The Times’ cricket writers answer readers’ big questions ahead of fourth Ashes Test
Are England right to stick with Bairstow? Is it all over for Warner? And will Anderson play again? Cricket writers from THE TIMES answer the big Ashes questions from readers.
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Do you think Ben Foakes has become a better and better keeper the less he plays? His fan club seems to think he’s infallible. He really isn’t and he’s made plenty of errors when he has played. I also think he’s very poor on reviews – an important skill these days.
Mike Atherton: It is usually the way, that a player’s reputation improves when he is out of the team. Foakes is high class but you are right, he has missed chances when he has played. All wicketkeepers do.
Elizabeth Ammon: I actually disagree he’s poor on reviews. Or at least he’s no worse than Bairstow on them. My issue is not with JB keeping per se but more that he doesn’t seem to be moving quite right because of the injury. There was a graphic I saw that shows he hasn’t got his weight distributed evenly because of the broken leg. Wicketkeeping is hard enough and I wonder if the injury has an impact.
Simon Wilde: You’re right that Foakes is not infallible, but he is very good. There have been some concerns about his batting ability against the fastest bowling, but then you can say that about a lot of players.
England are rubbish at Lord’s, and have been since before my dad was born. Do we need two Lord’s Tests every summer when there are deserving grounds that miss out on big games every year?
Atherton: They have been much better at Lord’s in more recent times. I don’t think Lord’s should have two Tests automatically, especially if the membership behaves as it did last week, and the arrival of Cardiff, Durham and Southampton as international grounds, along with Somerset/Gloucestershire etc adds pressure on the process. However, Lord’s one factor is the touring team: ask the touring team which is the one ground they want to play at and the answer would be Lord’s.
Ammon: A large part of it is that touring teams really do like to play there. They like the opportunity to get their name on the honours board, they like the history, the prestige, the Long Room and the food. But I would only let them have two Tests if there are seven Tests in each summer which I believe there should be (over two series).
Wilde: I don’t think England should play fewer Tests at Lord’s because their record there is sketchy. Rather, other big grounds deserve games and routinely one of Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham misses out on even one Test each year. For the next Ashes in 2027, there is not one match in the north, no Leeds or Manchester, which are both great venues for Aussie Tests.
Anderson may soon be fit to return, but is putting him back in the team a good idea? Tongue has proven to be a more than adequate replacement, but should we not also be looking for a full-time replacement, and have we found him in Tongue?
Atherton: It’s amazing to me how short-term readers’ opinions are. One bad game and it’s curtains, one good game and a player is a world-beater. Obviously, you must recognise when a player needs to be replaced, but those decisions need careful attention. Two indifferent games on slow, flat pitches don’t prove anything about Anderson. Tongue bowled well at Lord’s though.
Ammon: I really would advise against writing off Anderson. We’ve done that before and he’s come back better. I think they’ll play him at Old Trafford for his local knowledge, the fact that he’ll have had two weeks off and he’ll probably prefer the conditions to Edgbaston or Lord’s.
Wilde: England need to pick the best XI to win at Old Trafford. They tried planning for the future before and then realised Broad and Anderson were still the best. A lot depends on the pitch: if it’s another Kryptonite pitch like the first and second Tests there won’t be much for Anderson, but I suspect it won’t be.
What changes would you make to the Australia XI at Old Trafford? Should Warner go?
Atherton: Warner to play. Marsh to play. Hazlewood to play for Boland.
Ammon: They really need to play a spinner but Hazlewood in for Boland and I expect Marsh will play. I wonder if they will get Cameron Green back in somehow.
Wilde: Hazlewood for Boland is a no-brainer. Keep everyone else. Green is a fine fielder and slightly better bowler than Marsh, but Marsh has to play after his runs in Leeds: Green could not have played those innings.
What sort of pitches will best suit England over the final two games?
Atherton: I’d have faith in the team and ask the groundsman to prepare the best cricket pitch he can. If the players are good enough, the best team will win out on good surfaces. Headingley was the best pitch of the three by far.
Ammon: Although there’s been a lot of rain in the past couple of weeks, the pitches are still pretty dry. But ideally they’ll be ones that are like Headingley, a good pitch that produces good cricket.
Wilde: England have lost on pitches that were slow, and won on the one that had more life. Before the series, the thought was that if conditions favoured the faster bowlers, Australia would do better and England’s attacking batsmen would struggle, but Headingley showed Bazball batting can have a premium in such circumstances. So, two more pitches with something for the seamers please.
There seems to be a shortage of bowlers of real pace at the moment, but there must surely be raw talent out there at the schools, particularly state schools, where cricket may not be played. Are there programmes for cricket, especially in areas where the cost of equipment may be a barrier?
Atherton: It’s a huge issue. When I was at primary school, cricket was still played in a major way in state schools and coaching was offered free by the local education authority. That does not exist now and cricket’s cost needs to be tackled. Counties must make their pathways free and anything that reduces cost of time and money to parents is good.
Ammon: Chance to Shine run an excellent primary school programme but it’s not really there for talent scouting. The clubs need more support to attract children. The All Stars and Dynamo programmes are a start but talent scouting is an issue across the country.
Wilde: With cricket in schools so scarce, local clubs seem to do the heavy lifting and these vary in quality. An express bowler like Mark Wood is rare; English cricket has produced very few of his type, partly as our climate does not lend itself to hard pitches that reward someone for bending their back. The ECB does run fast-bowling programmes though.
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