Dark_Side_of_the_Lune
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It’s Bairstow for Old Trafford 
Selectors say Foakes Off to everyone O/T
- Thread starter Dark_Side_of_the_Lune
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Junior_BentsPlatformShoes
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I don't get it. Even his body language celebrating a wicket on the pitch looked muted and different to everyone else. He's poor form with the bat and gloves, and needs resting. I'd love to see him get a big innings or two next test and hold on to every catch, but I don't see it.
BWseasider
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Bairstow looked miserable towards the end at Headingly. Players were bigging him up before hand to be fired up and have a good game and he didn’t. Honestly think he’s had enough and boggles my mind why we wouldn’t give Foakes a go. Hope he proves me wrong but I was hoping for that at Headingly and it didn’t materialise.
hampshire_exile
Well-known member
If the media suggest anything to McCullum and Stokes selection wise, they double down against it.
In addition, how is it that all the Yorkshire players must have their preferred batting place (neither Root nor Brook want to bat 3), and Bairstow must be allowed to keep the gloves even though he has a much better batting average when he doesn’t keep.
All part of the gang
In addition, how is it that all the Yorkshire players must have their preferred batting place (neither Root nor Brook want to bat 3), and Bairstow must be allowed to keep the gloves even though he has a much better batting average when he doesn’t keep.
All part of the gang
Lytham_fy8
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Bairstow has been crap, BUT he can take a game away from the opposition, he did it all last summer, he's just come back from a bad injury, I'd have kept him in.
hampshire_exile
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Keep him in as a batter. Tell Root he is batting at 3. Stokes at 4 if he isn’t able to bowl much. Brook 5 Bairstow 6. Foakes 7. Either Woakes or Ali at 8. Three seamers or pacers from there.
ElBurroSinNombre
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Missed catches and stumpings also cost us runs.
An equation is (Runs Bairstow scores - runs Foukes would score) - (runs bairstow costs as WK - runs Foukes would cost as WK)
If this is ever negative then Foukes should play - to me it is negative, very, very negative ATM
WTAF will Foukes think about this! He actually bats the situation as well, unlike Bairstow who will mow whatever.
The Aussies are not sentimental about dropping people, Starc missed the first test, Warner may well be dropped, Hazlewood and Green were dropped for Headingley. What is going on?
Lytham_fy8
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Makes sense to me.
Lytham_fy8
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Warner should have been dropped 2 years ago, they do have their favourites.
hampshire_exile
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I heard Foakes as a batter described as the designated driver ie the sensible one. He provides balance to the batting order.
The idea of picking Moeen Ali as a number 3 (because Root doesn’t want to bat there) is even more of a nonsense than not picking Foakes,
Ali isnt good enough to be a test number 3 and knows it. He has been shunted up and down the order batting between 3 and 9 over the years, he is what he is - a 7 or 8 who provides a spin option if needed
The idea of picking Moeen Ali as a number 3 (because Root doesn’t want to bat there) is even more of a nonsense than not picking Foakes,
Ali isnt good enough to be a test number 3 and knows it. He has been shunted up and down the order batting between 3 and 9 over the years, he is what he is - a 7 or 8 who provides a spin option if needed
Lytham_fy8
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I think they see Bairstow as a potential match winner, not sure Foukes is?
fcblackpool
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He can take the game away from his own team too. And has.
fcblackpool
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That's what I suggested after the first or second test or during, can't remember. Seems obvious.
Lytham_fy8
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Not really.
Kyle Seasider
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I will never understand why he wasn't picked right from the off. One of the strangest decisions of this test series by far.
ElBurroSinNombre
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catches win matches - the oldest cliche in the book
Bairstow has let the Aussies off the hook several times and that's before we get onto the missed stumpings
Jaffa_The_Hut
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It needed to change but it hasn't
Anyone really surprised?
Anyone really surprised?
Pauls_Boutique
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Bairstow defo has nudes of the selection panel
Thepoolaregoingup
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If you are one of the Tourists, you'll be delighted by this; you know he is under pressure, you already know what his weaknesses and you know the home crowd might be unforgiving of a white rose representative, if he does fail again.
Sports psychologists are going to have a field day with this one.
Sports psychologists are going to have a field day with this one.
Albert Ross
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If he couldn’t get himself fired up for Headingly, where he is revered, he can’t get himself fired up anywhere.
Lytham_fy8
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None of this is actually true.
SeasideKurt
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Bancroft has one of the highest averages this year in Australia and he has been made the scapegoat for sand paper gate.
Thepoolaregoingup
Well-known member
If you are in the England camp, you want Warner playing because Broad has his number. Will the Aussies do the same?
The selectors are sending out a psychological message to Bairstow: we believe in you, we think you will come good and we are sticking with you.
It was sports psychology when Smith returned Bairstow's comment with his 'See ya, Jonny'. Have it right back...
I hope you don't mind but personally, I love sports science and psychology is a key element. If you have superior nutrition, performance and analytics, for example, you tend to win.
That being said, I would chop Bairstow in a heartbeat!
XBeds-Now-Kings_Meaburn
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so that's "sack McCullen & Stokes"
hertfordseasider
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Foakes was the player who should have been picked for the Ashes from the start, they aren't going to change the squad now unless they are forced through an injury or they need to rest someone. Gutted for Foakes, but would still like Bairstow in the team for his batting, just not his keeping.
Sooty59
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Tongue in cheek! I guess they have their reasons. I would have liked to see JB rested.so that's "sack McCullen & Stokes"
P t Barnum
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Maybe it's cause they just don't get on with Foakes and jonny is their mate
basilexile
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Foakes has a Test average of 32 and you can probably add on a minimum of an extra 20/30, with the dropped catches Yorkshires finest is putting down. A vey big call and I wonder if the first six were more consistent, would we even be having this debate?
fcblackpool
Well-known member
They have stuck with Bairstow because he is at the very core of the new philosophy of baseball. Sack him off and to some extent you're sacking that new approach off.
Personally, I wouldn't play Bairstow as a wk and I probably wouldn't play him as a batter as he's a one bash pony. Not even half the batter Stokes is.
Macseasider
Well-known member
Exactly. I know who I'd rather have. Someone who has been world class for a decade or someone that hasn't been able to break through for a decade?
Thepoolaregoingup
Well-known member
I can agree with those points but conversely, you could also use the term match-loser.
Sadly, several of JB’s adverse actions contributed to the overall outcome: defeat.
I also recognise that he has made decisive contributions in the past; to me, his confidence is shot and he needs to reset. A must-win game isn’t the best place for that to happen.
Sadly, several of JB’s adverse actions contributed to the overall outcome: defeat.
I also recognise that he has made decisive contributions in the past; to me, his confidence is shot and he needs to reset. A must-win game isn’t the best place for that to happen.
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Mark_GT
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The reality is he is coming back from a major injury and isn't ready for all this. A good example is his positioning for bouncers. He goes behind or slightlyvto the off side because he couldn't probably get across if he positioned to legside where he could pick up the kind of catches Carey has been making. Same for the close stumping work. Simply not mobile or sharp enough. With rain looking to be about we need to grab every single chance but I doubt we will.