Had enough!

No more bullshit excuses - Strauss is pissing me off already with the crap he is coming out with - I know its tough for the skipper to come out and speak after another embarrassing defeat but my word the English language caters for some utter garbage - and Strauss is using it to its maximum potential.

Thanks to KP - what a smart guy he is - I hope none of you had the unfortunate luck in reading his eclusive interview yesterday in one of the papers - I was embarased for him, a world class batsman making himself a laughing stock in front of the world - imagine Warne was going to play in this Ashes - actually its better you dont imagine that.

I cant think of any more excuses - or lies - should I say - to defend this team. West Indies are a better ODI side than us (and arguably a better test side too) - K effin P can only dream to play the way Gayle did - he made the bowlers look like novices. As usual Freddy was the only light in what his becoming a hell hole to be in - he earned his respect with the ball, and its time he is used a bowler - and nothing more - glad he came in place of Harmison and not someone like Mascheranas/Bopara.

Oh what fun this summer is going to be...are they refunding ashes tickets?

Maybe we'll bounce back today, with two of the top 5 making centuries, posting 300-5, followed up by a top bowling performance, skittling the opposition for less than 200?

Ok, perhaps not. I will be watching with interest for the first hour at least to see if our side can show some bottle. There is talent in the team, of that there is no doubt and player for player we should be better than the Windies. So its time for our players to show it. Or at least go down fighting. A bit of spirit, we must be able to ask for that!

Rant well deserved pal..

Starting to piss me off now, we should be stuffing the Windies.. on paper we are better.. whatever anyone says. We have the potential for a great team.. again. But we have too many screw ups

Getting fed up now.

Haha - Me thinks they heard your rants.

Struass is doing a very difficult job to the best of his ability without much help from his senior players or anyone else really.

He cant come out n say what needs to be said cause he isnt in the strongest position himself.

I told u the south african would be a problem when they made him captain - now we hear he was trying to bail out half way through the tour.

I didnt get to hear all Nasser said on him - but what I caught was right - strikes me as a down to earth often right guy that Hussain (Nasser)

Who else would we make captain out of this lot?

Quite frankly I dont care what happens in the west indies - we need to find 4\5 bowlers who will bowl the Aussies out twice in 5 test matches.

TickTok wrote:

Haha - Me thinks they heard your rants.

Struass is doing a very difficult job to the best of his ability without much help from his senior players or anyone else really.

He cant come out n say what needs to be said cause he isnt in the strongest position himself.

I told u the south african would be a problem when they made him captain - now we hear he was trying to bail out half way through the tour.

I didnt get to hear all Nasser said on him - but what I caught was right - strikes me as a down to earth often right guy that Hussain (Nasser)

Who else would we make captain out of this lot?

Quite frankly I dont care what happens in the west indies - we need to find 4\5 bowlers who will bowl the Aussies out twice in 5 test matches.

Ye I think Flower must have an account here

4/5 bowlers? Anyone know anything about cloning and see if we can get Freddy done 4 times by June?

Ye Hussain does speak a lot of sense, one of the only guys I can recall (generally across sports) that has become a pundit, then balanced his views from both his personal experience and from his short time in the media. Before yesterdays game he was talking about England's problem lying more in the lack of quality players in the First Class leagues - and thats filtering through to the first team.

Couple of questions to show how bad my knowledge is of the game these days.

Whats wrong wth Hoggard?

Why cant the bowling coaches get at Harmison n sort out his run up action n give him some grit in himself?

That boy has a talent thats been wasted.

Sidebottom - I understand he has not been 100% fit, but enjoyed his holiday in the sun - will he be fit for the Ashes - I believe him a must for the ashes.

Do we have any young raw fast bowlers in the county scene - someone that is completely new to the Aussies?

May I be so bold to pose this question - if the Yorkshire former England captain starts scoring runs injury free when the domestic season starts - is their a case to not only pick him for England - but make him captain to united the players again?

Hoggard was dropped because the elite dont believe there is a need for Sidebottom, Jimmy Anderson and Hoggard to be in the team - 3 swing bowlers, and Hoggard's problem is that a kin to Panesar - on a flat pitch, as Adam Gilchrist once showed - he is useless as he only has one trick. Though we do have our fair share of "swing" wickets, but I see their point. Just a matter of opinion on who they think is better and can be used on flat wickets.

I think I told you this before but when the Aussies first saw Harmison they said if "we" had Harmison he'd be the best bowler in the world. The England coaches changed Anderson's action but they have struggled with Harmison - though he does have a confidence problem as well. Almost in the Trescothick dilemma where we could have had 2 of the best players of this generation.

Sidebottom is hoping to be fit but how dangerous could it be for him to go straight into the Ashes. He has an achilles problem but hopefully he should be fit for some of the games when the Windies come here straight after this tour. I agree, just from a basic cricket view that a left arm bowler who can swing the ball into a right hander from over the wicket is something different.

Hussain said yesterday - all of the best country players are already in the England set up and play very few county games - meaning the county standard is poor and the players get no experience plaing with internationals. Although we could bring in Sajid Mahmood again,lol.

And tick - do you honestly expect the ECB to think like that? (in answer to your point about Vaughan) However, I do believe they really hope Vaughan starts well for Yorkshire so they can draft him in - in an almost Beckham like way like the national football team - he would never be made captain unless something major happens like it did with KP - but I wouldnt be surprised if he was in the Ashes squad.

Re the bowlers, what about Simon Jones ? Had his injury probs but seemed to be fit & performing well towards end of last season, was a big part of the last ashes victory, a decent pacy left arm swing bowler, is he being overlooked ?

He's been injured for atleast half a year, but I heard somewhere that he did go to Wocester's pre-season tour of South Africa - not sure if he's played in any games but his recovery is going well (he's actually a right arm bowler but bats left handed).

Very good with reverse swing and that would be needed against the Ausies. If he was fit and was playing county cricket another possible one to be looked at.

Had a bad knee injury and I did hear he was following the "Samit Patel" way of life and was eating a few too many pies so was concentrating on shedding a few pounds.

dicanio wrote:

Re the bowlers, what about Simon Jones ? Had his injury probs but seemed to be fit & performing well towards end of last season, was a big part of the last ashes victory, a decent pacy left arm swing bowler, is he being overlooked ?

Would love too see him fully fit and back for the Ashes, sadly i cant see it!!
11

Yeah I liked Jones - got alot of key wickets last time around - As he is welsh - I am not suprized he likes to eat all the pies lol

Well credit where it is due, the England boys did deliver in the end, showing a bit of a fight to come from 2-1 down in the series after some abysmal performances.

Its a first win ever in the Carribean as well so we cant really understate the achievement.

Watched every game from the good through the bad and I think all in all, its been a fantastic series with a bit of everything.

Yes they did well in the end - couple of test matches should have been won - there is talent there - fingers crossed for the summer.

Ashes is the big one..!!

Not watched all of the series, been busy with work etc..

Butt chuffed we won obviously.. Now we play them in test and one dayers in England.. we should win both.. But the tests i want us too get back too as good as we was not so long ago. Unlike others.. the Test matches are my favorite types of the game... Can wait for the Ashes!!!