Absolute balls...there's someone else in the England team who hasn't performed much recently and is getting off 100% scott-free...Alastair Cook has been lambasted for a supposed lack of form when in actual fact he's got 4 times as many centuries in the past 12 months as KP AND Captain Marvel have added together...

Test match averages these past 12 months
1 - Ian Bell 719 runs at 65.36 with 3 centuries
2 - Jonathan Trott 995 runs at 52.36 with 2 centuries
3 - Alastair Cook 855 runs at 42.75 with 4 centuries
4 - Paul Collingwood 611 runs at 40.73 with 1 century
5 - Matt Prior 570 runs at 38.00 with 1 century
6 - Kevin Pietersen 659 runs at 36.61 with 0 centuries
7 - Eoin Morgan 256 runs at 32.00 with 1 century
8 - Andrew Strauss 511 runs at 31.93 with 0 centuries

Even Michael Carberry has a better average than Strauss has these past 12 months. Amazing what being captain of a winning side covers up isn't it??

Yes because he's been a massive success so far hasn't he??

Off to the first test me.

This is England's problem, the batting line up is too weak and often needs propping up by the tail.

England win by 6 wickets.

Strauss unbeaten ton.

Cook out cheaply. Again.

More importantly, Swann had a good, lengthy spell and took wickets..... He is the key to whether we retain the Ashes or not, as he is the guy the Aussies genuinely fear.

Cook failed AGAIN and CAPTAIN FANTASTIC hit a ton.

Those stats also fail to note that 300 or so of those Cook runs came on the tour to Bangladesh, which Strauss wasn't even on.

What's that got to do with it? He's only played a handful of matches, FFS. His talent is there for all to see, and Cook is bang out of form.

Michael Vaughan's record was pretty mediocre after his first few Tests, IIRC.

I was going to post that fact but forgot too......i have never been impressed with Cook....think he is one of those that his face fits and he is V/C....and you was right about Vaughan and also Flintoff was in danger of being dropped before he did the bis in NZ i think.

Not taking another opener may bite us on the arriss....dont fancy moving Trott up the order...mind you...he may pi$$ them off with his technique like he did the Bottlers (S.A)