Ken

The world will never turn to atheism.

Never a truer idealist. I am pragmatic in my views and reject what you believe because it is impossible with religion but that's cool. I respect all opinions.

It only works because China is unique in its mass of population and the differing ethnic groups that make it up. I don't disagree that China will be a hyperpower eventually.

You have a soft spot for China then?

Fair play. It is cold there, and miserable at times, but obviously nothing like you get in NE England at this time of the year.

tbh I respect the conditions you cope with in winter. If I were forced to I would be a broken man. Bad childhood experience can do that.

Yeah, maybe, but it is true.

I don't like to gloat but don't take too much pity. Beautiful night here at 23 degrees celsius, only sore point is that there is no sea breeze to speak of. Enjoyed a few prawns washed down by a Jim Barry Riesling.

Hopefully, from your POV, he returns for the Boxing Day match, if he doesn't return there he won't play at all in the test series. He hasn't been setting the world on fire in NZ so he needs to keep building up his fitness. I guess he has set his sights on the ODI's.

Well exactly. I didn't realise he hadn't bowled which is sensible given he has/had a tender cut that has kept getting ripped open and giving it time to heal would have been the common sense approach to that. Given that he didn't bowl I don't see why he needed to play, like you I find it a bit bewildering. Running around a field isn't building up match fitness is it?

Not saying what he says is ludicrous though. A lot of it is quite obvious to anybody.

Yeah, agree with that. We have to put up with him on Channel Nine this year. He is an irritant and a pot stirrer, and now that he can't target us with it he has gone for you.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes/ashes-201718-kevin-pietersen-slams-england-and-suggests-factions-may-be-at-play-20171210-h022d6.html

I can see why you got smacked by a girl tbh

Not late, no. Happy to rehash old posts if you want but I wanted to make sure it was you first, you boring cunt.

The cricketing calender is all out of whack to be fair. What is being played and how much of it, the different forms, and what it means - the gap is disparaging. Names and numbers is daft man. Reducing tests to four days means little. Would that change results that we see now already? Half the punters went home after 630pm in Adelaide. It depends on the state of play though of course. The Windies are a nightmare. Politically, the game is not unified so there are no stepping stones to progress to get to the ultimate for their grassroots, the Windies aren't unified anymore, and there are other sports which attract youngsters now. T20 enthusiasts will never embrace test match cricket and vice versa, although the latter would give it a go. T20 cricket is fast, and and a result is quick. The game attracts people who would have turned a blind eye to cricket before T20 mate.

So it's true, it was you who was bashed by a lesbian then

Wow, that's interesting. People like me are interested by these turn of events because... ... are you the same bloke who got put on his arse by a lesbian a few months ago?

All big cricketing countries have faced the problems that are now evident facing England tbh, I think I may have expressed this T20 issue a few years ago in this thread, and while it is a contributor to it there are obviously other developmental issues. The pool of players in the world who prioritise the 5 day game is shrinking. It is up to their governing bodies to respect the tradition and reverse the trend.

I don't think fitness is the issue with him, he just can't get purchase on the ball, partly because of his finger injury and partly because he just can't anyway with the kookaburra.

Good thanks

They are talking, yes. Staveley would have owned Ashley in that meeting too.

Yes, but what good would an army be with Italian, French and Greeks in it?

You need him playing in this test series, form or no form. The WACA presents different challenges, you need that extra bowler as will we.

So Stokes has been announced in the ODI squad, is there a chance he'll get a recall in this Test series?