ECB announcement due today

by **Fists of Fury** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 8:51 am

First topic message reminder :

The ECB last night called a press conference for midday today, leading to wild speculation as to whether it was KP, Strauss or just another boring sponsorship deal.

However, given that the press release was issued at 22:10pm last night, you can be sure that it is going to be a pretty big announcement. Many seem to think that Strauss is about to step down.

So, what are your thoughts? If, as expected, Strauss does step down, would you keep him in the team as an opener? Or, would you blood a new opener? This could go one of two ways - either invest in the likes of Joe Root early, and accept that there will be failures, or go for the likes of Compton or Carberry who are far more experienced but more short term options.

by JDizzle Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:23 pm

Stella wrote:Good bat, good captain and good man.

Was the time right? I don't believe it was but thanks anyway, Andrew!

It's tough to say, because it does leave a very inexperienced side going to India which won't be an easy place to tour but on the other had if he waited till after the India tour to go, we then have back to back Ashes series which won't be easy for a new captain either. So all things considered I think he has times it right, especially his heart was no longer in it which is what it looks like. And I can't imagine there would be many worse places to go on tour as captain than India if your heart is no longer in it.

by Stella Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:23 pm

LivinginItaly wrote:Maybe it is better if a certain individual and their comments are just ignored......hopefully then they will get bored and just go away......this board is a very good and interesting place to gather information and insight......but unfortunately it is being ruined somewhat by a certain poster.

Biltong's ok???

Very Happy

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:24 pm

Stella wrote:
LivinginItaly wrote:Maybe it is better if a certain individual and their comments are just ignored......hopefully then they will get bored and just go away......this board is a very good and interesting place to gather information and insight......but unfortunately it is being ruined somewhat by a certain poster.

Biltong's ok???

Actually spat some coffee when i read that Very Happy

by VTR Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:27 pm

I've just found the ignore function. Other than people quoting the numpty I am back to reading semi-literate informed posts only Very Happy

by **Biltong** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:27 pm

eirebilly wrote:
Stella wrote:
LivinginItaly wrote:Maybe it is better if a certain individual and their comments are just ignored......hopefully then they will get bored and just go away......this board is a very good and interesting place to gather information and insight......but unfortunately it is being ruined somewhat by a certain poster.

Biltong's ok???

Actually spat some coffee when i read that

ECB announcement due today - Page 3 Smiley-laughing021

I am always in trouble.

by KP_fan Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:27 pm

Biltong wrote:KP fan, if you want your assumption to be center stage to a thread, open one, this is not about KP, it is about Strauss.

Thread is about Strauss.....so we should not discuss why Strauss is gone?

Well OK I won't.....but I can assure you many will and are already discussing the reasons why
.......and many on the net will also discuss and assign the reason that people here do not want to here.

But OK......I will abide by your instruction and not discuss this further on this thread.

thx

by ShankyCricket Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:28 pm

Thanks for all the memories Straussy. Feeling a bit guilty for having criticised him. A true gentleman and a total team man who realised that his time was up clap

BTW can we all please ignore Sonic errr KPfan please?

by LivinginItaly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:29 pm

eirebilly wrote:
Stella wrote:Good bat, good captain and good man.

Was the time right? I don't believe it was but thanks anyway, Andrew!

I believe that the time was right to step down as captain but not as an opening batsman. I was hoping that without the pressure of captaining the team that his form returned.

I am inclined to agree with you. The problem now is that we will have a new opening partnership under immense pressure, even more than normal. Cook will be under extra pressure as the new captain, and his new partner will be under pressure to establish himself in the test team. Just think another year of strauss as an opener could have helped ease Cook into the job. However Strauss must know better than anyone the state of his game and more importantly his mental state, therefore we have to respect his decision as being the correct one. The king is dead. Long live the king.

by **Biltong** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:29 pm

Biltong wrote:
VTR wrote:I've just found the ignore function. Other than people quoting the numpty I am back to reading semi-literate informed posts only

I will let you know, my eloquence in the use of the english language is only matched by my appetite for humor.

by alfie Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:30 pm

[quote="eirebilly"]Such a real shame that we cannot discuss the retirement of one of Englands greatest and most sucessfull captains of all time.

