I forgot Crawley in my team

One day there'll be a series where our whole best top 7 is available from start to finish

Bairstow and Moeen Ali back in the test squad

Squad:
Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Reserves:
James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Amar Virdi (Surrey).

Stokes & Archer are rested.

They're taking 6 pace bowlers to sri lanka ??

Also although bbc list foakes as the wk, the ecg site puts wi against buttler only which suggests foakes is reserve keeper and bairstow one of only 5 specialist batters.

Not sure how bairstow got another go before malan.

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 30 minutes ago
Bairstow and Moeen Ali back in the test squad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the band back together

Sibley
Crawley
Lawrence
Root
Buttler/Bairstow
Foakes(wk)
Woakes
S Curran
Bess
Leach
Anderson/Broad

comment by Bennyville (U8058)
posted 40 seconds ago
comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 30 minutes ago
Bairstow and Moeen Ali back in the test squad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the band back together
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mandy having to calm herself down before she jumps on the thread

comment by Phenom - least knowledgeable spurs ... (U20037)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Bennyville (U8058)
posted 40 seconds ago
comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 30 minutes ago
Bairstow and Moeen Ali back in the test squad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the band back together
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mandy having to calm herself down before she jumps on the thread
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not working

I can at least see the logic in recalling Moeen since we're not exactly overloaded with spin options. But playing Bairstow ahead of Foakes would be madness. I'm hoping neither play, tbh.

No Burns, Stokes, Pope or Archer so it's gonna be a fairly experimental lineup, with hopefully the best XI back in place for India in Feb. Big opportunity for the likes of Lawrence, Foakes, Leach, Bess - I just hope they get an opportunity ahead of the old "favourites"

No left handed batsmen in the squad?

I hope neither play meaning Bairstow and Ali, obviously. I hope Foakes plays, 100%, considering how well he played v Sri Lanka on debut

Just realised no jennings.

They're going to Sri lanka with 6 pace bowlers and 5 batters (including bairstow).

The selectors are strange

Can’t believe we’re still wheeling out Mo, guessing Rashid still doesn’t fancy it?

We got an ashes series in less than a year

comment by Phenom - least knowledgeable spurs poster 2019/20 (U20037)
posted 1 minute ago
The selectors are strange
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Indeed mate.

Oddest selection since Ted dexter dropped david gower.

comment by Bennyville (U8058)
posted 6 minutes ago
Can’t believe we’re still wheeling out Mo, guessing Rashid still doesn’t fancy it?

We got an ashes series in less than a year
----------------------------------------------------------------------
thats only going one way unfortunetly

Trying to tie that squad down to a starting XI in Sri Lanka is tough. Best I can come up with, in terms of squad roles/backups to put together a side with enough bowling depth for spinning pitches, is something like this:

Sibley
Crawley
Root
Lawrence/Bairstow
Foakes
Buttler
Woakes/Curran
Bess/Ali
Leach
Wood/Stone
Anderson/Broad

Obviously there's a lot of switching and wriggle room possible but there's no way both Wood and Stone play, no way both Woakes and Curran play. Foakes will hopefully be treated as not a newbie since he's played tests there before and done well. Bairstow and Lawrence are both a bit more aggressive so hopefully being treated as one or the other (?)

Can't see any other opening options so Crawley and Root have to move up one each. Not sure I see Lawrence or Bairstow coming in at 3 if Root can move up, but you never know.

I could see Bess being first pick spinner, and conceivably Root being the third spinner, in which case Broad comes in for Ali or Leach - probably Leach, because they like extra batting even though Leach is easily our best spinner.

I don't facking know. It's a p!ss weak batting lineup.

my saide >

Are the reserves travelling ?

comment by Phenom - least knowledgeable spurs ... (U20037)
posted 41 minutes ago
comment by Bennyville (U8058)
posted 6 minutes ago
Can’t believe we’re still wheeling out Mo, guessing Rashid still doesn’t fancy it?

We got an ashes series in less than a year
----------------------------------------------------------------------
thats only going one way unfortunetly
----------------------------------------------------------------------
5-0 guaranteed

Leach has to play as Bess and Mo aren't going to take 15 wickets between them which will be needed to win the game.

I like Stone's inclusion but him and Wood are both injury prone so need to be managed carefully.

That batting though....

Never thought I'd say this but Jennings should 100% be in the squad for this given there's no Burns.

Freddie Flintoff reckons Bairstow is one of England's 3 best Test bats. Proving one and for all that he is an actual idiot.

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 47 minutes ago
Freddie Flintoff reckons Bairstow is one of England's 3 best Test bats. Proving one and for all that he is an actual idiot.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDyk-FgtKz0

England have been excellent of late in Lanka. Lankans have not really recovered since retirement of Sanga and Jaya , should be 0-2 or 0-3 England