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Everyone was weirdly fine with Adil Rashid’s omission from England’s Ashes squad, even though he was England’s only consistent wicket-taker on flat pitches last winter. Considering England have spent much of this tour looking decidedly fast-medium, it seems a fair time to revisit the decision.
We took a look at Rashid’s record compared to his fellow bowlers for Wisden.com and have since found ourself wondering whether England’s current Test captain may have made the call. Intriguingly, a Wisden tweet of the story, saying “Adil Rashid is yet to play a Test under Joe Root” was subsequently retweeted* by Yorkshire’s Azeem Rafiq.
It has to be said that building pressure by bowling in a consistent area hasn’t really helped England of late. A lad who turns it both ways and who also has first-class hundreds to his name might have come in handy.
Go and read the Wisden piece. Someone somewhere might at some point call it a ‘doozy’.
* And later deleted.
If Ali can’t bowl effectively because of that finger cut or otherwise, England should be playing another spinner (either instead of Ali, or with Ali playing as a specialist bat).
If Rashid had been available they might just have made the swap. Instead they seem to have brought along a spinner they have no intention of playing even if Ali is injured and ineffective. What’s the point? Would they ever have selected Crane in a live rubber? My suspicion is not.
I’ll remain mystified on this one.
Mason Crane had ‘will maybe get some experience in the event we lose the series early’ written all over him from the outset.
Not a great message.
I predict him to play in Sydney, take a few wickets in the 2nd innings when Aus are desperately pushing for a declaration, still average under 30, and then never get selected again.
Well put, O king. I always think such selections might have learned more from going on the Lions tour and actually, you know, playing the odd game? “Here’s a match that doesn’t matter, have a bowl now at these blokes who’ve demolished us so far” is not a great way to begin a Test career.
Heh, live rubber
England selectors are not good enough for me, every time they can mistakes in selection you remember they called Gareth batty in India that’s just foolish , at that time because alots of good spiners in county. I don’t no what are they doing.
I thought Rashid’s exclusion from the Test squad was a bit strange. But maybe it’s because Rashid and Root don’t play for the same count…oh, wait.
Equally odd, was Garry Ballance’s inclusion into the squad. Maybe Root fancied a look, as he hadn’t seen him at county leve…oh, wait.
Perhaps the England selection policy is to line everyone up against the wall and not pick Liam Plunkett ‘cos he’s not our mate.
rashid shouldn’t have gone to dubai or wherever it was eng fucked off during the india tour. I knew right then he was going to lose it (“it” being whatever form he had got himself into in the tests up till then)
and is panesar finished for ever now, or what?
Almost certainly.
Something to do with that title-deciding Championship game in 2016, that Rashid asked to be rested from, citing his busy future schedule? Yorkshire seemed pretty cranky at the time.
That incident was perhaps symptomatic of the reason why he’s not in the squad.
Happy Christmas everyone (geographical region dependent but it seems Xmas comes earlier to the England cricket team than for those of us in Blighty).
Hope we are all looking forward to the seemingly inevitable punch-drunk Boxing Day knock-out.
In think we all missed out on wishing each other Merry Festivus this year (yesterday), which is a grievance we should save up and air next Festivus.
If you are really bored over the festive season (and/or soon cannot bear to follow the Ashes test) you can read about and even silently watch real tennis at Lord’s to excess through this reflective piece:
http://ianlouisharris.com/2017/12/22/24-hours-of-mostly-real-tennis-excess-plus-reflections-on-365-days-of-reasonable-success-21-and-22-december-2017/
Season’s greetings to all here at King Cricket.
Merry Festivus to you as well Ged, and to all of KC’s subjects!
But not to KC himself?
Well that’s a grievance for next year’s Airing of Grievances.
Happy Festivus.
stop crying and fight deep cower
I have no intention of fighting with our benevolent King. Instead I’ll extend him my hearty Festivus wishes!
Right back at you with interest.
Merry Day-Before-The-Boxing-Day-Test, everyone.
Happy Boxing Day Test Eve.
Is this the Through The Night thread?
I might have stayed up for Crane bowling… Or for Bird, which is in some cladistic sense an extension of staying up for Crane I suppose. But with work tomorrow and only the Unwhitewash to play for, I’m not sure I have much endurance tonight.
My endurance not being sustained much by Aus winning the toss, being 26/0 after five overs and England setting a deep point and deep square leg for Warner already. I know which way this one is going… (now if I sleep a flurry of wickets will fall, so late-nighters thank me later)
I had a dream that it rained all day at the MCG. It was a nice dream.