I liked him and thought that he was a great character, he became captain in an extremely turbulant time and stood up to take the lead and give England direction.[/quote

Reckon we can actually , Billy ...just have to fast forward through about every third post in which the same person repeats the same rubbish.

I think Strauss has done a fine job and left a legacy which is only slightly chipped by one bad tour of Dubai and one bad match against South Africa ...I am sorry to see him go but clearly he felt the time was right. I hope all this dressing room nonsense didn't have a role in speeding his departure , and I hope even more thatwhatever the resolution Cook is able to proceed with a united and happy band. Right now England just need to make a couple of adjustments and make sure their minds are properly focused and they will be in a strong position confirm themselves at or close to the top of the world order again/still.

That they got up there in the first place is partly down to Strauss.

by msp83 Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:34 pm

Well, Graeme Smith has after all claimed yet another England test captain.
I thought Strauss should be leading the side for the India series, he has the experience and got lots of runs here. Thrusting in a new opener(Taylor)? may not be ideal for England, but Strauss has made up his mind and we have to respect that.
I have criticised his handling of the KP Saga, but otherwise he has been a fine captain, not the best of tactician, but other than during the present saga, his man management skills stood out throughout his 3 years as captain. He took over at a dificult time, brought a sense of calm to that change room and led from the front with runs to start with. The last 2 years of his ODI career, he was the best England batsman, scoring runs consistently and quickly.
He used to be a big favorite for me, haven't missed one ball during his 2 hundreds during the 05 ashes. I thought he could have continued as ODI captain for another couple of years at the time of his ODI retirement. But I think we can understand why he took such a decision at this point. He was struggling for runs, and even in the West Indies Series he didn't look at his best. Over the last year or so the results haven't been going his way either. He struggled throughout the winter and in the series of the summer he couldn't get many runs.
I don't think hanging on as player was not an option he would have gone for, that would have obviously given way to lots of questions on his place in the side with his lean run with the bat in recent times.
Thank you and all the best, Andrew Strauss.

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:36 pm

Yeah, you're right alfie. Was just getting fed up with it all Very Happy

England do have batsmen that can come in but its that valuable international experience that they lack which is why i would have much rather have Strauss play on as a batsman for another year, that and help Cook settle in.

Difficult times ahead but i am not that worried to be honest Very Happy

by guildfordbat Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:38 pm

LivinginItaly wrote:
eirebilly wrote:
Stella wrote:Good bat, good captain and good man.

Was the time right? I don't believe it was but thanks anyway, Andrew!

I believe that the time was right to step down as captain but not as an opening batsman. I was hoping that without the pressure of captaining the team that his form returned.

I am inclined to agree with you. The problem now is that we will have a new opening partnership under immense pressure, even more than normal. Cook will be under extra pressure as the new captain, and his new partner will be under pressure to establish himself in the test team. Just think another year of strauss as an opener could have helped ease Cook into the job. However Strauss must know better than anyone the state of his game and more importantly his mental state, therefore we have to respect his decision as being the correct one. The king is dead. Long live the king.

Living in Italy - fully appreciate your post and sentiments. However, from Strauss's comments, it was concerns over his batting that triggered his decision rather than captaincy issues.

by **Biltong** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:40 pm

msp83 wrote:Well, Graeme Smith has after all claimed yet another England test captain.

He has claimed quite a few, hasn't he. I think this is his second English captain, there was one other, can't remember who it was though.

by Hibbz Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:44 pm

I'm not surprised he's packed it in. Struggling for runs, struggling to control the stronger elements of the dressing room and nothing left to prove.

I'm not convinced that Cook will be a success mind you. Probably the perfect choice from the ECB's point of view but as a fan I've not got a lot of faith that he's got the imagination or strength of mind to halt England's likely decline.

Worrying too that there's no outstanding candidate to replace Strauss at the top of the order.

by **Biltong** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:46 pm

Who else could do it?

by alfie Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:46 pm

Third , actually , Biltong

Both Hussain and Vaughan resigned the captaincy during home series against SA.

Probably not all down to Smith , just the timing of the tours , but a peculiar coincidence.

by **Biltong** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:50 pm

alfie wrote:Third , actually , Biltong

Both Hussain and Vaughan resigned the captaincy during home series against SA.

