Ashes 2023.

[Gilders]

I see Josh Tongue has been called up as extra bowling cover.

Shows that Little Chef still isn't anywhere near the selectors' thoughts despite a far superior record to Tongue and indeed others. Just think of the seamers picked in recent years for one squad or another - Overtonx2, Curranx2, Woodx2, Fisher, Carse, Stone, Topley, Jordan, Mahmood, Gregory, Potts, Robinson, TRJ, Archer, Mills, Willey, Payne, Woakes, Stokes, Gleeson, Garton, Tongue...

Sam has a better FC record of any of them (all achieved incidentally in Div 1) and has been successful in white ball as well.

Either your face fits or it does not.

[JasonP]

Cooks record in white ball cricket is pretty good but if he ever plays for England it will be likely red ball cricket when Anderson and Broad retire.  To support Anderson and Broad they tend to look for quicker or taller bowlers that tend to be more effective on Test wickets than the likes of Cook are.  Tongue was more effective than Cook in the England Lions games on Sri Lankan wickets last winter.
The only one that really surprised me they picked was Matt Fisher last winter who is never fit, not that quick and not that good.
If you go on county records the likes of Masters and Porter would have been picked instead of some of those.

[Andy]

I think we need to take the ECCC coloured spectacles off. I couldn’t see why Cook would be picked if Anderson was
still going.

[Gilders]

Don't get me wrong.  I am happy Sam is playing for us rather than carrying drinks and having his bowling action messed about by England.

On the other hand, if you are saying Sam won't play in the same team as Anderson because they are too similar, he could still play - and could have done over the past couple of years - when Anderson rests.  For example the Ireland game and maybe some Ashes tests as Jimmy may not play all 5 in quick succession.  And anyway in English conditions, having 2 Jimmies in the side could be a good thing.

Are you really saying all those other 25 bowlers have deserved to be picked ahead of him?  He does seem to be a very long way down the pecking order whether we agree with it or not.