Dilemma for England when KP returns?

[Pup Clarke]

With just three more games before the start of the WC have England really got a settled top 5.Is Bell's place in the team starting to be questioned after having been told countless times he's looked "busy" at the crease by Nasser Hussain but not transformed into a substanional score?.When KP returns possibly for the three one day games he will most certainly bat at 3 or 4 thus making Bell or Strauss's place in the team uncertain.
Let's look at the candidates for the top 5 positions
Ed Joyce- After a poor start to the series his place and worth in the England side was starting to be questioned.The man bounced back with a 66 and then a magnificent 100 against the Aussies.He has most certainly booked his place to the Caribbean and probably in the first X1.

Ian Bell- With a succesion of 30s in the series so far,Bell now has to dig deep and produce a substanical innings to dispose questions of him batting at 3 and also his worth in the England team.He will go to the Caribbean but if he continious his "getting in and getting out" policy his place is going to come under huge threat when the WC starts.

Kevin Pietersen- The man is a special talent and is an automatic pick for number 3 or 4 depending really on the match situation.Can take the attack to the bowlers and his confidence (really arrogance) can transform England into life and the shots he plays make him such a dangerous player.His place is a certainty either at 3 or 4.

Michael Vaughan- England one day captain and he really is a fine one.However,his batting in the one day game is far from secure meaning that his average is only modest and with no hundreds it tells us he's not a player to get big scores and bat for a long time.He will play in the X1 at the WC really no matter how poor form he's in.

Andrew Strauss- A fine test match batsmen but his one day record in the last year has een very modest.Can open or bat at 4 which I think is his prefered position.He work the ball into the gaps in the middle overs thus having a greater strikerate than when he's opening.Far from a certain starter until today really and will probably not bat at 4 in the WC.

So what is the best combination to make use of the talents England have at their disposal.I would go with a top 5 in the three remaining one day games (if KP is fit) this is how it would line up IMO

Joyce
Vaughan
Pietersen
Strauss
Collingwood

and if KP wasn't fit

Joyce
Vaughan
Bell
Strauss
Collingwood

The problem really comes when the WC starts and KP is fit.They will really have to make some tough decisions like for instance dropping Bell if he fails to get runs now.I would like to see a top 5 at the WC consisting of

Joyce
Vaughan
Pietersen
Strauss
Collingwood

I'm now asking you what combination you would go for when KP returns.One of Joyce,Strauss or Bell will probably be dropped and who would it be in your eyes?.

 

[silentstriker]

I dont see how you can drop Joyce.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I dont see how you can drop Joyce.

I doubt he will but you never know with the England selectors like if he gets three poor scores from now he might not get a place in the first X1 at the WC.Bell IMO could be dropped if he keeps getting low scores and "nice" 30s.

 

[pup11]

Is it confirmed that KP is going to comeback for the finals or is it just a rumour. I really hope he makes it to the squad.

 

[silentstriker]

Is it confirmed that KP is going to comeback for the finals or is it just a rumour. I really hope he makes it to the squad.

I don't know. I mean obviously he is your best batsman atm, but if England are to make a respectable showing in the World Cup, they need KP at his best. Might not be a good idea to rush him from injury.

I'd let him go back to England and get some rest. This abortion of a series is way too long and pointless anyway.

 

[skipper]

Bell

Bell has carried most of the batting on his shoulders when everyone else failed. Dropping Bell would not be fair. It is when KP returns that Vaughan creates this problem. What is he doing in this line-up with being fit?

 

[Pup Clarke]

Bell has carried most of the batting on his shoulders when everyone else failed. Dropping Bell would not be fair.

It may seem harsh but Bell hasn't got a substaninal score in a while.He has to convert these "nice" 30s into big scores.And he certainly hasn't "carried most of the batting on his shoulders",Joyce has done that and Bell has to be grittier and more determined to do throw his wicket away when well set.When KP returns and if Joyce continous his good scores his place in the team will come under scrutiny.

 

[dass]

Bell scored a crucial 50 in the last match against Australia, what are you talking about? and he is averaging one of the highest for england in this series.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Bell scored a crucial 50 in the last match against Australia, what are you talking about? and he is averaging one of the highest for england in this series.

