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They will give Compton time to get into form before the ashes.. If he doesn't look like doin the business. They either shift Root upto opening or just move Trott up one place.. The latter would do me fine.

Cook
Trott
Bell
Root
KP
Bairstow
Prior
Swann
Broad
Finn
Anderson

I'd shift Swann above Broad. He looks like scoring more at the minute.

I'd have Trotts first and stick Bell at the end

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I wouldn't have an issue with Trott opening and Bell at 3, or with Swann batting above Broad, but I would be amazed if Root bats above Kev.

Galvnando -

Is your username a tribute to Fernando Alonso ?

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I thought I recognised you from the Motorsport board.

Maybe I was mixing you up with someone else.

I am not familiar with Mr Parrado, although he sounds like a Sri Lankan wicket keeper.

I find your contributions confusing, and - although I do not mean to be rude - I wonder whether you are you a genuine cricket fan.

I think Kp should be inbetween Root and Bairstow. Kp best position is 5th anyway.. Root could be a thrope kind of player at 4.

Root doesn't remind me of Thorpe at all personally.

Furthermore, Thorpe played mostly at 5, and KP has barely batted at 5.

Apart from that though I don't disagree with you.

Well I find it a shame that Andy Flower has come out and said that Compton will have to score runs for Somerset in order to ensure he plays in the Ashes.

The problem I have is when you pick a player, you back him and quite clearly Compton is not being backed here. Nobody is going to doubt that Compton last year, deserved his chance for a call-up.

England made the decision to open with Compton, and not Root. Tell me, if Root was in Compton's position now they'd be backing him to perform because they'd see him as the future. As Compton is the opener he should be backed, and the word be patient should come into it.

Yes, he doesn't look good at the crease atm, but what I'd like to know is if they drop Compton...then say Bell opens what happens if he stops scoring? Make another change? and another? England should be patient if they want him to succeed. I'd play Compton.

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I most certainly am a geezer.

Please don't associate cricket with being square.

The problem I have is when you pick a player, you back him and quite clearly Compton is not being backed here. Nobody is going to doubt that Compton last year, deserved his chance for a call-up.

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You can't just keep picking him for ever though.

Ultimately you pick the player who is going to perform best, and if someone clearly can't score a run then he doesn't deserve a place in the side.

Bell has been decent middle order player for a while. Why mess with him now? Compton needs a bit more of a run to prove himself. If not move Root to top (I do not expect Root to be any more successful than Compton at the top). Don't mess with Trott, KP or Bell batting positions. No reason to.

Why mess with him now?
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When he was moved from 5 to 3 he played superb. I think there is a reason, because Bairstow needs to be accommodated.

Re Compton : I know it's only 3 bad games he's had, and normally I would expect an established player to be given more of a run than that, but if he's totally out of nick like he is now then there is no point in playing him. He looks mentally shot, even if he's got the ability.

If you are going to keep picking someone, then why isn't Samit Patel in the side ?

Geezer.

That's the problem. There is no patient. If we went by that theory...then if the guy that replaces Compton in the opening slot fails the what? Drop him? If Root all of a sudden hits bad form drop him?

Compton has hardly played a year of International cricket and people are slating him already. He needs time and people need to be patient. If Compton goes on to score a century in the first Ashes test all of sudden, people will praise him. I think people need to relax a little and back the guy.

then if the guy that replaces Compton in the opening slot fails the what? Drop him? If Root all of a sudden hits bad form drop him?

Compton has hardly played a year of International cricket and people are slating him already. He needs time and people need to be patient.

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A year ?

You can't give someone a year !!!

I remember watching England in the late 80s, early 90s.

I think we used 26 player in a series against west indies. We had 4 different captains in 5 tests.

That's chopping and changing too much, but giving debutants a guarantee of a year is probably worse imo.

You give someone a run, and if they aren't up to it you give the next guy a chance. That's the way it should be, and if Compton looks like he is not going to score any runs, then he shouldn't play.

Someone has to go out of Compton and bairstow, so why choose the one who looks like he cant get it off the square ?

Negating the new ball not quite the same as 25+ overs old ball, hence the need for specialists. By promoting Root or Bell to open hoping that they will do well. Which is far from certain. If they perform as good as Compton, you are risking the middle order. Fix an opener with an opener. Not with an established middle order batsman.

Patel had million more chances than Compton. Is it not true?

funnily enough btw, one of those 4 captains was Compton's father in his one and only test match !

what am I talking about ? it was chris cowdrey

Patel had million more chances than Compton. Is it not true?
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No, it's not true; Compton has played 9 tests, Patel played 5

I didn't say give him a year, what I meant was he had a decent winter tour of India then scored his two centuries v NZ...You then cannot all of a sudden start to slate him after he looks out of touch. That's where the patient comes into it. This is not the 1980's this is the 21st century. Things have changed.

I can see from the fans perspective that they want Compton dropped I understand that. But, the fact that Andy Flower and Co. give the likes of Bopara chance after chance after chance after chance after chance... but as soon as Compton messes up he's out. If this was Bopara he'd be playing in the first Ashes test, whereas Compton it seems will not, gathering from what Flower has been saying.

It isn't because he's messed up though, it's because he doesn't look like he is capable of scoring runs against the best bowlers in difficult conditions. Anyone who plays test cricket needs to be able to do that, and - at least on current form - he is not capable of that. Why should a team handicap itself by putting out what it knows not to be thebest side, just so that they can boast that they gave a guy a really good run.

Many talented players don't get to play a test match. He's done that. He's had his chance. And what he is shown is that he does not appear to be up to it.

What is more, he in competition with a player who is also currently in the side, and who has shown that he is up to it.

It's a no brainer to me.

You say Bopara would be selected, but he was in the side until he had to drop out for personal reasons, and has not been recalled. Why not ? Bopara's scored more runs in his last 3 games than Compton. Bopara's scored more test 100s than Compton. So why should Compton be in the side ahead of Bopara ? Let alone ahead of Bairstow.