General Cricket Thread ...

[prasen9]

Absolutely agree with that. The system needs to improve. Including holding back players when they are not ready physically. Note that the Aussies held back Cummings for almost six years and had very good health specialists work with him, Starc, etc. There is a limit to what you can do and so Pattinson could not be fixed.

AI can be used for analytics in team selection and can be used to improve healthcare. I am involved in some projects myself. But, it has to be used judiciously and we need an infrastructure.

But, the important issue is that the BCCI have a better system to get players fitter. And, I think we all agree that they can do better. Although they do a lot more than any other sports board in India I think. Primarily because they have money and because some assets they covet - see Pant.

[prasen9]

Australia have two of the current generation's best batsmen in Smith and Labuschagne, I believe, even allowing for the country having the most batting-friendly pitches in the world currently. Then, we have the other two greats Williamson and Kohli. But, New Zealand has a couple of upcoming batters in Mitchell and Conway, who have had phenomenal starts to their careers. I wonder if it is just a fluke. Otherwise, NZ will be in contention quickly if they have three bona fide great batters: Williamson, Mitchell, and Conway. At least one if not both will fizzle out I think. They will remain good but not great. Brooks may be the next great coming up. Hope Gill joins them by becoming consistent.

[Rajiv]

A superb 54 ball 100 by the Hong Kong born and bred Chapman to beat the Paki's.
A long conversation between Mark & my son today was a bigger highlight

https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/ ... 776292.ece

[Rajkumar Sharma]

Interesting. Great initiative from Karnataka State Cricket Association.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.timesofi ... 608147.cms

But question arises here why Bengal team was not allowed to take part in Quadrangular Global Domestic T20 Series 2022 in.Namibia a year ago

[Rajkumar Sharma]

WTC 2023-25 Fixtures

[prasen9]

First Scott Boland with his swing puts up the best bowling show in the WTC Finals. Now the England selectors have chosen Broad, Anderson, and Ollie R. and not their beloved Wood. Now Mark Wood is a good, solid test bowler but Broad, Anderson, and Robinson have been better than good. How sad to see the pace fetishists weep uncontrollably at this snub though! The best bowlers should always be chosen and the English selectors do exactly that. Fetishists heads must be exploding.

[Kumar]

England won the toss and batted first! Scoring almost 5 runs an over with Baz ball

Is Root cementing himself as one of the best Test player all time?

And AustrAlia is 148-4 in reply to Englands 390 declared. With Moeen Ali off spinner getting a wicket. Nathan Lyon another off spinner got 4 wickets in first innings.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

This USA team is going to most attractive factor in qualifers.Collection of some well known domestic players of India, Pakistan, West Indies and many more

[prasen9]

Is Root cementing himself as one of the best Test player all time?

Long way to go for "all time". Of this generation, certainly.

[Kumar]

Is Root cementing himself as one of the best Test player all time?

Long way to go for "all time". Of this generation, certainly.

I did not mention GOAT, but would he make the first team or second team for all time?

The field placing at the Ashes. Stokes is getting lot of good vibes




Could England win the next wtc cycle?

Cummins is already bowling with three fielders in deep in first over. Seems like test match is becoming like ODI. England had an average of 5 rpo in first innings.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

In England Playing XI only four players plays all three format regularly whereas in Aussie Playing XI only 2, Hazlehood, Starc
Cummins combined features very much less in T20Is, India playing XI in WTC final except Pujara, Rahane, Bharat, Umesh all feature very much in high numbers in T20Is

[Atithee]

Something is not right in the Indian team

[prasen9]

What's wrong being colleagues? That allows one to make impartial selections. If you are friends, you are conflicted.

The specific decision - not choosing Ashwin was wrong.

But, the process was correct. Ashwin feels that he is not friends with Rohit or Kohli because they did not believe that he would have been the best bet overseas. Part of this was because they had felt that he would be great overseas and had been burnt many times. The irony is that Ashwin improved over the years and perhaps now is a better bet than the Shardul Thakur's of the world. But, Rohit and Kohli having been burned many times still think he is not good enough. And this has caused them not to be friends.

With so much franchise cricket, you actually play with so many people and play against so many people. You stop having friends or enemies. So the type of outbursts where Harbhajan thinks Ponting is the devil or vice-versa does not happen much anymore. The flipside of this is that it may be also preventing people from being close friends.

I have been part of teams where we were good colleagues and pulled for each other to succeed because we all wanted the team to succeed. That is the type of team you should build. I'd rather have colleagues than friends.

My friends, I make in my personal life.

Now this is one view. You can be friends and teammates in a sports team but now the teams are more like jobs than merely recreation.

[prasen9]

In England Playing XI only four players plays all three format regularly whereas in Aussie Playing XI only 2, Hazlehood, Starc
Cummins combined features very much less in T20Is, India playing XI in WTC final except Pujara, Rahane, Bharat, Umesh all feature very much in high numbers in T20Is

Exactly. Stupid selectors. We need three teams potentially with three different captains for three formats. People should not be chosen in one format because they are good in another and vice-versa. By doing so, we actually destroy the talents such as Avesh, etc. who become rubbish in the wrong format.

[Atithee]

What's wrong being colleagues? That allows one to make impartial selections. If you are friends, you are conflicted.

I think he’s hinting at IPL taking precedence over national duties. I may be wrong.