Mate,look at his top score.Joyce and Collingwood have both got hundreds in this series.Yes.I appreciate he got a good 50 in the recent match against the Aussies but he's not converting these starts into hundreds.And hundreds in one day games are so crucial.He might be averaging one of the highest in this series but that is no great feat so I think my claims that Bell might struggle to get in the WC X1 because of KP could be true.He's always looked good when he's batting in this series but he often gives it away in crucial situations like the dismissal agianst the Aussies when he got to 50.He really should have pushed on and made a hundred.And all I'm saying is his place may come under scrutiny.I'm not organising a campaign to drop Bell and say he's rubbish because he isn't.He just needs to kick on to be assursed of his place in the WC X1

 

[Jono]

Just drop Strauss, simple.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Just drop Strauss, simple.

Maybe but the selectors won't do this after his performance today.They'll now view it as because he has finally got runs,he'll be in the first X1 for the WC.

 

[Jono]

Maybe but the selectors won't do this after his performance today.They'll now view it as because he has finally got runs,he'll be in the first X1 for the WC.

Probably right, but its stupid.

Can't drop Joyce for his ton, Freddy for obvious reasons, and Vaughan because he's captain.

Bell, better ODI batsman anyway than Strauss, plus gun fielder.

Collingwood, much better ODI batsman than Strauss with more experience, best fielder in team and provides an important bowling option.

Dalrymple, shares bowling duties with Collingwood, and has shown to be pretty handly late in the order anyway. Plus his name is Dalrymple.

Only leaves Strauss, who doesn't add much more to the team bar his odd batting performance. Oh and his awesome call for a run when he pierces the field "Yeah yeah come on!" Other than that, he's pretty useless, particularly when you have KP replacing him.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

First instinct from me was to drop bell, then I realsied how much of tool i was being. How about we play with no wicketkeeper? Just four slips and one with gloves on?

 

[Jono]

Nixon's undroppable and you know it

 

[adharcric]

Drop Strauss.

Joyce-Vaughan-Bell-Pietersen-Collingwood-Flintoff-Dalrymple-tripe-Lewis-Panesar-Anderson

 

[Prince EWS]

As much as I actually rate him, I think Dalrymple might get the chop actually. He bats at 7 (or sometimes 8 below Nixon for reasons unbeknown to mankind) and only bowls a couple of over every match. Pretty useless role IMO - although I think he's better than that. Collingwood has lots of experience as England's finisher and did a good job of it so he'd probably drop back to 7. That'd leave:
Joyce-Vaughan-Bell-Pietersen-Strauss-Flintoff-Collingwood-Nixon-Lewis-Panesar-Anderson

Personally though, I'd just drop Strauss.

 

[adharcric]

Collingwood as the 5th bowling option (with little to no help) is pathetic.

 

[Prince EWS]

Collingwood as the 5th bowling option (with little to no help) is pathetic.

Dalrymple has only been bowling 2 or 3 overs anyway though, with Collingwood regularly getting through his ten. Personally I think Dalrymple should be bowling more, but the captain and/or selectors don't seem to rate his bowling much, and given the fact that he's batting 7 and 8, he could well get the chop. I'm sure that one of Pietersen, Vaughan and Bell could bowl 2 overs every game, which is what Dalrymple seems to be doing.

As I said, I'd drop Strauss instead, but I can see Dalrymple getting the chop.

 

[Prince EWS]

Fair enough. Take a look at the stats though - Dalrymple is averaging 5-6 overs per ODI thus far.

What about this series though? I think he bowled 10 overs in the first match, but hasn't bowled much at all since.

He was originally in the side during what was a mass-injury crisis - he batted 6 and was England's most reliable bowler, and hence bowled out his 10 every time. He has been bowling less and less though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I can't see Dalrymple getting the chop in all honesty, looks to be getting more proficient at that nudging/nurdling finisher role we need.

I think, of the main candidates, Strauss's position is looking the dodgiest (assuming Vaughan's knee/hamstring/hairline doesn't disintegrate before the WC) so he'd be the one to miss out when KP comes back in. Strauss will be first reserve batter tho, so I doubt Loye will even make the XV if Vaughan's fit.

How crap does Nixon have to be before the gets the chop, btw? 2-ball duck today & he shelled a (admittedly fairly sharp) chance from Fleming off Colly before Fleming had made too many. He didn't even react; the ball just hit his gloves before he moved them.