Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

England squad for Ashes tour announced...



Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,025
West Sussex
Joe Root (capt, Yorkshire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (wk, Yorkshire), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Ben Foakes (wk, Surrey), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ben Stokes (Durham), Mark Stoneman (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

Hampshire batsman James Vince and Yorkshire's Gary Ballance are recalled, but Essex's Tom Westley misses out. Uncapped Somerset seamer Craig Overton, 23, is preferred to Mark Wood, who remains troubled by an ankle injury.

The squad to tour Australia also contains opener Mark Stoneman, who became the 12th man in the space of five years to partner Alastair Cook when he made his debut against the Windies in August. Ballance is restored after suffering a broken finger in the second Test defeat by South Africa in July and is set to battle with Vince and Middlesex's Dawid Malan for two spots in the middle order.

Uncapped Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane provides back-up for first-choice spinner Moeen Ali, while Surrey's Ben Foakes, also uncapped is Jonny Bairstow's deputy as wicketkeeper.

With Wood and Middlesex's Toby Roland-Jones (stress fracture of the back) missing, Overton and Nottinghamshire's Jake Ball make up the fast bowlers with regulars James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes.

The seamers will work with former New Zealand pace bowler Shane Bond, who has been appointed as fast bowling consultant for the first two Tests of the tour after former bowling coach Ottis Gibson's departure to become South Africa head coach.

Former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood also joins the coaching set-up down under for the Tests and ODIs, with Kent coach Matt Walker assisting for the subsequent Twenty20 tri-series in Australia and New Zealand.

England, who were whitewashed 5-0 on their last tour of Australia, are looking to defend the Ashes which they regained on home soil in 2015. The series begins in Brisbane on 23 November.

'One of the weakest squads I've seen'
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on BBC Radio 5 live
 


Rodney Thomas

Well-known member
May 2, 2012
1,569
Ελλάδα
What the hell is Vince doing in there?

Best I can come up with is:

Alastair Cook
Mark Stoneman
Gary Ballance
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Ben Stokes
Moeen Ali
Ben Foakes
Chris Woakes
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Pack it with allrounders and hope for the best?
 






coagulantwolf

New member
Jun 21, 2012
716
Crane 16 wickets at 44 and wasn't even a consistent starter.
Vince averaged 33 with the bat.
Ballance CLEARLY not good enough to make the step up from CC to international.

BAFFLING selections.
 




LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
Madness. The only positive is that the Lions tour will run concurrently in Australia so we have another squad to pick from when it all starts going tits. Hopefully Hales, Hameed, Rashid etc will be on that tour.
 








studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,555
On the Border
Our only hope is torrential rain for several months or the Austrians are even worse than we are.

Particularly if the vice captain is unable to travel
 










Bra

Well-known member
Feb 21, 2009
1,366
patcham
Maybe its just me but how does ballance make the squad. He looks totally out if his depth at test level.
 






Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
5,373
Have to say some of the media criticism of Crane today has been harsh and unjustified. He's not the first untried cricketer to ever be picked, hopefully if he does get a chance he will answer his detractors in the best way possible.
 


Mackenzie

Old Brightonian
Nov 7, 2003
33,508
East Wales
No Luke Wells or Jofra Archer......what were they thinking!
 


A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 1, 2017
17,522
Deepest, darkest Sussex
Rashid should have gone ahead of Crane.
Hales should have gone ahead of Vince.
Personally would have taken Plunkett instead of Overton.

Not a massive fan of Ballance but accept he probably earned a place with his runs for Yorkshire.
 


A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 1, 2017
17,522
Deepest, darkest Sussex
No Luke Wells or Jofra Archer......what were they thinking!

Doesn't Jofra qualify for England next spring? Maybe it's just come a year early.
 




Mackenzie

Old Brightonian
Nov 7, 2003
33,508
East Wales
Doesn't Jofra qualify for England next spring? Maybe it's just come a year early.
I think you're right, I was only being playful as Luke Wells appears to be the invisible man when it comes to discussions on England selection and Jofra will surely be selected as soon as he's England qualified.

I think Jofra could be world class, I'd love to see him given a chance on the biggest stage.
 





Paying the bills

Latest Discussions

Paying the bills

Paying the bills

Paying the bills

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here