Interesting...very interesting

[Talk Talk]

Haha, well done IOB, once again making a total chode of yourself in this section!!

No, not really.

He said that Prior should be kept on (and he has done very well this series), that Flintoff is fucked (and apart from Lords and a run out at the Oval he is).

KP was out of the equation.

Chode? Nah, IOB has a normal willy I am certain.

[jonny72]

I love Monty and it looks like everyone else does as well - he got some massive cheers when they were handing out the awards. Whilst I appreciate he has been playing shit recently, what I don't understand is the way they manage players such as Monty. Once the ECB lose interest in a player they just seem to give up on them.

Monty goes back to his county and ends up playing in the 2nd division. What fucking good is that? Why aren't they ensuring that players like Monty are playing in the 1st division? His batting is obviously shit, so why aren't they forcing him up the batting order at county level? He is shit in the field, so why aren't they forcing that as well?

[mexico red]

fuck off jonny, so you force counties to play players? and in what division? counties are there on merit, end of.

[nevillew]

I love Monty and it looks like everyone else does as well - he got some massive cheers when they were handing out the awards. Whilst I appreciate he has been playing shit recently, what I don't understand is the way they manage players such as Monty. Once the ECB lose interest in a player they just seem to give up on them.

Monty goes back to his county and ends up playing in the 2nd division. What fucking good is that? Why aren't they ensuring that players like Monty are playing in the 1st division? His batting is obviously shit, so why aren't they forcing him up the batting order at county level? He is shit in the field, so why aren't they forcing that as well?

Monty's batting has been shit since he came into the side (hang on, what about cardiff ?) some 4 years ago now. As has his fielding - Is first division fielding better than second division ? If he was that good perhaps some first division side might offer him a contract.

I'd imagine he's third in the pecking order now, with Swann and Rashid ahead of him for the SA tour. If someone is going to get by solely on bowling, he has to be exceptional, and Monty is on the slide at the moment - hopefully he can turn it round, but this season has been poor for him.

[Ardiles]

I know you're a die hard Sussex fan, so I can understand your reluctance to interfere with the County set up more than is necessary.  But I can see where Jonny is coming from.  Cricket is quite like rugby union (and unlike football) in that many more people will follow the national side than follow a club side.  If the County structure is failing to develop fringe England players like Panesar, I think there could be a fair amount of support for adjusting things...especially if it boosted our chances of a few more days like yesterday.

[mexico red]

is cricket more like rugby union but not like football because you dont follow them?

phone call from haiti manager : lescinel is not scoring enough goals at international level, you have to play him as centre forward.

yeah that would work.

[Ardiles]

is cricket more like rugby union but not like football because you dont follow them?

Sorry.  Didn't understand that at all.

phone call from haiti manager : lescinel is not scoring enough goals at international level, you have to play him as centre forward.

yeah that would work.

Taking a concept to its logical extremes is probably not the best way of arguing this.  My point is simply that County cricket could not survive in its present form without the money generated by the national side.  Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and a few other County sides would have enough of a following, but many others would not.  So adjusting the set up to benefit the national side is not a ridiculous idea.

STFC, on the other hand, does not rely on the Haitian national side for its continued existence.  I agree that DW would tell the Haitian manager where to get off if such a phone call was made.  Not a good example.

[mexico red]

from the beginning of april due to the world cup, the england squad will not be allowed to play for there clubs......hows that for an example?

[jonny72]

Hang on a sec....

I'm not saying that any county side should be forced to play a player. All I'm saying is that players like Monty should be placed with a 1st Division side if one of them wants him - if necessary there should be some form of incentive for a 1st Division club to play them and for the 2nd Division club to release them from their contract.

Cricket has got the potential to be a far bigger sport than it is at present and they need to build on the success of events such as the Ashes and the Twenty20 World Cup and make the England team more successful if they are going to capitalise on that potential.

They could really do with sorting out their ticketing system as well. During the Twenty20 World Cup there was a good few games with tickets available - I'd have gone to at least one of them if I could have figured out how the fuck you bought tickets and how much they cost. I spent about an hour on the interweb and didn't get any closer to figuring it out. Having to just turn up at the ground on the day is just bollocks, especially when you have to travel a long distance.

[REDBUCK]

I think everyone likes Monty because of his fielding and batting, they like him playing the fool

The selectors could of course pick a spinner who's playing in the First Division

Are you saying that Bopara should move from Essex as well then.

[cib]

Monty goes back to his county and ends up playing in the 2nd division. What fucking good is that? Why aren't they ensuring that players like Monty are playing in the 1st division? His batting is obviously shit, so why aren't they forcing him up the batting order at county level? He is shit in the field, so why aren't they forcing that as well?

And takes how many wickets exactly? He averages 80 or something this summer for his county? If he were to play 1st division cricket would he get more wickets and learn his trade or would his confidence take a hit which would then be an even bigger problem for his county who have taken him on and for England?

Monty did well for a spell, as did many other players who played a few times for England but then were left on the fringe (Shah, another example). But he hasn't been the best or even the second best spinner on the county circuit this year, the standard he's played at is irrelevant as he hasn't taken enough wickets.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

We need to let Rashid into the side now. Forget about Monty. He's had his time and has got worse as that time has gone on. He'll need to find his form again if he wants to get back into the team.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Haha, well done IOB, once again making a total chode of yourself in this section!!

How exactly? I claimed we should have stuck with Prior instead of fucking around with that useless Ambrose bloke. And I was RIGHT. I claimed Freddy was way past his best and on the evidence of this series (Lords aside and an innings with the bat at Edgebaston i think it was) he's done hardly anything. He managed the run out in this game but aside from that he was there for a spectacle of it being his last test and to try and lift the team with his presence. I don't think I was too far off the mark with that one either. And given that he's now retired from Tests it all now makes sense eh? Well to most it does.

Is KP still captain now?  RIGHT again.

And to think this thread was started in 2008. Call me genius if you will.....

[Reg Smeeton]

We need to let Rashid into the side now. Forget about Monty. He's had his time and has got worse as that time has gone on. He'll need to find his form again if he wants to get back into the team.

Rashid is a tricky one...no doubt he has promise, but I don't think his bowling is anywhere near test match standard yet...his batting is decent, so he should be looking to become a number 6 who can bowl a bit.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Didn't he get a century and take 5 wickets for Yorkshire the other day? I agree though I wouldn't chuck him straight into the test team especially with Swann going well and doing a good job. I'd put him into the 1 day side though. Why not? And he should deffo be ahead of Monty.