Stokes free. Get in.

[Pokster]

Curran's never going to be any use on away tours.

Well Stokes wasn't much use on the last one

[Ash]

How fat is Rob Key these days, btw?

Not nearly as fat as Ian Botham.

[Ash]

Curran's never going to be any use on away tours.

Not many are, tbf.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

He missed the Ashes while being accused of a crime he did not commit. I don't see that any further ban can possibly be justified.

Exactly. We're meant to be innocent until proven guilty in this country. But we couldn't pick him because we knew that the ball tampering Convicts would have made every single press conference about the incident.

I don't see why we should have lost our best all-rounder just because the Aussie press pack are still moaning about their ancestors getting caught nicking a loaf of bread in Regency England.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Still likely to get a ban, though it may well take in to account games already missed. But when available he walks into the team - he was vitally important in the Test before which was actually a contest in decent (or at least better) conditions. If it comes down to a choice between two of Stokes, Buttler and Woakes for 6 & 7 there isn't really a choice to be made

At Trent Bridge there could be a case for him replacing Adil. That becomes an excellent 5-pronged pace attack. But in the first test, Adil took useful wickets in both innings, and the last one was when he had to make sure he didn't get tonked.

Had conditions been better and the Indians less useless then he might have been vital again.

How about Butter to keep and YJB to open? Cook's had the great deliveries to get him out. If he finds his form, we'd have a great top three to build a platform for our strong lower middle order.

[Luis Anaconda]

At Trent Bridge there could be a case for him replacing Adil. That becomes an excellent 5-pronged pace attack. But in the first test, Adil took useful wickets in both innings, and the last one was when he had to make sure he didn't get tonked.

Had conditions been better and the Indians less useless then he might have been vital again.

How about Butter to keep and YJB to open? Cook's had the great deliveries to get him out. If he finds his form, we'd have a great top three to build a platform for our strong lower middle order.

Bairstow opening has been a suggestion from Steve James in The Times - not sure he is up to it personally. Foot movement early on can be very suspect. Would rather him playing as a pure batsmen though

[Burney]

Bairstow opening has been a suggestion from Steve James in The Times - not sure he is up to it personally. Foot movement early on can be very suspect. Would rather him playing as a pure batsmen though

Steve James is a spanner, then. Bairstow doesn't have the technique to open in Test cricket. As you say, his foot movement is non-existent, his bottom hand dominates far too much and quite simply he goes too hard at the ball. He should never bat higher than five.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Still likely to get a ban, though it may well take in to account games already missed. But when available he walks into the team - he was vitally important in the Test before which was actually a contest in decent (or at least better) conditions. If it comes down to a choice between two of Stokes, Buttler and Woakes for 6 & 7 there isn't really a choice to be made

Bairstow opening has been a suggestion from Steve James in The Times - not sure he is up to it personally. Foot movement early on can be very suspect. Would rather him playing as a pure batsmen though

Atherton also said in the Times that YJB would be opening if it was up to him.

And Atherton knows a bit about opening and as he's a Manc it's not like it's Yorkshire prejudice.