Probably not all down to Smith , just the timing of the tours , but a peculiar coincidence.

You're right, but yeah peculiar it certainly is.

by Hibbz Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:51 pm

Biltong wrote:Who else could do it?

Well other than the fact he's a decent guy, fantastic batsman and not going to upset anyone at the ECB I'm not sure what Cook's credentials are.

I'd like Kevin Pietersen if he was still willing to do it.

by skyeman Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:54 pm

Hibbz wrote:
Biltong wrote:Who else could do it?

Well other than the fact he's a decent guy, fantastic batsman and not going to upset anyone at the ECB I'm not sure what Cook's credentials are.

I'd like Kevin Pietersen if he was still willing to do it.

OMG.

by chrisss Wed 29 Aug 2012, 1:57 pm

Hibbz wrote:
Biltong wrote:Who else could do it?

Well other than the fact he's a decent guy, fantastic batsman and not going to upset anyone at the ECB I'm not sure what Cook's credentials are.

I'd like Kevin Pietersen if he was still willing to do it.

Bell's been a very good captain for Warwickshire over the last couple of the years.

by skyeman Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:06 pm

Cook IS the new skipper, it HAS been announced.

by chrisss Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:10 pm

skyeman wrote:Cook IS the new skipper, it HAS been announced.

Oh I know. I just hope they don't make Broad the vice-captain simply because he's the twenty20 captain.

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:12 pm

I would not be suprised if Prior or Trott is made VC...

Any news on who is VC?

by skyeman Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:13 pm

chrisss wrote:
skyeman wrote:Cook IS the new skipper, it HAS been announced.

Oh I know. I just hope they don't make Broad the vice-captain simply because he's the twenty20 captain.

That's a bit unfair on Cook, give him some time. He has been building up to this moment.

by Hibbz Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:16 pm

skyeman wrote:Cook IS the new skipper, it HAS been announced.

Yep and like I said the perfect choice from the ECB's point of view.

by skyeman Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:16 pm

And he does have a 100% winning record as Test skipper Very Happy

by VTR Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:16 pm

eirebilly wrote:I would not be suprised if Prior or Trott is made VC...

Any news on who is VC?

Is the VC actually an officially appointed position or an "on the field" decision? Could it not vary from match to match depending who is selected?

by chrisss Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:19 pm

skyeman wrote:
chrisss wrote:
skyeman wrote:Cook IS the new skipper, it HAS been announced.

Oh I know. I just hope they don't make Broad the vice-captain simply because he's the twenty20 captain.

That's a bit unfair on Cook, give him some time. He has been building up to this moment.

I wasn't intending to be unfair, and I think Cook is definitely the right man for the job. I was just offering Bell as an alternative.

by chrisss Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:22 pm

VTR wrote:
eirebilly wrote:I would not be suprised if Prior or Trott is made VC...

Any news on who is VC?

Is the VC actually an officially appointed position or an "on the field" decision? Could it not vary from match to match depending who is selected?

Wasn't Cook the official VC?

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:24 pm

VTR wrote:
eirebilly wrote:I would not be suprised if Prior or Trott is made VC...

Any news on who is VC?

Is the VC actually an officially appointed position or an "on the field" decision? Could it not vary from match to match depending who is selected?

I always thought that it was an official posting, meaning that the VC was trained up to be the next captain. I was sure that Cook was the official VC?

by Shelsey93 Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:26 pm

England haven't always had an officially appointed vice-captain. However, Cook was and I think Trescothick and Flintoff (until he was sacked after 'Fredalo') were too. Strauss was never officially Vaughan or KP's deputy though at times he obviously was.

I'd expect England to make Broad vice-captain of the Test side. However, that wouldn't make him undroppable.

As some have said Prior could be a good VC, but then you'd expect most Test wicket-keepers to carry that extra bit of responsibility without the need for an official title. I also don't think he'd be as good a skipper as Broad.

by alfie Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:32 pm

I understand England do not appoint a permanent vice captain at home , though one is appointed for touring parties.
However vc duties normally remain with whoever was last in the position when they play at home.

by Gerry SA Wed 29 Aug 2012, 2:40 pm

I think some are going overboard with Strauss.

Yes he was a good Test batsman. But not great as others are suggesting.

He averaged 40 and 21 hundreds over 100 Tests, so he sustained decent level of performance over a very long time.

