England’s (Provisional) Champions Trophy Squad

[TT Boy]

Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Michael Carberry, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Ed Joyce, Rob Key, Sajid Mahmood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Phil Mustard, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Darren Pattinson, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.

Squad will be cut into 15 in the coming weeks.

Thoughts?

 

[Goughy]

Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Michael Carberry, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Ed Joyce, Rob Key, Sajid Mahmood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Phil Mustard, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Darren Pattinson, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.

Squad will be cut into 15 in the coming weeks.

Thoughts?

That there is a lack of depth and quality in OD cricket in England as, without grabbing grandads, that is probbly close to the best available.

 

[Richard]

Always thought 30-man squads are a piece of innate stupidity.

Nowhere near that many is ever needed, it's not a compulsive thing anyway, and all it does is gives lots of false hope to a good few players, while also encouraging people to think tenuously about the odd few players who should be absolutely nowhere near selection (eg, James Tredwell).

 

[TT Boy]

Darren Pattinson’s ascent from part-time cricketer (full-time roofer) is either remarkable or is an apt illustration of how 'bad' county cricket is.

Anyone seen him bowl?

 

[Richard]

Darren Pattinson

Very, very interesting there.

Didn't even realise the guy was I$C$C-qualified to play for England (though he's legally qualified to work in the country as an EU-passport player or something, can't remember exact details).

He's also 29, so it wouldn't seem to make much sense to be doing what Raymond Illingworth did by forcing Andrew Symonds to make his mind up in 1995/96.

 

[Richard]

Darren Pattinson’s ascent from part-time cricketer (full-time roofer) is either remarkable or is an apt illustration of how 'bad' county cricket is.

Anyone seen him bowl?

Never actually seen him bowl, but have seen stills of his action and he looks far from the worst.

My first impressions is that his success over here is likely to say more about Australian strength than UK weakness - good bowlers who are almost exclusively confined to grade cricket aren't unheard of.

That said, if someone was going to go from grade (on merit) to international (on merit) level in 8 months, they'd have to have been something of a late developer. And unless Pattinson is, should he play international cricket he'd be embarrassed.

 

[TT Boy]

Very, very interesting there.

Didn't even realise the guy was I$C$C-qualified to play for England (though he's legally qualified to work in the country as an EU-passport player or something, can't remember exact details).

He's also 29, so it wouldn't seem to make much sense to be doing what Raymond Illingworth did by forcing Andrew Symonds to make his mind up in 1995/96.

Pattinson was born in Grimsby and his parents are both Northerners. Though, he speaks with an Aussie accent.

 

[Richard]

I was under the impression, though, that he'd lived in Australia most of his life, or at least for a long while.

And I didn't think you could just go back to the country of your birth having lived in another cricket-playing country for many years and instantly be qualified to play for them. I thought there had to be some form of residence qualification.

 

[vic_orthdox]

He was born in England, came over at the age of 5. Has a highly rated younger brother, who has played Aus U/19, who was born in Australia.

Pattinson was a bit of a late developer. Bowled a couple of seasons of real heat in grade cricket, and when a few quicks fell down for Victoria he filled in very well. Always does a good job when he plays for Victoria, probably the fact that he wasn't "anointed" from a young age means that they play a few others in front of him. Has also struggled with an ankle injury for the past season or two. Hits the deck hard and gets some away swing at times, pushes it up around 140.

 

[wpdavid]

Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Michael Carberry, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Ed Joyce, Rob Key, Sajid Mahmood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Phil Mustard, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Darren Pattinson, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.

Squad will be cut into 15 in the coming weeks.

Thoughts?

Clearly Miller & co haven't read the discussions on CW about Jonathan trott. Unless he's injured or otherwise engaged during the CT.

Surprised to see Saj & Liam in the frame.
And Panesar, actually.

 

[Manee]

The squad looks good. Pattinson is an interesting pick but with 26 wickets at 22.65 with an economy of 4.57 - the statistics point to a good bowler. By all reports, he is both accurate with the potential to crank it up which is also very good. Despite both a poor ODI and List A record, I believe that Simon Jones is a punt worth taking and that his philosophy of full, swing could be useful on what promises to be a tournament of flat pitches.

 

[open365]

Always thought 30-man squads are a piece of innate stupidity.

Nowhere near that many is ever needed, it's not a compulsive thing anyway, and all it does is gives lots of false hope to a good few players, while also encouraging people to think tenuously about the odd few players who should be absolutely nowhere near selection (eg, James Tredwell).

Yeh me too, there's not usualy any value in them as anyone 'unlucky' to miss out on a 30 man squad probably didn't have a hope of getting in the final 12 anyway.

Though holy **** how do they keep ignoring Trott.

Is he injured? Am I possibly missing his name from the 30? I can't see how Michael Carberry/Strauss/Joyce get in the squad but he misses out.

 

[Manee]

pushes it up around 140.

Must be noted that due to air pressure (or whatever), speed guns read higher in Australia (and generally in the Southern Hemisphere) than in Asia and so he may be closer to 130-135kph in the CT.

 

[Manee]

Always thought 30-man squads are a piece of innate stupidity.

Nowhere near that many is ever needed, it's not a compulsive thing anyway, and all it does is gives lots of false hope to a good few players, while also encouraging people to think tenuously about the odd few players who should be absolutely nowhere near selection (eg, James Tredwell).

I disagree. It lets people know where they stand and that is important in List A cricket when you can have several people who are held in similar esteem among peers.

 

[open365]

Must be noted that due to air pressure (or whatever), speed guns read higher in Australia (and generally in the Southern Hemisphere) than in Asia and so he may be closer to 130-135kph in the CT.

Is that a proven fact? I don't know much about speed guns et all, but that seems doubtfull to me.

 

[Richard]

Clearly Miller & co haven't read the discussions on CW about Jonathan trott. Unless he's injured or otherwise engaged during the CT.

Oh good God, hadn't even noticed that.

Samit Patel, Michael Carberry, Robert Key and Andrew Strauss (proven ODI failures both) ahead of Trott?

I guess at least we now know that they've decided for some stupid inexplicable reason that he's not being picked unless half the country goes down simualtaneously.

Surprised to see Saj & Liam in the frame.
And Panesar, actually.

I'm not, TBH.

 

[Richard]

I disagree. It lets people know where they stand and that is important in List A cricket when you can have several people who are held in similar esteem among peers.

Exactly, it puts people like Trott in the somewhat ****ty position of being told they're behind players who aren't fit to lace their boots.

And, in this day-and-age, probably means they're more likely to start signing for ICLs and that sort of crap. It's a stupid, stupid idea IMO.

 

[Manee]

Exactly, it puts people like Trott in the somewhat ****ty position of being told they're behind players who aren't fit to lace their boots.

Perhaps you think that, but the selectors may not.

 

[wpdavid]

Oh good God, hadn't even noticed that.

Samit Patel, Michael Carberry, Robert Key and Andrew Strauss (proven ODI failures both) ahead of Trott?

I guess at least we now know that they've decided for some stupid inexplicable reason that he's not being picked unless half the country goes down simualtaneously.

The other thing that strikes me about the batsmen listed is that the squad seems top heavy with guys who would bat in the top 3 (most of who in the top 2) with less options for the middle order.

 

[Manee]

Is that a proven fact? I don't know much about speed guns et all, but that seems doubtfull to me.

Not so much 'proven', but they do. Ishant timed 150kph in Australia and hasn't really got near there elsewhere, Noffke and Hilfenhaus were both said to time 140kph but in India, both bowled at 130kph.