LGTrotter wrote:Cook once again had men out for the hook against tailenders with a ball that was still moving about, I'm thinking that Derek's sense of his captaincy is about right.
I haven't just been saying it for effect. The guy is useless as a leader of men. Utterly.
I think that he just can't get himself out of his tailspin, either with the captaincy or his batting. His determination (a laudable characteristic in most circumstances) is just making it harder for him to accept that he needs to go away.
I think we are saying the same thing. Imagine the scenario:
"He was a great leader of men right up until the point when he lost his head and marched them across the minefield".
No, he was not competent. He showed promise as a soldier but did not have the right stuff to lead his men into battle or out of harm's way once he was promoted above his ability.
Cook will never be a good leader. He might one day return to being a tremendous batsman.
I see this every day at work. People who are great at the technical aspects of a task being promoted into management roles on the assumption that if you are good at the doing you can make others do it. It rarely works.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
DRT wrote:Cook will never be a good leader. He might one day return to being a tremendous batsman.
I see this every day at work. People who are great at the technical aspects of a task being promoted into management roles on the assumption that if you are good at the doing you can make others do it. It rarely works.
Yes, that's about it really. And he keeps leading them into the minefield. And then just keeps going.
LGTrotter wrote:...a copy of Decanter, plus wine awards bonus thing.
I have read the wine awards thing. I thought it was rubbish. I haven't got it to hand to be able to recount examples of what was rubbish, but I recall being bemused by the scarcity of wines assessed in some (many?) categories. And when you read the part about how they undertake the award process, it broadly seems to be: some people apply in a category, we taste, we make awards. So it seems to me that this is not really an attempt to find and assess what might be the outstanding wines in a category, but a half hearted process which any self-promoting producer can probably take advantage of.
Sitting on my rudeboot (Google it before you make the obvious joke) in the middle of the Plötzensee, I hear an alert on my phone. And I know, I just know, that it's Cook. OK, I'm with you now. This is his last series as captain. Whether we should switch mid-series I'm not sure. I think we'd be sure to lose then. Better to hobble on till the end and in the meantime Moores can have a chat with him.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
From the TMS feed; Barney: Yet another soft dismissal for Bell, he has been appalling since the end of the summer Ashes. Last home Ashes was the only time Bell has consistently gotten tough runs, rest of his career he has flattered to deceive. Time running out surely?
djewesbury wrote:Still you two moan. I'm looking forward to what should be an amazing game. This won't be easy for England to bat on. By the time I get there on Day 4, who will be at the crease when the first session starts? It could be the last day.
Right, that's a quiz, who will be the facing batsman at the start of Day 4?
Rahane.
I've been cheated by a blind umpire, a bowler with a history of cheating and a decision by India that has deservedly come back to haunt them. It's a conspiracy!
Harrumph.
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
Can someone explain to me why Stokes is in the side in preference to a spinner or one of the other long line of medium pacers who are on the edge of the England team?
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
Because England are always looking for batting having correctly diagnosed that their middle order is forever collapsing. Rather than deal with the actual issue (the batting) they spread the problem around by putting in folks who can do both a bit but can't quite do either.
DRT wrote:They are not listening, Daniel. Shout louder!
Owen, (Bell bowled for 1) over to you...
Bell. And I have yet to hear anyone talking about his place. Cook may prove to be the shield which protects Bell long enough for him to produce another career saving innings. Somebody else will have to score a century first in a game in which the runs will make no material difference to the outcome, obvs.
And if you'd been sitting next to the Indian headcase next to us your desire would have been sharpened. He yelled all through the day. A one-man barmy army. As someone half-Indian, I sometimes have (very slightly) mixed allegiances. But that put me firmly in the England camp.
Off to dinner now. TNs to follow of Chasse-Spleen 2000 and Ni94.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
djewesbury wrote:If you believed for once, Owen, we might win.
Oh yes, blame me for the England cricket team. Think of me as a conduit for the dressing room because they (England) looked like they had their heads down for most of the last two sessions.
OK, I have just removed my brain washed it in England juice and dried it with the cross of Saint George, now I BELIEVE.
