

If the ‘Cummings treatment’ included sacking him you might have a point...as it is, Archer has already apologised...I must have missed that from Cummings...but he (JA) does appear to have behaved like a prat. So bloody frustrating.

Anyway...let’s not politicise a cricket thread.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Just to explain my point re hypocrisy: when taking the knee he is clearly (and rightly) protesting about - in essence - predominantly white people endangering black lives.

Yet he, as a black male, is quite happy to endanger his predominantly white team mates lives by risking exposing them to covid inside the team bubble, as well as the entire West Indian team.

But I guess that doesn't fit the BLM agenda.

Much as I like him as a cricketer and role model, this cannot end with an oops sorry and miss a game as you're quarantined can it. Surely it's disciplinary matter akin to Stokes' fight outside Bristol nightclub, which actually didn't have as potentially extreme consequences??

[ramAnag]

Just to explain my point re hypocrisy: when taking the knee he is clearly (and rightly) protesting about - in essence - predominantly white people endangering black lives.

Yet he, as a black male, is quite happy to endanger his predominantly white team mates lives by risking exposing them to covid inside the team bubble, as well as the entire West Indian team.

But I guess that doesn't fit the BLM agenda.

Much as I like him as a cricketer and role model, this cannot end with an oops sorry and miss a game as you're quarantined can it. Surely it's disciplinary matter akin to Stokes' fight outside Bristol nightclub, which actually didn't have as potentially extreme consequences??

It’s raining so I’ll respond until the cricket starts...in about ninety minutes.

BLM was born out of the police treatment of black people in some parts of the USA. Beyond that it is a reaction to perceived institutionalised and historical racism in the UK and elsewhere.
Any link between the above and Joffra Archer’s stupid and irresponsible behaviour is tenuous, to say the least, imo.

As regards comparison with Ben Stokes. Stokes was involved in a serious incident of alleged affray which resulted in a court case. Once he was acquitted of wrong doing he was allowed to rejoin the England squad. Archer has broken Covid protocol. Again any comparison between the two is tenuous at best. He’s been dropped, had to go into quarantine and will now be regularly tested. What else do you suggest?

You linked Archer’s behaviour to that of Dominic Cummings...not me.
The former is a young cricketer who has behaved infuriatingly irresponsibly.
The latter is an experienced and supposedly highly intelligent senior government advisor who makes the rules he broke.
The former has accepted responsibility for his actions, apologised profusely, has been dropped and will, one imagines, lose his match fee and be fined.
The latter actually believed he and his wife had Coronavirus, has subsequently told a pack of lies (half truths at best), has never apologised and - to the best of my knowledge - suffered no punishment at all.

Both have behaved foolishly and irresponsibly. Beyond that I honestly don’t understand your point.

[ramAnag]

Root is a useless ‘tosser’. Lost again...they’ve put us in first.

[Geoff Parkstone]

It’s raining so I’ll respond until the cricket starts...in about ninety minutes.

BLM was born out of the police treatment of black people in some parts of the USA. Beyond that it is a reaction to perceived institutionalised and historical racism in the UK and elsewhere.
Any link between the above and Joffra Archer’s stupid and irresponsible behaviour is tenuous, to say the least, imo.

As regards comparison with Ben Stokes. Stokes was involved in a serious incident of alleged affray which resulted in a court case. Once he was acquitted of wrong doing he was allowed to rejoin the England squad. Archer has broken Covid protocol. Again any comparison between the two is tenuous at best. He’s been dropped, had to go into quarantine and will now be regularly tested. What else do you suggest?

You linked Archer’s behaviour to that of Dominic Cummings...not me.
The former is a young cricketer who has behaved infuriatingly irresponsibly.
The latter is an experienced and supposedly highly intelligent senior government advisor who makes the rules he broke.
The former has accepted responsibility for his actions, apologised profusely, has been dropped and will, one imagines, lose his match fee and be fined.
The latter actually believed he and his wife had Coronavirus, has subsequently told a pack of lies (half truths at best), has never apologised and - to the best of my knowledge - suffered no punishment at all.

Both have behaved foolishly and irresponsibly. Beyond that I honestly don’t understand your point.

Fair enough, and I dont understand your attitude to double standards, but to be fair, you have consistently applied those double standards whenever Cummings' name has been raised or when considering the treatment of any lockdown breakers. JA actions are no different to DC and the various other high profile figures that broke lockdown.

I entirely get that BLM arose from policing in the USA (I suspect I might have known that before you gave the history lesson) but it has expanded way beyond its original roots, otherwise it wouldn't now be a global movement. Its now way more about "white treatment of black" eg Colston wasnt a policeman in USA. Its about the endangerment of lives, the clue is in the name. Archer's actions jeopardised the lives of many black people in the west indies camp, as well as his own team mates. Is it that hard to make the connection?

[ramAnag]

Fair enough, and I dont understand your attitude to double standards, but to be fair, you have consistently applied those double standards whenever Cummings' name has been raised or when considering the treatment of any lockdown breakers. JA actions are no different to DC and the various other high profile figures that broke lockdown.

I entirely get that BLM arose from policing in the USA (I suspect I might have known that before you gave the history lesson) but it has expanded way beyond its original roots, otherwise it wouldn't now be a global movement. Its now way more about "white treatment of black" eg Colston wasnt a policeman in USA. Its about the endangerment of lives, the clue is in the name. Archer's actions jeopardised the lives of many black people in the west indies camp, as well as his own team mates. Is it that hard to make the connection?

Jesus wept...what’s with the attitude?

Which bit of...one’s a ‘young cricketer’ and the other is a rule making senior politician can you not understand?
‘Double standards?’ You mean one (Archer) has been rightly punished and the other (Cummings) has gone completely unpunished despite committing a much more serious ‘offence’?

Bit rich you accusing me of providing a ‘history lesson’ given your recent post devoted entirely to attacking Swale’s literacy skills don’t you think?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Archer has not been punished as far as I am aware, he misses this test for medical reasons

[ramAnag]

Archer has not been punished as far as I am aware, he misses this test for medical reasons

So far his actions have led him to be dropped from the team and put into five days of isolation. Beyond that let’s wait and see. The news only broke five or so hours ago and I’d imagine it’ll cost him his match fee at the very least, and probably an additional fine...rightly so too.

Much more to come I’d suspect, possibly starting with...what sort of ‘bio-sphere’ allows England players to drive themselves from Southampton to Manchester?