Bopara pays tribute to Strauss
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755.
Strauss made 126 as England secured a four wicket win over Pakistan to take a 2-0 lead in the one-day series. Bopara has slammed all of the pundits that started to question Strauss' place in the team.
Bopara said: "You want Andrew Strauss in your team. I think he showed everybody how he can bat. His power-hitting has certainly come on over the last few years. The way he played yesterday, he used the pace and hit a lot of big shots square. That was what was required. But he can adapt when he needs to."
The innings that Strauss played contradicted the views of a panel of pundits , including former England fast bowler http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Stewart-c91370, that said Strauss wasn't good enough to be in the one-day team and should not be in the World Cup squad next February.
Bopara says that Strauss regularly displays a high number of qualities that prove he deserves his place in the side. However, the same pundits will argue that Strauss' centuries against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 and Pakistan this summer lack in punch.
Quality leader and player
Strauss has the ability to adapt to both the longer format of the game and the shorter format. His technique is good enough that if the England captain decides to play aggressively and get into the ball then he can do so. This means he has very little problem switching between Test match cricket and one-day international cricket.
Strauss has tremendous experience on the one-day international stage. He has a batting average of 35, which is the same as power hitting Brendon McCullum of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754. McCullum is widely respected as one of the most aggressive players in the game.
Strauss has scored five centuries and 22 half-centuries at one-day international level. This shows that he is capable of building an innings and getting runs when needed. It also shows that he can scrap for a well-fought fifty when things are not going England's way.
Lacking in punch
There will be a lot of pundits and people in the cricket world that will argue Strauss' centuries at one-day international level have lacked punch because they have not been scored against the best teams and the best bowling attacks.
Any country will be exposed to the best players in the world at a World Cup. Therefore Strauss will be exposed against the best bowling attacks currently in world cricket and he will find it difficult to repeat the same heroics he has just shown against Pakistan.
Bopara added: "We all know how hard it is to get one-day hundreds. It is a very difficult thing to do. He is doing it. I think he should definitely be in the team (for the World Cup). I cannot remember a one-dayer I've played in where he hasn't got runs. He is our number one choice."
Betting advice
Strauss is not a bad player by any means. He is in form at the moment in the series against Pakistan and there is a very good chance that he'll get another century in one of the three remaining one-day international games. Have a punt on him doing so.
England will be enjoying the dominant position over Pakistan that isn't always a luxury. The side is 2-0 up at the moment so get your bets on an England series win before the odds shorten even further. However, individual bets may be the better option because all of the value in backing England has now evaporated.
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