YOUR England T20 line-up

Anyone else feel Ashley Giles has up to now done a naff job with T20 selection? Balance of the side seems poor, same consistently poor players are being selected & there's not enough variety in the line-ups, imo. Due to continuity and having faith in certain out-of-form players *cough Morgan *cough, I can't see there being an overhaul anytime soon, but, in your opinion, what should our T20 (players available barring) line-up be?

1) Alex Hales - Got the mix between slogging and gracious (yes, gracious) batting right on more than a few occasions in the Friends Life T20 this season. As well as having a large strike-rate, his 99 against West Indies proves he can bat at a quick pace for large periods of time.

2) Michael Carberry - Record this season in the Friends Life T20 speaks for itself, really. Same as Hales in that he can bat for large periods of time at a quick pace & now is the time for a long overdue cap in our T20 line-up, I believe.

3) Michael Lumb - Type of explosive batsmen that we need in our side - particularly when there's no Kevin Pietersen. Big game-changer when on-form and well worth the risk if he does so. Used to opening the batting for Notts this season so will have no quarrels with coming in early.

4) Joe Root - Innings he played earlier proved what an asset he is to the team. Can't see him losing his place anytime soon and I certainly wouldn't drop him, either. Can bowl a bit but, erm, after earlier, we should give him more time to practice in the nets.

5) Ben Stokes - My slight Durham bias being shown here but I really think he deserves a crack. Powerful hitter of a cricket ball & is a big improvement on Luke Wright/Ravi Bopara in terms of accurate bowling & pace.

6) Jos Buttler - Moved Jos once place up in the order as I think he's coming in too late in the innings; also gives him a little more time to play himself in; albeit depending on the situation. As with Lumb, he's well worth the risk when he comes off. Though, we do need to see this on a more regular basis from Jos - particularly with the form his Somerset compatriot Kieswetter is in.

7) David Willey - After seeing him play on final's day one thought sprung to my head: this guy needs an England call-up, and fast. Can potentially be very destructive down the order and his left-arm pace will mean we have more variety as well as meaning we can angle the ball across right-handed batsmen. Also appears to ACTUALLY be capable of bowling a yorker.

8) Stuart Broad - The captain himself. Capable of destructive spells but needs to ball more inswingers and yorkers to find consistent success at this level, imo. Also handy down the order until a bowler bowls at his kryptonite: yorkers.

9) James Tredwell - Great economy rate in this year's Friends Life T20 & an ability to create pressure with dot balls is something England have lacked of recently. Has to bowl better than his spell earlier in the year, though. Another who's handy down the order.

10) Jade Dernbach - Often expensive, often rash, but when he gets his variations right like he did against the Aussies earlier you'd be unwise to drop him. Again need to see it more consistently. Bit of a knob but we can live with that.

11) Reece Topley - Left-arm seamers are criminally underused by England - bowling at different angles of approach to right-handed batsman can be a big asset and his record this season goes to show that. Ability to bowl cutters, slower balls and the odd yorker.

Meaning out of the team yesterday I've left out 5 players:

Eoin Morgan - Been out of form for a long time now. England selectors have faith in him, but I don't.

Luke Wright - Someone had to be left out for Carberry - unfortunately that man was Luke Wright. Still have him in-and-around the team, though.

Ravi Bopara - Harshest of the lot but Ravi didn't look at the races with his bowling today and if we're picking him solely on his batting then I'd rather have a batsmen in who can bowl at his expense. Again, I'd have him in-and-around the team, though.

Steven Finn - Lad needs time back at his county. Simple as that. Barely bowled much (if any) T20 this season for his county & hasn't looked accustomed to this form of the game with England over the last few months.

Danny Briggs - Prefer Tredwell. More likely to keep it tight and build pressure.

Other notable shouts:
Chris Woakes
Craig Kieswetter
Boyd Rankin

KP?

Your team looks pretty decent to me. I think we can expect quite a bit of experimentation with the lineup at the moment as it is not a World T20 year.

What is KP's status in T20s? Did he retire from them or have I imagined that? If available he would be in my team every time.

