Andrew Strauss confident England will be competitive in World Cup

[Manny_Pacquiao]

this could be the turning point for the england side. morgan is a game changer same goes for mike hussey. australia's middle order really needed somebody like him with ponting out of form and the rest sucking against spin.

[achilles]

Acha :hmmmm2:

He's in the ABDV mould.

[Feed]

England coach angry over Kevin Pietersen's World Cup departure More... England coach angry over Kevin Pietersen's World Cup departure AFP March 08, 2011 ENGLAND coach Andy Flowers says Kevin Pietersen should have bitten the bullet and sucked it up to finish off the World Cup tournament. He also said the opening batsmen should have taken painkillers to get through the games, the Daily Mail reported. Pietersen has now been replaced by Eoin Morgan. He flew home last night as his teammates made the flight from Chennai to Chittagong. Pietersen made a duck during England's dramatic Group B win over his native South Africa on Sunday, and he has now gone through 27 one-day internationals without registering a century. England, who play Bangladesh on Friday, will be looking to find someone else to open up with captain Andrew Strauss at the crease. It was announced on Saturday that Pietersen would undergo an operation, but after the tournament. However, the procedure appears to have been brought forward after the opener was clearly handicapped during Sunday's victory. The batsman's early departure raises questions over his future in the 50-over form of the game, having frequently complained about the crammed international schedule.

[pinkfreud]

KP has always been too hyped, in my view. I don't think England is missing out on much after his departure. In fact, they have more to gain from KP leaving and Morgan coming back.

[Switchblade]

K.P wasnt doing anything special in the wc so not a big loss

[Switchblade]

this could be the turning point for the england side. morgan is a game changer same goes for mike hussey. australia's middle order really needed somebody like him with ponting out of form and the rest sucking against spin.

Agree but since they both are coming back from injury they might not be at their best

[vpg0002]

Agree but since they both are coming back from injury they might not be at their best

Yes, that is the reason why they were not picked in the first place. It is a chance that these teams are taking as that is the best bet they see in these circumstances.

[Sachin=GOD]

He's in the ABDV mould.

No. Morgan is not a regular keeper even in county cricket and has kept wickets in an international match only once till date.

[HowardRoark]

K.P wasnt doing anything special in the wc so not a big loss

I think his solid performance as opener was one of the reasons why England posted relatively high scores in this WC campaign. I am sure he will be missed.

[Feed]

Injured Broad facing World Cup exit More... Injured Broad facing World Cup exit 08 March 2011 Chittagong, March 8(AFP): England fast bowler Stuart Broad could miss the rest of the World Cup after suffering a side strain in the dramatic victory over South Africa. Broad took a match-winning 4-15 in Chennai on Sunday, which ended in a thrilling six-run triumph, but his efforts have come back to haunt him. "I felt a bit tight in the field and it sort of increased after the match, Broad told reporters in Chittagong where England tackle Bangladesh on Friday, a match the 24-year-old is likely to miss. "I am not sure how serious it is. I have had scans done and am waiting for the result." "At this stage, I am doubtful about playing on Friday, but not sure beyond that. I should know in a couple of days." "I'm not too down at the minute because I don't know what the injury is. But obviously, I'll be bitterly disappointed if it's the end of my World Cup." England are already reeling from losing star batsman Kevin Pietersen, who left for home on Monday to undergo a hernia operation. Broad has endured a nightmare time with injuries in recent months having missed the last three Ashes Tests with an abdominal strain. The seamer said he had not suffered a similar injury before. "I know it is a common injury with bowlers, but I never had it before," he said. "I didn't get the short stabbing pain that I did in the Ashes, so that's a good sign this is not as severe as that. It's in a different area." The fast bowler has claimed 130 wickets in 76 one-day internationals at an average of 25.69. England, with five points from four games, need to win one of their last two league matches against Bangladesh and the West Indies to qualify for the quarter-finals.

[Sachin=GOD]

Good news for England :giggle:

[VRV Singh]

Though Pietersen isn't a big loss in form terms, think this kind of messes up England's middle order balance. I guess Bell will now open and you'd have to shift Bopara up to accomodate Morgan at 5 or 6 where he fares best...dont think that suits Bopara at all. Pretty much convinced Morgan will be excellent though

[Clarke]

You're getting Morgan in place of him, smile!

