| 
Posts and words
Loading ...>>>But his anonymity speaks of a more worrying trend – the tendency to judge Test potential on the basis of one-day form.
England’s forgotten man
By Jonathan Liew 3 years ago, at the end of August Add your comment below
In times past, England selectors could generally be relied on to make at least one howler a summer. Alan Wells, Aftab Habib and Alan Igglesden are all examples of county makeweights plunged without warning into the limelight and shunted mercilessly and remorselessly back out of it soon after.
Since the central contract era, however, we like to think that the more erratic selectorial decisions have rather been purged; there’s been the odd hunch that’s gone wrong (step to the front of the class, Anthony McGrath), but by and large the new slim-line committee has unearthed some cracking talent. Vaughan, Trescothick and Sidebottom certainly wouldn’t have got a look in had they been around a decade earlier. None of this, however, will be much comfort to Ed Joyce.
Joyce’s performances during the CB Series in Australia were solid, excellent in places, and he was by no means the most culpable of England’s World Cup donkeys. But he fell victim to the general call for cull after the Caribbean debacle and hasn’t been mentioned in the same breath as the England team since. Joyce wasn’t even selected for the England Lions teams to face Pakistan and India, a privilege granted to such stellar young talent as Alex Gidman. He appears to have fallen silently but ruthlessly from view, like the myriad Mike Smiths and Warren Heggs before him.
Fair enough, you might say. Ed Joyce is no PowerPlay demon, still less middle-overs innovator. But a man who scored two fifties on the biggest one-day stage really deserved better than to be lumped in with the likes of Andrew Strauss (who really did have a stinker in the West Indies, by the way). And besides, Joyce has always been more of a five-day cricketer. He was selected as Marcus Trescothick’s replacement on the Ashes tour, but didn’t get a chance. Now, incomprehensibly, he has been leapfrogged by Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara and, very possibly, Rob Key. Perhaps Joyce might soon be lugging his kit bag back to Dublin in search of an international game.
Joyce hasn’t exactly helped his case with some ho-hum county performances this summer. But his anonymity speaks of a more worrying trend – the tendency to judge Test potential on the basis of one-day form. It happened to Chris Read, Kabir Ali and even Jonathan Trott, who may never be seen in England colours again. Joyce deserves a better fate than these, for on his day he can be one of the most effective batsmen in the country. A bumper start for Middlesex next season might swing him back into contention; on the other hand, perhaps he’d be better off perfecting his reverse sweep this winter instead.
Tags: ed-joyce, england, jonathan-trott, middlesex, owais-shah, ravi-bopara, selectors, test-cricket |
7 Responses to “England’s forgotten man”
August 30th, 2007 at 2.55 pm
August 30th, 2007 at 2.59 pm
Well, curiously, the rest of my response seems to have vanished!
Ah, difficult to recapture the spirit with which I wrote that again, but the gist is yes, the system has its flaws but also nurtures exceptional talent.
August 30th, 2007 at 11.41 pm
Fair point, I guess, but Joyce’s technique was somewhat found out and, even after that great hundred, he seemed to lack a bit of self-belief. I rate Shah, Bopara and Key above him.
August 31st, 2007 at 12.48 pm
I agree with you entirely Will. He was definitely impressive during the CB Series in Australia and without him scoring that hundred in Sydney that set in motion England’s sudden ODI resurgence, they would’ve been on the plane back home much earlier.
Took a while to get started with his various ODI innings but he’s got an excellent technique and in a lot of ways is no different from Ian Bell in the way that he accumulates runs. Joyce definitely needs to be looked at and selected again.
August 31st, 2007 at 2.07 pm
Just ask Brad Hodge about harsh selection.
Joyce might come back, better for it. I think getting bowled for a duck against Ireland was what did him.
There’s so much competition in England now, that only a spate of injuries, retirements and breakdowns has allowed as many talented batsmen to play. If Bubonic plague were to strike the England camp, they’d still compete, because they’ve now got so many talented players in the wings with experience to draw on.
September 2nd, 2007 at 8.17 am
Brad Hodge would be welcome in any team. Sadly he’s not getting any younger at 33 years. Australia should export some of its players. India can make do very well with a player like Hodge!
Interesting quotes from his profile at Cricinfo:
“Brad Hodge is still pushing hard to avoid becoming Australian cricket’s latest nearly man.”
His response – “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
September 4th, 2007 at 12.48 pm
“Such stellar young talent as Alex Gidman.”
Spare us the sarcasm feller. Gidman is playing far better than Joyce this season and is unlucky not to be playing for England himself. He is an elegant and prolific batsman, averaging around 40 in the championship (like Joyce) and 35 in List A (about 10 more than Joyce). He’s also a useful medium pacer, albeit with a poor strike rate, and a superb fielder – two areas where he scores over Joyce, who doesn’t bowl and is at best a competent fielder. Moreover, he’s capable of captaining a side without whingeing about it all the time or letting it affect his batting, suggesting that he is rather more mature than Joyce.
Until certain people realise that the days when playing for a London county was a passport to success no matter what level of mediocrity you played at and how good the provincial competition was are over, however, I suppose Joyce and Dalrymple will always get the nod over the likes of Gidman (and, for that matter, Graeme Swann).
Comments
« The geek in all of us | Main | Bopara and Broad enthrall Manchester »
