Does anyone think like me, in that Flintoff should be picked for his bowling and bat him at 7 with the keeper at 8? Be it Read or whoever? I just don't see him as a top six test batter these days and surely having a bowler that can bat at 7 is a massive plus that should be used? Or am I talking ballax?
1. Cook 2. Strauss 3. Vaughan 4. Bell 5. Pietersen 6. WICKETKEEPER? Ambrose is garbage. Either Prior or Mustard as neither of em did much wrong. 7. Flintoff 8. Broad 9. Sidebottom 10. Panesar 11. Anderson
Even if you've broad and flintoff at 7 and 8 you can then pick the best glove man in Read and not be too worried about his batting credentials. Problem solved? You would think the top minds in English cricket could work that one out?
gooch have said to BBC Radio 5 Live. that flintoff will replace collingwood in the test side http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/7506806.stm
Or.... 1. Cook 2. Strauss 3. Vaughan 4. Bell 5. Pietersen 6. Shah 7. Flintoff 8. Broad 9. Read 10. Sidebottom 11. Anderson
He can't do any worse, but it seems to me they're desperate to hang on to a 5th bowling option. It gives us options with the ball but the tail looks as long as Peter North's.
Balls! Sorry, I meant Panesar in for Anderson! It only gives us 4 front line bowlers but KP and Vaughan can change it up a bit if needed and are just as dangerous as Colly.
Going on Sunday, hope the weather comes good........ Flintoff should not bat in front of Broad as he is in great nick.
RE: Going on Sunday, hope the weather comes good........ Not really one of the major argument's though but Braod's confidence with the bat gives him the advantage over Flintoff for the number 7 spot. Interchangeable obviously as both of em know how to hit the ball.
He's not classed .... .... as an all rounder these days ('cept his belly) To be an all rounder you have to be good enough to be picked on BOTH batting and bowling prowess. He's now a bowler that can bat a bit. Broad is likely to score more runs than Flintoff, but Collingwood needed replacing. Freddie is however a big, burly, bowling bully that'll get right in the Proteus face, something we don't have right now.
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/12856.html - Flintoff http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/10772.html - Collingwood
I think I'd leave Broad where he is... There's some speculation that he might make way for Freddie, which would be a ridiculous decision. Broad has the potential to be one of the best all-rounders around, and we have to persist with him for the next Ashes series. Theres no real need to move him from number 8 where he is playing very well and very comfortably. It would seem quite harsh to drop Anderson while he's having his best run for a long time - though if I was him I'd be looking very carefully over my shoulder at the way that Simon Jones is performing. Sidebottom stays in, and Monty shouldn't be dropped, so it would have to be Collingwood that makes way. It did no harm for Strauss to take a break and I'd expect Colly to come back in at some stage. Ambrose should be out but will play at least for the remainder of the series - before I think he should hand over to Foster, or Read. With Freddie and Broad both capable of runs, a wicketkeeper consistently scoring 20-40 runs and making no mistakes behind the timbers is better than a wicketkeeper who gets the odd big score, but a lot of single figure scores, and makes keeping errors. My team: Cook Strauss Vaughan Pietersen Bell Flintoff Foster Broad Sidebottom Panesar Anderson Collingwood, Simon Jones, Chris Read, Owais Shah, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Chris Tremlett and Ravi Bopara waiting in the wings and things look quite good in terms of depth.
