England Woes

Simon Hughes correctly, in my opinion, identifies the number one problem - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/44281297 - similar to comrade's critique of too much limited over cricket.  

I would bring in JAMES HILDRETH at no.3 allowing Root to bat at 4.  I would not play Stoneman (already dropped) or Malan and with Jennings  in there is room for Bairstow and Buttler but if not both leaves room for a specialist batsman at 5.

Cook, Jennings, Hildreth, Root, ?, Stokes, Bairstow or Buttler, Bess, Wokes, Broad, Anderson

So what are your choices?

A good article by Hughes. And here's another from one of the few, if only, correspondents prepared to stand up and say what an appalling job is being done by the ECB...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2018/may/28/defeat-reminds-ecb-easier-to-sell-winning-team

While George Dobell was equally scathing...

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/23623390/england-humiliation-lord-was-accident-waiting-happen

While I detest limited overs cricket, its popularity and revenue creating means its here to stay. However, it is being given too much priority in the scheduling of fixtures with the first class game being marginalised. Play most of it in spring and early autumn and it's little surprise that basic skills are being compromised. But of course, Sky want one day stuff to fill their schedules in between the test matches not 4 day matches, so the latter are relegated to the football season. And who sold its soul to Sky? Until the ECB are made fit for purpose, the game will continue to decline - it doesn't really matter who is selected for Leeds as the infrastructure is no longer there for a strong national team.

Mind you, there is one move the selectors will need to address pretty soon as it's becoming increasingly obvious that Root is no England captain and it's clearly having an effect on his batting. Even Yorkshire fans, who worship him, have been aghast when he has skippered them in a couple of matches. Unlike football, it's by far the most important position in the team and simply choosing your best player to fill the role can come back to bite you. You will remember Mike Brearley - barely test class as a batsman but possibly England's best ever captain.

My feelings are that cricket in England is of limited interest, mostly one day matches.

Whilst Test match highlights in England are on FREE to view TV there is nothing else.  A weekly one hour highlights programme of county cricket, similar to rugby union, would help to raise the profile.

I would change the coaching team, especially Trevor Bayliss, employing an Aussie rather than an Englishman leads to split loyalties and with his "one day philosophy" will, if only psychologically, transmit to the players.  The ECB leadership is flawed so changes are needed there also.

I agree with you about the structure of the game in English cricket.  The past format of one 4 day game and one limited overs game a week would, in my opinion, give a better balance and allow rest days for players.

In past times senior players would have input to decision making by the captain;  is Root acting alone?  Mike Brearley was never test class as a batsman but did a great job in managing the talent of Ian Botham, the "difficult" Geoffrey Boycott and was an astute captain.

Good point about handling characters like Botham and Boycott. And apparently the astonishing spell by Willis at Headingley in 81 was attributed to Brearley deliberately annoying him by not giving him choice at ends. You get the strong impression that the likes of Broad and Anderson need firm handling at times but Root doesn't sound like he's up to telling such permanent fixtures what to do.

'81...Bob Willis came "steaming" in.

I wonder what the authorities today would have thought about Lillee and Marsh with 500/1 gate?  

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/aug/13/cricket.comment

They’d never get away with it now. Went to an evening with Blowers a few weeks back - he said that there was nothing dodgy with those bets, they just knew good odds when they saw them!