***Official*** West Indies in England

[aussie]

There's absolutely no chance whatsoever of Hoggard playing - just so's you know that.

As for the possibility of Vaughan and Bell both playing ahead of Bopara, well... I hardly see that that can be justified.

Well i did say who "i'd pick".

I think the selectors aren't totally convinced about Bopara as a test option. So with the obvious soft spot for Vaughan, plus i reckon Bell may be given one more chance.

 

[Richard]

I don't doubt for a second Bell will get another chance at some point, but they didn't give him it in West Indies (preferring Bopara) so you'd presume they won't do so again - doubly so given that Bopara made a century in the only innings he played in West Indies (albeit a lucky one that was mostly against utterly diabolical bowling).

Thus, right now, picking Bell ahead of Bopara would simply make no sense. Not that a decision making no sense has always stopped England selectors making it in the last couple of years, but still, you always hope for the best in every new case.

 

[wpdavid]

At least Bopara's getting a bat. Colly & Shah will be in interesting nick at Lord's. As someone said elsewhere, hats off to Broad, Anderson and, I think, Prior for not being available for IPL.

 

[four_or_six]

Are England having the usual 12-man squad or will it be bigger? What will we do if our reserve batsman would be Bopara, for example? Usually they just wouldn't be in the squad and you could call him up at the last minute if there was an injury, but being in South Africa I wonder if they'd pull him home just for the small possibility of that happening.

 

[GIMH]

I might be wrong, but when Flintoff has been out the spare man has normally been a bowler IIRC, and even when he's been included, Tremlett, Anderson, Hoggard spring to mind

The only batsmen I can think of who have been 12th man are ones who've been dropped basically, like Colly last summer

 

[four_or_six]

I might be wrong, but when Flintoff has been out the spare man has normally been a bowler IIRC, and even when he's been included, Tremlett, Anderson, Hoggard spring to mind

The only batsmen I can think of who have been 12th man are ones who've been dropped basically, like Colly last summer

Yeah, that's kind of why I was wondering. I assume it'll be a 12-man squad with a spare bowler. But if one of our batsmen get injured we won't have Bopara around to cover them cause he'll be in South Africa. So I was wondering if it will be a 13-man squad.

 

[GIMH]

TBH given the options available to us I'd be tempted to pick a 9 or 10 man squad

 

[Richard]

Yeah, England's team would be quite a bit higher up the international standings if cricket were 8-a-side rather than 11-a-side.

 

[Pothas]

Would it really? I'm not sure, think we have plenty of decent players but very few exceptional ones. Would think Sri Lanka and West Indies for example would benefit far more from making it an 8 a side game than England.

 

[Penguinissimo]

What an extraordinary squad for the first Test; no Vaughan, Bell, Shah or Harmy. In - Bopara, Bresnan, Onions

England squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann.

 

[Langeveldt]

Horrible, are England trying to lose this? Harmison has always caused the WI problems, and Vaughan has only hit a few 190's in his career.. That doesn't make him undroppable, but it certainly helps.. At least Mahmood hasn't had a look in

 

[Penguinissimo]

At least Mahmood hasn't had a look in

Ah, the silver lining...thank god for that.

I still think that if Vaughan scores packets for Yorks he'll get in for the Ashes.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Onions

Six months ago he wasn't even in Durham's first XI.

 

[Penguinissimo]

The interesting thing, thinking about this selection more, is that this squad screams "KP at 3" - I really don't think Bopara is going to be sent in at first drop. You could argue Bresnan deserves a spot, since he was pretty consistent last season, can hold a bat properly (useful when only playing five batsmen) and did well in the one-dayers he got picked for.

Well, it's a better argument than for Onions. My team prediction:

Strauss
Cook
KP
Colly
Bopara
Prior
Broad
Bresnan
Swann
Anderson
Panesar

 

[Uppercut]

Onions? Bahaha.

Better than Mahmood though.

 

[superkingdave]

We cannot play Panesar surely, would be an absolute joke. In abysmal form..if you want another spinner there are plenty of better candidates.

 

[Noble One]

Bresnan has come a long way from the bowler who was flayed to all parts by Sanath Jayasuriya.

What has changed about his game? I have read he has learnt to bowl a more consistant line and length. But what about some pure wicket taking deliveries?

I would imagine his selection doesn't go down well with many members of this forum.

 

[superkingdave]

Bresnan has come a long way from the bowler who was flayed to all parts by Sanath Jayasuriya.

What has changed about his game? I have read he has learnt to bowl a more consistant line and length. But what about some pure wicket taking deliveries?

I would imagine his selection doesn't go down well with many members of this forum.

Not too bothered about Bresnan, probably not going to be a long term success as a test match bowler,but has been decent for Yorkshire and should go alright if theres anything in the pitch. Onions though...

 

[Noble One]

Not too bothered about Bresnan, probably not going to be a long term success as a test match bowler,but has been decent for Yorkshire and should go alright if theres anything in the pitch. Onions though...

Onions hardly comes as a suprise. Pretty much been included in every England A / Lions tour over the previous 2-3 years. Selectors obviously like him, was just waiting for some form like he shown so far this season.

 

[wpdavid]

What an extraordinary squad for the first Test; no Vaughan, Bell, Shah or Harmy. In - Bopara, Bresnan, Onions

England squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann.

It certainly looks a batsman light: especially given KP & Bopara's lack of FC cricket and Colly's lack of any sort of cricket lately. Interesting approach to being unsure about which of Shah, Vaughan or Bell should play - pick an extra bowler instead.
Let's hope there isn't too much in the pitch when England bat.

Not that Vaughan has done nearly enough to demand a recall, depite what we're reading elsewhere. Nor Harmison, actually, whose record against WI since that tour of the Caribbean isn't as good as some would have us believe. And anyway, I'm absolutely fine that they're not being picked on the basis of what they did 5 years ago.

So what are we looking at? The top 6 picks itself, then Swann, Broad, Anderson, Bresnan/Onions and Panesar/which ever of Bresnan or Onions didn't get first nod.