Comments on: Even if Ben Foakes is “the best wicketkeeper in the world” he’s only worth so much to England https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/ Independent and irreverent cricket writing Wed, 17 May 2023 13:50:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.3 By: King Cricket https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272506 Wed, 17 May 2023 13:50:24 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272506 In reply to Ged+Ladd.

Prior/Read too for a long while. What’s striking is how perceptions of the players’ characteristics polarise. Bairstow is a really good keeper and Foakes is a really good batter, but measuring one against the other skews everyone’s sense of that.

]]> By: James Thompson https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272505 Wed, 17 May 2023 13:11:12 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272505 In reply to Ged+Ladd.

Best keeper vs best batter/keeper has been a selectorial point for over 60 years with the England team. JT Murray vs Jim Parks; Jack Russell vs Alec Stewart, and now Ben Foakes vs Johnny Bairstow. Only Alan Knott (and Bob Taylor) paused this ongoing discussion…

]]> By: Ged Ladd https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272503 Tue, 16 May 2023 22:42:31 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272503 In reply to Sam.

My recent relevant experience of observing the Hollies test match crowd from the Raglan Stand opposite tells me that the Hollies crowd is quite incapable of doing ANYTHING as one.

Not even the perpetual pint-swilling is synchronised.

]]> By: daneel https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272502 Tue, 16 May 2023 20:18:09 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272502 In reply to Gareth.

I’m going to say 13.

]]> By: Sam https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272501 Tue, 16 May 2023 16:57:17 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272501 Flash forward to the first Test. YJB drops a chance behind the sticks. The Hollies stand rise as one to exclaim: ‘Boo-airstow!’

]]> By: Sam https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272500 Tue, 16 May 2023 16:54:14 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272500 Recall a Woakes, drop a Foakes. You just can’t have too many rhyming players together at one time.

]]> By: Tim Gorman https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272499 Tue, 16 May 2023 13:51:29 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272499 Agree with Jed.
Suspect Stokes has more faith in Foakes than Crawley but Foakes isn’t likely to take his spot opening the batting.
Obviously, Crawley needs to make runs and convince to retain his place to the final Ashes Test, Less obviously, who would open rather than Crawley?

]]> By: King Cricket https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272498 Tue, 16 May 2023 13:22:16 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272498 In reply to Ged+Ladd.

Also a decent case that Bairstow will be in the Ashes team somewhere or other, so maybe they think they’ll get him back in and then decide exactly what his job will be nearer the time.

Looks like a first choice England team for the Ireland Test though, which is good.

]]> By: Ged+Ladd https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272497 Tue, 16 May 2023 13:14:23 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272497 I sense that, in the circumstances, there is a case to play Jonny in the Ireland test as a confidence boosting thing.

Ben Foakes has been keeping all spring to high class bowling for a winning team.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see both players in the starting XI at Edgbaston, especially if Jonny can rack up some serious runs…

…but not the “Foakes In Pakistan” sort of runs.

]]> By: Gareth https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/even-if-ben-foakes-is-the-best-wicketkeeper-in-the-world-hes-only-worth-so-much-to-england/2023/05/16/#comment-272496 Tue, 16 May 2023 13:05:06 +0000 https://www.kingcricket.co.uk/?p=28518#comment-272496 Yeah. That’s all Foakes.

Bit gutting for Archer as well. How many tests is he ever going to play?

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