The Official Cricket Thread

[A_S]

Classic Pakistan.

[mouse1989]

Hameed showing up most of the experienced players today. Serious talent

[Jairzinho]

Yeah, it was a 400 pitch...

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Bummed. 

[Spy Bee]

Lost it by lunchtime on the first day. The team and the captain look jaded. Too much cricket.

[Vincent Vega]

Lost it by lunchtime on the first day. The team and the captain look jaded. Too much cricket.

Definitely. I heard Bayliss saying exactly that on the radio before.

 

India are a formidable team at home, but their ICC ranking is inflated by away wins to the West Indies and Sri Lanka. They wouldn't beat South Africa or even a lowest ebb Australia in their own countries, and I actually think England despite not playing great have put up a better fight in India than India would in England.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Definitely. I heard Bayliss saying exactly that on the radio before.

 

India are a formidable team at home, but their ICC ranking is inflated by away wins to the West Indies and Sri Lanka. They wouldn't beat South Africa or even a lowest ebb Australia in their own countries, and I actually think England despite not playing great have put up a better fight in India than India would in England.

 

The same cycle happened a while back when they reached number 1. They then had better opposition on their tour schedule and we took over the number 1 spot. 

[Jairzinho]

The ICC rankings are a load of old bollocks.

[mouse1989]

Kerrigan is so far down the pecking order it hurts

 

Dawson and Jennings called up to the squad

[A_S]

There is a strong push for the Adelaide Test for next year's Ashes to be a D/N Test. From an England supporter's perspective, it's a good thing in terms of timing. If I'm thinking right, you could probably see the second half of a day's play without getting up at a ridiculous hour and before heading off to work! 

 

Even from the early games in Australia, I can see certain venues almost being specialised D/N Test venues around the world. A lot of this is to do with the strength of the lights, which is a top priority obviously. Where would be ideal in England to trial it? 

[lifetime fan]

No where.

[Jairzinho]

Lords.

 

Hopefully the lights fail.

[Guest LFD]

I'm on the fence with day / night cricket.
 
I can see why people are against it.  However I like innovations in the game and they have been very successful with the new technology, Twenty20 format etc.  I'm open minded on it and I think they have to experiment with these things as Test Cricket can't keep being played in front of empty stadiums.  If it gets people to go to games after work, like they do in Twenty20, then it might be a good thing.

I see Keaton Jennings has been called up and he's just got a century for the Lions.  The problem is he's another left hander... which is asking for trouble against Ashwin.  I'd have been tempted to call up Ian Bell as a short term solution.  Right handed, decent record in India and against spin.  Jennings is really going to be up against it.

[Ian Sea]

There is a strong push for the Adelaide Test for next year's Ashes to be a D/N Test. From an England supporter's perspective, it's a good thing in terms of timing. If I'm thinking right, you could probably see the second half of a day's play without getting up at a ridiculous hour and before heading off to work!

 

Even from the early games in Australia, I can see certain venues almost being specialised D/N Test venues around the world. A lot of this is to do with the strength of the lights, which is a top priority obviously. Where would be ideal in England to trial it?

We're playing a D/N Test at Edgbaston next summer I believe, against the Windies in August. I have no problem with D/N Tests but don't think they're particularly needed in England as we get great attendances anyway. And it's freezing during the day mostly, never mind during the evening.

[Ian Sea]

I'm on the fence with day / night cricket.

 

I can see why people are against it. However I like innovations in the game and they have been very successful with the new technology, Twenty20 format etc. I'm open minded on it and I think they have to experiment with these things as Test Cricket can't keep being played in front of empty stadiums. If it gets people to go to games after work, like they do in Twenty20, then it might be a good thing.

 

I see Keaton Jennings has been called up and he's just got a century for the Lions. The problem is he's another left hander... which is asking for trouble against Ashwin. I'd have been tempted to call up Ian Bell as a short term solution. Right handed, decent record in India and against spin. Jennings is really going to be up against it.

I'd have called up Bell and Billings, 2 right handers who can play against spin. A top 4 of Cook, Root, Billings and Bell would give us a much better chance in the last 2 Tests. Billings would give us another spin option too.

 

The selections for this tour have been appalling, hopefully the selectors are all sacked after this and we get some former players with recent international experience involved. I'd love to see Vaughan involved in selection, he was a boss captain.

[Guest LFD]

I'd love to see Vaughan involved in selection, he was a boss captain.

 

I'd like that as well.

 

Strauss runs the shop now though doesn't he, for good or for bad. 

[Ian Sea]

I'd like that as well.

 

Strauss runs the shop now though doesn't he, for good or for bad.

Yeah, the selectors were in place before he took over though. I can see him having a clear out after this tour though given recent performances and the debacle involving Anderson over the summer.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Sendings-off and bat restrictions planned after MCC world committee meeting

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/38234108

 

Cricket is set to introduce sendings-off for the first time next year, while the sizes of bats are to be limited.

Umpires will be given the power to eject players from a game for serious disciplinary breaches.

MCC World Cricket Committee member Ricky Ponting explained that sanctions needed to be implemented.

"We're talking about a significant change to lower-level cricket because it has got completely out of hand down there," the ex-Australia captain said.

