Alex

Special Brew do a version. Just like a Trappist ale from the Low Countries tbh.

Fuck's sake, man.

Shame it's a only a two test series like.

KP

For sure.

The Kennedy curse strikes again. Seriously though, he was someone you could imagine going for a pint with, as opposed to the fucking cyborgs leading most of the major parties now. Seemed like a decent bloke. RIP.

They all facilitate Ashley's regime. Mind, so do the fans who pay for tickets.

Aye, proper exciting

That's the way we roll.

Aye. It's also typical of Carver to tell them it wasn't down to him. Desperate for the manager's job on one hand and completely unwilling to take any responsibility on the other. All the while confirming he's just a lickspittle whose self-concern vastly outweighs his much vaunted alleged love of the club. The thick charva cunt

U hurd wong

Some Rugby League thingy at SJP

Bet J69 would have a go though.

That is fucking shocking

27 isn't that old for a spinner. You really have to learn your trade. Saeed Ajmal is 37. I'm not saying he's another Shane Warne because that's a once in a lifetime type of bowler. What I would say is that he's a very attacking option and the Aussies will go after whoever else plays in any case (Moeen or Treadwell being the main other options). You might as well have a genuine wicket taker in there because a bowler like Treadwell will get smashed all over the park anyway by top class attacking batsmen. But aye, obviously a lack of options is a problem.

Rob coached him, iirc.

Just a name that stuck in my head from watching Wimbledon years ago. I remember him as a coach, btw, I'm not that old.

Well they took Adil Rashid to the West Indies (which is basically like the subcontinent in terms of pitches these days) and they could have easily given him a go and played two spinners there. They'd probably have won the series if they had. On top of that, he's a talented batsman with a few first class 100s and a batting average in the mid 30s in that form of the game. I would say he's certainly good enough to bat at number 8. He would likely be expensive at times, being a leg spinner who gives it a tweak, but he's wicket taker. He's an option they could've looked at before now anyway.

Funny how the passing / possession based game was first developed north of the border.

Have a bit of time for McClaren for being prepared to go abroad and so on but his track record in recent jobs is pretty ordinary to say the least. Strikes me as another one who is too nice and would be better suited to going back to being a coach (but probably feels he doesn't want to after a few high profile jobs as a manager).

Aye, he's a really good cricketer and a very easy on the eye in terms of his batting but Root is a decent part-time spinner and Mooen is arguably just a little better than that. He gives it a rip but he's not consistent enough at the minute. Like you say, a spinner needs to (ideally) be able to hold down and end and win a match bowling last when conditions suit. You can't really rely on him to do either at present and you need to be able to one of those things at the very least at that level.