Strong piece; it seems like one of those infrequent England resets when "transition" really means that half of the starting lineup from the previous winter has discreetly vanished into IPL recovery rooms and county cricket.
Bottom line why is Will Jacks not in starting XI? England tawdry affair with spinners is well known, discarded like used starlets with exotic names. Instead of another 9 10 jack spinner why not a good backup all rounder to an iffy Stokes? Sometimes an ugly ducking becomes a Swan ! 😂 Full of puns today!
Love the puns! I think Jacks was only ever a stop-gap for the Australia tour because they couldn’t trust Bashir. I’m not sure he’s got the attributes to develop into a really good Test spinner, for all that he’s an admirable cricketer.
Re the idea of Stokes dropping down the order, I think that should have been done ages ago. So many of his greatest knocks feature a lower order batter at the other side, he's just the best in the world at marshalling the tail. In addition, we really need to accept his days are limited and there needs to be an all rounder who can take up the mantle. Blooding Rehan at 5/6 makes a lot of sense to me.
Agree – we have a few promising youngsters but lack a proven option, unless you count Jack Leach. I'm surprised the Bashir project isn't over to be honest, after he wasn't used in Australia. I hope Rehan makes the XI – England should really give him an extended run in the side to see what he's capable of in a variety of conditions. In truth though we haven't had a really top-class spinner since Swann retired, and it'll be hard for us to beat the best in the world consistently without one.
Rehan is unlikely to keep things tight, but he’s a potential partnership-breaker, especially against dogged tailenders. With the bat, he has the potential to average 35+, so it’s an exciting package.
Swann was another level altogether, you’re right. Having a spinner who can hold his own in a four-man attack is a rarity.
Yes, leg spin is rarely an option if you’re worried about economy, but this England team have been more focused on wickets so Rehan should fit right in. He just offers so much more as a cricketer than Bashir, with the ball, the bat and in the field.
Yeah. It feels like England should leave Bashir alone for a few years, allow him to develop away from the spotlight. There’s clearly some talent there, but he needs a lot of refinement.
Strong piece; it seems like one of those infrequent England resets when "transition" really means that half of the starting lineup from the previous winter has discreetly vanished into IPL recovery rooms and county cricket.
Bottom line why is Will Jacks not in starting XI? England tawdry affair with spinners is well known, discarded like used starlets with exotic names. Instead of another 9 10 jack spinner why not a good backup all rounder to an iffy Stokes? Sometimes an ugly ducking becomes a Swan ! 😂 Full of puns today!
Love the puns! I think Jacks was only ever a stop-gap for the Australia tour because they couldn’t trust Bashir. I’m not sure he’s got the attributes to develop into a really good Test spinner, for all that he’s an admirable cricketer.
I'm curious as to what are your thoughts on Liam Dawson?
Some very good analysis there.
Re the idea of Stokes dropping down the order, I think that should have been done ages ago. So many of his greatest knocks feature a lower order batter at the other side, he's just the best in the world at marshalling the tail. In addition, we really need to accept his days are limited and there needs to be an all rounder who can take up the mantle. Blooding Rehan at 5/6 makes a lot of sense to me.
His batting form has been deteriorating over the past couple of years - inversely proportionate to his bowling.
At number 8 he could bat with more freedom, and as you say he’s great with the tail. Personally I’d move Smith to 6 and play Rehan at 7.
It feels as though England have a lot of spin talents, who are still project players at this stage, like Bashir, both Ahmeds etc.
But they still don’t know where to turn, so they’ve hedged their bets with the squad selection.
Agree – we have a few promising youngsters but lack a proven option, unless you count Jack Leach. I'm surprised the Bashir project isn't over to be honest, after he wasn't used in Australia. I hope Rehan makes the XI – England should really give him an extended run in the side to see what he's capable of in a variety of conditions. In truth though we haven't had a really top-class spinner since Swann retired, and it'll be hard for us to beat the best in the world consistently without one.
Rehan is unlikely to keep things tight, but he’s a potential partnership-breaker, especially against dogged tailenders. With the bat, he has the potential to average 35+, so it’s an exciting package.
Swann was another level altogether, you’re right. Having a spinner who can hold his own in a four-man attack is a rarity.
Yes, leg spin is rarely an option if you’re worried about economy, but this England team have been more focused on wickets so Rehan should fit right in. He just offers so much more as a cricketer than Bashir, with the ball, the bat and in the field.
Yeah. It feels like England should leave Bashir alone for a few years, allow him to develop away from the spotlight. There’s clearly some talent there, but he needs a lot of refinement.