MCC (the Marylebone Cricket Club) remains the guardian of the laws and spirit of the game, and its world cricket committee - established in 2006 and comprised of 12 current and former top international players - has been a leading independent voice on the game's major issues.

The new laws will be implemented at all levels of the game from 1 October 2017, subject to approval by MCC's main committee.

When would players be ejected?

According to the proposed new law, agreed at the world cricket committee's meeting in Mumbai, players will be dismissed for:

• threatening an umpire
• physically assaulting another player, umpire, official or spectator
• any other act of violence on the field of play

Ponting added: "It got to the state where something had to happen to prevent those things happening on the international stage.

"The modern player now understands their role in society, about being role models and want to play the game the right way for younger kids."

The committee also debated sanctions including run penalties and sin bins for lesser offences, but decided that it would be difficult to achieve consistency around the world - and may introduce an appendix to the laws in order for governing bodies or leagues to implement their own system.

• READ MORE: Should cricket introduce red and yellow cards?

Bat edges and depths to be limited

Following much debate in the last few years over bat sizes, and a call for restrictions from the International Cricket Council in June, specific size limitations to the edge and depth of bats will be added to the laws as the committee believes "the balance of the game has tilted too far in the batsman's favour" - with some mis-hit shots clearing the boundary for six.

Bat edges will have a maximum allowance of 40mm and bat depths must not exceed 67mm (60mm plus an allowance of 7mm for a possible curve on the face of the bat).

"Many of the top players' bats have edges of between 38mm and 42mm, but there are some which have edges of up to 50mm, which was felt to be excessive and in need of restriction," the committee concluded.

While a bat gauge will be used to enforce the new restriction in the professional game, a moratorium will allow amateur player to continue to use their existing bats which may be in breach of the new law.

• What are the current laws relating to bat size? (external site)

Law on ball striking a fielder's helmet to change

Catches and stumpings will now be permitted after the ball has struck a helmet being worn by a fielder, or become lodged or trapped in the grille of such a helmet - given that the wearing of helmets by close fielders has been made compulsory at some levels.

However, a ball striking an unattended helmet behind the wicketkeeper will still earn five runs for the batting side.

Among its other discussions:

• the committee decided the law on ball-tampering would not be changed
• proposals for four-day Tests were debated but the committee was evenly split
• the committee also reaffirmed its support for (a) Twenty20 cricket being added to the Olympic Games, and ( B) a World Test Championship to be introduced

 

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I'm not sure about the sending off rules, this will give certain umpires a licence to cheat/bend the rules. It would also just end up being a massive game changer taking away any attempt by the team affected to try and win a game, especially if it happened early in a first innings. 

[Rico1304]

Red cards are a good idea.

[rubble-rouser]

Red cards are a good idea.

 

Not at club level - imagine trying to send off a fat sweaty left handed body bowler from Altrincham with a big bat.  

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Umpires would just shit themselves the same as referees in a certain other sport at lower league levels. You would see all sorts of cheating going on to guarantee a win. Teams with less angry players would take a hit from a bent umpire whilst the louder voiced teams would get away with certain things. 

 

It's a daft idea imo. 

[Rico1304]

Umpires would just shit themselves the same as referees in a certain other sport at lower league levels. You would see all sorts of cheating going on to guarantee a win. Teams with less angry players would take a hit from a bent umpire whilst the louder voiced teams would get away with certain things. 

 

It's a daft idea imo.

 

At the moment the only recourse is for the game to be abandoned, that means people are getting away with it. Umpires are dropping out as the abuse they are getting is increasing every year. I've played in 2 games this season where the threat of a red card would have shut the dumb pricks up.

[Guest LFD]

I play hockey and you don't see any abuse through out the game at a National level because if you do you get carded.

 

Not red carded so you're off the pitch for the whole game.

 

You have a green card - 2 mins and a yellow card - 5 mins +.  That stops any abuse as you know if you do it you're going to cost the team.

 

Reds seem drastic and should only be used for violence really.  I didn't know it was such a problem for cricket abuse at the lower levels, as I don't play it.  But they are right to try and do something about it.

[Spy Bee]

Umpires would just shit themselves the same as referees in a certain other sport at lower league levels. You would see all sorts of cheating going on to guarantee a win. Teams with less angry players would take a hit from a bent umpire whilst the louder voiced teams would get away with certain things. 

 

It's a daft idea imo. 

If that was true red cards would never be issued in rugby or that other unmentionable sport at lower levels!

[Guest LFD]

India have replaced the injured Ajinkya Rahane for the fourth Test tomorrow with Manish Pandey coming into the squad in his place.

 

Pace bowler Mohammed Shami remains a doubt with a knee injury with uncapped Shardul Thakur coming into the squad as cover.

 

England look likely to open with Jennings. He'll be Cooks 11th different opening partner since Strauss retired in 2012.

 

I guess England will go - Cook, Jennings, Root, Ali, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Rashid, Woakes...

 

Not sure who will be the other two if Broad isn't fit, he'll be one but he's 50/50.

 

Not point in playing Duckett or Ballance, as I don't think either stiffen up the batting line up.

 

Batty, Ball and Finn I guess are the other (bleak) options.

 

Is Anderson fit?