What has Ravi done...

comment by rich1uk (U5168)
posted 18 minutes ago
because he retired from test cricket 8 months ago

there was a worry that with a 4 man attack we would miss the overs from collingwood

============

Collingwood very rarely bowled and when he did it wasn't tactical it was necessary to hold an end due to injury or bowl some overs before the new ball

again i never once said they had

i suggest you start reading cricket columnists however as earlier in the summer, while the debate over who would replace collingwood was going on, it was suggested that bopara was a more natural replacement for collingwood, specifically because of the fact they both gave a bowling option

of course you will know better than professional journalists who have spent their lifes reporting on cricket

he hasnt replaced collingwood. he's replaced trott.

towncryer has validly pointed out though that bopara should not be defined as a cricketer on the basis of his bowling. he's a batsman. a batsman who has almost nothing in common with paul collingwood.

ffs

i know hes replaced trott atm

i think i am more observant than someone who didn't even know collingwood had retired 8 months ago

the point remains that bopara was being talked about in the early part of the year as a more natural replacement for the vacant spot in the team after collingwood's retirement than morgan was due to the fact he at least gave the OPTION of being a fifth bowler

my last post , i feel like i am banging my head against a brick wall here

the point remains that bopara was being talked about in the early part of the year as a more natural replacement for the vacant spot in the team after collingwood's retirement than morgan was due to the fact he at least gave the OPTION of being a fifth bowler

my last post , i feel like i am banging my head against a brick wall here

===============

no, it's clear what your point is. it's just that, as with any other point which may have decided to make, that point is insufficient to establish that collingwood is the most appropriate batasman to compare bopara to. as i and towncryer have pointed out, it is a very poor, and frankly lazy, comparison.

One thing I will say - is that as I currently watch the game 516-5 Bopara with his short game experience when (IMO) we need to get some quick runs to bulild a large total quick and allow for a declaration - has got to be one of the best men for the job - hopefully he has his eye in and can score quick - for this game in this moment he could be just the man - if so the selectors can do no wrong currently especially if it gets sticky later in the game and he grabs a wicket or 2

With Morgan showing once again his glaring weakness to pace outside his off stump, Bopara has a great opportunity to show he's the man.

as ive said before, i think we should be playing 5 bowlers anyway.

thought bopara did well this morning though.

didnt look much like collingwood to me

As far as Rich Tea is concerned we have Pietersen, Trott, Bopara, Broad, Anderson, Swan and Bresnan.

I make that 7

Perhaps it would help to separate the problem into two parts.

1) Colly's role in the team

2) Colly's slot in the batting line-up


As far as role is concerned - that of the batsman whose job it is to rescue the innings if the openers and attacking players get out cheaply, plus have a few overs up his sleeve if necessary, well I'm afraid Trott ursurped that role even before Colly retired from tests, and he's doing it so well that there is no chance of Bopara or anyone else getting it off him for many years.

In terms of Colly's slot in the batting line-up, that went to Morgan, and this is the true nature of the decision facing the selectors: is Morgan or Bopara the best bet at No.6?

Having seen Bopara fail to nail down a slot on a couple of different occasions, I think the selectors are pretty reasonable in giving Morgan an extended audition.

In that the jury is still out, Morgan having got a couple of good scores but also quite a few failures.