[Feed]

Broad ruled out of World Cup; replaced by Tremlett. More... Stuart Broad to fly home from World Cup as England suffer more injury woe By LAWRENCE BOOTH Reporting from Chittagong 8th March 2011 Stuart Broad’s World Cup is over after the England fast bowler picked up a side strain during Sunday’s win over South Africa. Broad underwent a scan this morning in Chittagong, having already had one X-ray taken in Chennai on Sunday evening. The results were sent back to London and analysed by team doctor Nick Peirce, and the decision was taken to send him home. His place in the squad is expected to be taken by Surrey fast bowler Chris Tremlett, who has been travelling with the squad as cover throughout the World Cup. The news comes only a day after the departure from the tournament of Kevin Pietersen, who flew home yesterday for a hernia operation, and Broad is expected to be out for between six and eight weeks. Drafted in: Morgan arrives in Chittagong He could now miss what would have been a first season in the Indian Premier League with Kings XI Punjab, but hopes to be fit in time for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Cardiff, starting on May 26. ‘I’m only 24, and I need to get my long-term health right,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to risk injuring my side if there’s a little tear there, because there’s a lot of cricket coming up this year. I want to get back in the Test team and enjoy a summer’s Test cricket.’ Broad, who took four for 15 during England’s stunning six-run win over the South Africans, has endured a luckless winter of injury and illness. He missed the last three Ashes Test after tearing an abdominal muscle, an injury so freakish his specialist said he had only seen one like it before. And he has had two bouts of illness on this trip already, missing the tie with India as a result. ‘It’s unbelievable,’ said a close friend. ‘He’s only ever had two injuries and they’ve both come in the last six months in two of the most important series and tournaments in his life.’

[FairCricket]

media should not make news when hes injured or unfit , they should make when he fits to plays

[Sid]

He was looking like their best seamer in sub-continental conditions,another loss for Poms

[Switchblade]

No time talking about hectic schedule: Trott http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/interviews/No-time-talking-about-hectic-schedule-Trott/articleshow/7710100.cms CHENNAI: England batsman Jonathan Trott on Tuesday admitted that the players are far from being "fresh" in the World Cup due to hectic schedule in the past five months but said it was "foolish" talking about it as they are facing a do or die situation in the tournament. Nothing less than a win against West Indies on Thursday will ensure England a quarterfinal berth and Trott said the focus of the team is on the match and not on what had happened in the past. "Not being fresh, but you got to realise where we are and what we are trying to do in the World Cup. Millions of people back home and around the world are willing to give anything to see us out of the position that we are," Trott said when asked if the players are being able to keep themselves fresh for the matches. "We got four games left for us before the winter. Whatever has happened in the past and the amount of cricket that we have played, we got few days of it now. We are in Chennai, which is quite humid and hot. It will be foolish to look too far ahead and look back as to how much cricket we have played," he said after his team's practice session. "Not much we can do (about the schedule). But all our attention is on this game and it would be foolish that if we take our eyes off this game. It is four knock out games for us and three for others," he added. Captain Andrew Strauss and Graeme Swann did not take part in the practice session on Tuesday due to fever for the past two days but Trott said they are recovering fast and should be fit for the must-win West Indies match. "They (Strauss and Swann) will be all right. There is 24 to 48 hours for them (to be fully fit). Hopefully, they will train tomorrow. Two days of fever, they are feeling a little bit better. They should be ready for the game. Chennai is hot and humid. When you go from humid places into air conditioned change rooms, just a little bit about not looking after ourselves," he said. "I am not sure who are favourites (in that match), hope it is a good game lasting 100 overs. I think, we have not got a good 100 over match, on both sides, one with bat or with ball. Here in Chennai against South Africa not with the bat but with ball," he said in reference to the inconsistent performance of the English side. He admitted the team is not firing as a unit in the World Cup after doing so well in the Ashes. "We do have good one-day team as well. Perhaps we need to get a bit more consistent in fielding, running and batting. I think the Ashes being the big thing and winning it after putting in a lot of efforts we could not collectively do that in World Cup," he said.

[theanalyst]

Lot of talk of the hectic schedule. Could anyone do a list of the number of days of cricket each team has had over the past 1 year/6 months? The top teams play a lot of cricket these days. It's how it is. If you can't keep up, you can stay at home. I hate it when excuses are made. It's often the fans rather than the players who do this.