The Cricket!

[mickd1961]

Horrible, just horrible.

Completely devoid of backbone, to get to 68-0 and then lose 10 wickets for 56 is unfathomable.

A weak team manager and a team with too many “snowflakes” who bleat about having to be in a Covid bubble.

I think that character and determination need to be much more of a part of the “due diligence” that’s done when buying players or bringing players into you set up in all sports nowadays.

A lot of us will remember the way Megson focussed on these aspects when he took over in 1999-2000.

One of his first signing was the reserve centre half Butler from Port Vale, based on his commitment, character and his unerring ability to win the first header from a cross or a corner.

Megson had been appalled at the video he’d watched of us giving goals away from uncontested crosses.

We have a sad lack of bottle and b o l l o c k s in much of our sport now.

This non allowance of “winners” at school sports days that started 25+ years ago hasn’t helped.

But back to the cricket, sack Silverwood, replace Root as captain with a traffic cone and start looking more deeply at the character of selections.

I’m not the biggest fan of Wood in terms of his ability with the ball but he’s one of a very small number who have shown real grit in Australia both with bat and ball and in the field.

[Prando]

Not just too many snowflakes, but also prima donnas.

[Barrera]

Got up early this morning and watched the first hour or so of England batting. Burns and Crawley were rarely in trouble and reached 50 odd without breaking sweat. Went off to play golf and by the 7th hole someone with a phone said we were all out for 124 barely 90 mins later. Absolute disgrace.

Silverwood should definitely go and most of the back room staff haven’t covered themselves Glory. Giles is a pompous self-serving g** as well Ironic that the only Test we managed a draw was when he was stuck in his Melbourne hotel room with Covid. Root has never been a Captain since day one - contrast the impact Morgan has in the ODIs and T20s. Squad wise we need a complete reset and rebuild - look for players with character and backbone for a 5 Day Test ... rather than a T20 thrash. We’ve reached rock bottom - things can only get better.

[Yarmbaggie]

I thought the interview after the game with Glenn McGrath the ex Aussie quick was very interesting. He said when looking at Test cricketers you are looking at a mix between technique and mental resilience. Obviously the best players have both but many others don’t.

His slant on it was he looks firstly at the mental resilience. If you haven’t got the ‘bottle’ to play then you will never be a success at the top level. You can be taught technique or improve/change your technique but if you haven’t got mental toughness by the time you get selected then you ain’t going to learn it.

He sighted Sam Billings as, yes he didn’t score many runs today, but he was full of confidence and positivity since the time he had arrived to join the squad and was a very tough player mentally and someone we should therefore carry on with.

Others have mentioned snowflakes in this squad and those surely must be the ones to go.

Interestingly I watched the Melbourne Stars game against the Brisbane Heat this morning and yet again Joe Clarke (Englishman) top scored and is the only player in this years BBL to score 5 50’s. Yet another coming off the white ball production line and showing it at the highest level.

As an attendee at county cricket matches though I must say we ain’t giving the red ball players the chance to improve their batting technique now we are playing the county matches in April and late September/early October. Coats, hats and gloves are needed up here at Chester-le-St and Headingley for 4 day matches and that is only the players!!!

[kettering_baggie]

The fault lies fairly and squarely with the English cricket authorities; they have sold the soul of English cricket to the financial devil, in the guise of ‘white ball cricket’. 20/20 is absolutely horrible and as for the abomination that is the ‘Hundred’, well, polite words fail me. If we must have that s**t form of ‘cricket’, then play that at the beginning and end of the season when the days are shorter and floodlights can be used, play the county cricket during the height of the Summer when there are more daylight hours. More emphasis seems to be given to political correctness and alleged silly tweets from years ago than to what they should be concentrating on, the cricket itself. Far too many snowflakes in all sports these days; as the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

[Leicesterbaggie]

Spot on Kettering! T20 and the Hundred are an abomination. As I've stated before, they are for people who are not really interested in cricket. I can accept the 50 over game but the other two are ruining cricket. The Ashes were an unmitigated disaster. and an utter embarrassment.