The Ashes 2010/11 in Australia

The England squad is pretty much as expected, with Bresnan in ahead of Shahzad the only real eyebrow raiser.

Ashes squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Steve Davies, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar

Barring injury or someone in truly dreadful form in the warm up games, I would be quite happy to bet a lot on the 1st Test XI being the rather predictable Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn.

Performance squad Jimmy Adams, Jonny Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Michael Carberry, Maurice Chambers, Jade Dernbach, Andrew Gale, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Ajmal Shahzad, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes 

Rashid is apparently being given a winter off, hence no performance squad place for him, whilst Bopara will be playing in South Africa over the winter, and presumably available to be called up if necessary. Good to see Hildreth making his way into the selector's thoughts.

Regarding the back up batting, the performance squad will be in Australia so they can haul someone out of that at short notice if required, which is probably a better solution than having an extra guy mope around on the main tour with little chance of getting much cricket.

I thought that performance squad was going to SA, but I think it's Queensland so you're right on that one Clobber. Big group of players they are sending down, a lot of expenditure for the ECB but I suppose there's some purpose behind it.
When Australia goes to England they tend to have quite a few players already playing County Cricket and we've seen selections for tour matches and even tests come out of those overseas players.

Morgan is a good back-up batsman though, I think the squad indicates order of preference, thus Morgan is the first batsman to get a go if say Collingwood has two bad tests in a row or there is an injury. Wonder how he will fair in this series. I still think Bopara wouldn't have been a bad option in the Aussie conditions. Another Irishman, Ed Joyce made a lovely ODI ton in Australia last time around, could be Morgan's turn.

Originally posted by milkman Good to see them take 2 keepers, they did it last time they came and it was rather necessary as Geraint Jones was pathetic. They've gone in with Tremlett as the back up pacer, I think that's a good move to have him there but what's the purpose of Bresnan? I'd much rather have seen a specialist batsman there, I think just having Morgan as your specialist back up is a bit light. Cook, Pietersen and Collingwood have all been in inconsistent form of late. I can certainly envisage Bopara being called up at some stage. The actual XI looks great, bit unsure about the back ups though. Panesar is only needed if Swann is injured, I can't see him being dropped for form and Sydney isn't a raging turner anymore - even so, England's strength is in pace anyway.

Good comments but I have to disagree with your last bit. The pace boys back up our strike bowler Swann!!

I can't really see any team losing every single match. England lost 5-0 last time, but before that they'd tend to win at least a match. In 02/03 they won in Sydney and in 98/99 they won one game and drew another I believe.

I mean realistically any team playing at home and after just losing in the away Ashes is going to be slight favourites. Our pacers are much better at home than away and that's fact. But England are playing their best XI in 20 years I reckon ; top notch spinner, very good pace attack and a long batting line up - backed up with a decent fielding setting, something England have somewhat lacked in the past. A well rounded side, KP is really the only player with that 'x-factor' now that Freddy is gone, but I dare say Swann has created for himself a happy knack for taking Warne-esque hauls and for mine that's a big, big plus for any touring team. We've seen India do well in Australia where Kumble has played, only difference is that England also has a couple of good pacers to back Swann up.

A punter would put money on Australia, but I for one won't rule England out  and I'm hoping for a top notch series. The anti climax after England lost 5-0 was the worst! If 4 players from Australia did not retire then I think the series would have been rather forgettable.


Edited by milkman - 25 September 2010 at 3:13am

Yes Raj, I would have to agree with you. Also their series against India should also give us an indication of the form they will carry into the Ashes.

I also expect a close series with England coming on top.

Edited by abubakar52 - 25 September 2010 at 4:49am

There is a sheer lack of objectivity in your statements, something I find rather strange considering your neutrality should render you unbiased. Clearly not. Much like the Indians brandishing Australians as racist because the Commonwealth Games being held in Delhi is a complete sham. Probably run by people with the same mindset as you Raj.

To say Australia will not win a single match in some of your predictions is an absolute joke. Australia won a test and narrowly drew one against in England only last year AWAY from home. England won that series literally by a matter of a few overs. To say Australia are that bad that they can't even win a test as per some of your predictions  and that England will somehow, after having never done so in the past 15 years, win a series in Australia is far fetched and fanciful.
England could win, but it will not be by more than a 1 test margin, just like in 2005 or 2009 (which for your information were both series played in England).
England's record in their past 10 tests in Australia is 9 lost, 1 won.
Australia has only lost 1 series in the last 10 years at home and that was against SA. They failed to defend 400 and a freak partnership lost us the game in Melbourne. So they won't thrashed by all means. Funnily enough, they smashed SA in SA only a couple of months after.

As far as I can see it, Australia has not lost it's grip on this format. Just look at India, they are no.1 yet they struggled clearly against SL. They never had their grip on the test format at all.

Getting a bit fed up with the anti-Australia bias. Probably because India has nothing to show. Can't even organise the Commonwealth Games. Wonder how this next World Cup will pan out.

Everyone of your posts brandishes this anti-Australian rubbish.
And none of your statements are justified, the number of draws in Australia are almost negligible, there's too much good weather here and the wickets are not 600 v 600 wickets like in Sri Lanka. 

Originally posted by milkman There is a sheer lack of objectivity in your statements, something I find rather strange considering your neutrality should render you unbiased. Clearly not. Much like the Indians brandishing Australians as racist because the Commonwealth Games being held in Delhi is a complete sham. Probably run by people with the same mindset as you Raj. As far as I can see it, Australia has not lost it's grip on this format. Just look at India, they are no.1 yet they struggled clearly against SL. They never had their grip on the test format at all. Getting a bit fed up with the anti-Australia bias. Probably because India has nothing to show. Can't even organise the Commonwealth Games. Wonder how this next World Cup will pan out.

Originally posted by sam_ahmed Personally I would love to see AUS win this 5-0.

Me too

Edited by Amal - 25 September 2010 at 3:21pm

Originally posted by Amal Originally posted by sam_ahmed Personally I would love to see AUS win this 5-0. Me too

Originally posted by flipper Well I was hoping this thread would be a little different from the Eng/Pak match thread, as that one turned into 'Who Shot John' and conspiracy central! There seems some silliness from the get go.

don't worry, there is no way this thread is going to be allowed to descend into the ludicrousness that the other one became

Fair enough thats your view but Trott was the leading run scorer in the Pakistan series and by some distance, so I call that pretty much in form. Bell was finding form before he broke his toe and worked his socks off to make the last two odi's. Collingwood and KP are out of nick everyone knows that. Prior has done nothing wrong and looks steady. Cook's the one I have a problem with but always gets a ton when he's in last chance saloon, so to speak. I'm sure he's picked to shine the ball most series. Can't see much wrong with Englands pace attack in all honesty, I reckon it stands up quite well to anything elsewhere in the world right now.
For me, its a team that will compete.

Form right now doesn't really matter for a series that starts in December

Originally posted by flipper Well I was hoping this thread would be a little different from the Eng/Pak match thread, as that one turned into 'Who Shot John' and conspiracy central! There seems some silliness from the get go. Come on Australia and England, lets show how this game should be played, Into the arena stuff with passion, decency ,fair play and share a beer at the end of play.

No mate nobody wants to go into that stuff again. For the love of cricket i also want to watch some really good cricket