Pietersen
Hales
Wright
Root
Morgan
Bopara
Buttler
Broad
Tredwell
Dernbach
Topley/Finn/A.nother

Hales
Wright
Pietersen
Root
Ballance
Bopara/Stokes
Buttler
Willey
Broad
Swann
Tredwell/Bresnan/Rankin

As for a team (assuming all the below are available):

Hales
Bell
Pietersen
Wright
Root
Bopara
Buttler
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Finn

Doubt that will ever be the team but there you go!

Have put Bell to open as I am sick of sloggers unable to lay bat on ball off good bowling - get some class in there and ask him to hit 4's - he is good enough to do that.

Bowling is close to the Test line-up, need to take wickets in any form of the game.

I didn't consider KP or Swann as I assumed they weren't available. If that isn't the case, I'd have KP in for Lumb and Swann in for Tredwell.

Kevin Pietersen
Michael Lumb/Alex Hales
Luke Wright
Joe Root
Eoin Morgan
Ben Stokes
Jos Buttler
Tim Bresnan
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Steven Finn

Liam_Main wrote:Anyone else feel Ashley Giles has up to now done a naff job with T20 selection? Balance of the side seems poor, same consistently poor players are being selected & there's not enough variety in the line-ups, imo.

Does Giles pick the squads or do the selectors?
Is Giles asked to include certain people?

At full strength:

1.Hales
2.Pietersen
3.Carberry
4.Root
5.Morgan
6.Buttler (wk)
7.Stokes or Willey - We need someone explosive with more all round credentials than Wright and Bopara IMO
8.Bresnan
9.Swann
10.Broad
11.Finn

If in need of a second spinner bring Briggs in for Finn.

One thing I want to see from us is more flexibility with the batting line-up when it's called for. Pinch hitters can be hugely effective at changing the momentum in such a short format when they're used well.

I would start again with the t20 side

1.Alex Hales
2.Michael Lumb
3.Joe Root (C)
4.Gary Ballance
5.Eoin Morgan
6.David Willey
7.Jos Buttler (wk)
8.Scott Borthwick
9.Graham Napier
10.Steven Finn
11.Jamie Overton

Top 3 are very good players and should stay. Ballance is a tremendous talent and deserves a run in the side. Morgan no-brainer. Willey what a season! His time to shine. Buttler im a huge fan of his. Ive always rated Borthwick although i know most people dont. Napier can still do a job in t20 and has had a fantastic season in all forms of the game. Finn- leader of the attack. Overton- gamble but he will take hundreds of international wickets.

CF wrote:I would start again with the t20 side

1.Alex Hales
2.Michael Lumb
3.Joe Root (C)
4.Gary Ballance
5.Eoin Morgan
6.David Willey
7.Jos Buttler (wk)
8.Scott Borthwick
9.Graham Napier
10.Steven Finn
11.Jamie Overton

Top 3 are very good players and should stay. Ballance is a tremendous talent and deserves a run in the side. Morgan no-brainer. Willey what a season! His time to shine. Buttler im a huge fan of his. Ive always rated Borthwick although i know most people dont. Napier can still do a job in t20 and has had a fantastic season in all forms of the game. Finn- leader of the attack. Overton- gamble but he will take hundreds of international wickets.

Not sure what Broad has done to be dropped of captaincy; and what Root has done to deserve it.

Morgan has been horribly out-of-form for a long time now with England and hasn't impressed much with Middlesex, either. Time to give someone else a go, imo.

Ballance hardly has a destructive T20 strike-rate

Napier at 9 means you're unlikely to see him bat unless boosted up the order as a pinch hitter and I certainly wouldn't have him in as just a bowler.

Finn needs county time and doesn't look a T20 bowler, imo.

And I can tell you from watching him that Borthwick in as your only genuine spinner will end badly. Possibly pushed up the order and a 2nd spinner (batted 3 for Durham in T20s this season).

Oh, and Jamie Overton has never played a T20 game in his life.

BUT, agree 100% on Willey & Root at 3 is a good shout.

I wouldn't be overreacting to one T20 defeat !

They are experimenting with a group of players , and will continue to do so ...from what I am hearing of Willey he might be a good one to try next , but you won't get anywhere trying a completely different lineup each game...