He should be best remembered as the man to make England into a unit, after the Pietersen experiment as captain.

A good batsman, a quality leader and a pretty nice guy

by JDizzle Wed 29 Aug 2012, 3:25 pm

Gerry SA wrote:I think some are going overboard with Strauss.

Yes he was a good Test batsman. But not great as others are suggesting.

He averaged 40 and 21 hundreds over 100 Tests, so he sustained decent level of performance over a very long time.

He should be best remembered as the man to make England into a unit, after the Pietersen experiment as captain.

A good batsman, a quality leader and a pretty nice guy

I don't think anyone is suggesting he is an all time great batsman, although he is only one century away from tying in the lead for most ever for England, but he certainly is a great captain and has led us into one of the best periods as an England side we have ever had. It is good to see the respect that other countries have for Strauss as well. thumbsup

by Gerry SA Wed 29 Aug 2012, 3:26 pm

JDizzle wrote:
Gerry SA wrote:I think some are going overboard with Strauss.

Yes he was a good Test batsman. But not great as others are suggesting.

He averaged 40 and 21 hundreds over 100 Tests, so he sustained decent level of performance over a very long time.

He should be best remembered as the man to make England into a unit, after the Pietersen experiment as captain.

A good batsman, a quality leader and a pretty nice guy

I don't think anyone is suggesting he is an all time great batsman, although he is only one century away from tying in the lead for most ever for England, but he certainly is a great captain and has led us into one of the best periods as an England side we have ever had. It is good to see the respect that other countries have for Strauss as well.

Sorry what you said was what I was trying to say!

by **Kenny** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 3:44 pm

Strauss will get the respect he deserves he came in and took a over a good side from Vaughn and took them to another level . His test record is very good and overall his captaincy is what England needed .

If i had one niggle with him it would be that he tended to be a little negative with his field positions , but more wins then losses what do i know .

by Guest Wed 29 Aug 2012, 4:11 pm

I have to say that it is sad to see Strauss retire from all forms of cricket. How he and Flower rebuilt a team that was nearly destroyed by a self thinking jackass is nothing short of remarkable. He and Flower had a vision for the team and by god they have achieved that vision. Have to say that he and Flower provided me with my favourite moment of all time and that was winning the Ashes down under.

A man of class and real dignity.

Cook has some mighty big shoes to fill.

by **Galted** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 4:56 pm

South Africa aren't due to tour here again until 2017 so Cook should have 5 years in charge.

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 4:59 pm

Who knows, maybe Smith will still be SA captain and retire yet one more England captain Very Happy

by Shelsey93 Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:02 pm

We should remember that Strauss also scored a lot of crucial runs - 2 100s in that incredible 2005 Ashes, the 100 he scored at Lord's in '09, a 100 in each innings in Chennai (when England would have won but for some incredible batting from Sehwag and Sachin on the last day) and a big century in the tied World Cup game against India last year.

by **Galted** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:04 pm

eirebilly wrote:Who knows, maybe Smith will still be SA captain and retire yet one more England captain

Or in the ultimate irony stand-in skipper KP single-handedly leads England to victory prompting Smith's retirement & causing KP_fan to be banned from 606 v2.

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:06 pm

by **Biltong** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:11 pm

Galted wrote:
eirebilly wrote:Who knows, maybe Smith will still be SA captain and retire yet one more England captain

Or in the ultimate irony stand-in skipper KP single-handedly leads England to victory prompting Smith's retirement & causing KP_fan to be banned from 606 v2.

You're living the dream there mate. Laugh

by **Kenny** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:11 pm

Maybe Smith could become England captain and just retire himself ? i would just be another south African in the dressing room anyway Wink

Only kidding

Good look to Cookey , not sure he's the right choice but i will stand behind him

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:13 pm

I think that Cook is an excellent choice myself, he or Prior would have been my choice.

by GSC Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:15 pm

Yeah Cook was the only choice really.

by **Kenny** Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:15 pm

I would of prefered Prior ... bit more aggresive character

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:16 pm

Prior, Broad or Trott would also have been options GSC?

by eirebilly Wed 29 Aug 2012, 5:18 pm

I do like a keeper to be captain, i must admit that Very Happy

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