England 14 man squad for ICC trophy

[Richard]

In that case, who else among the batsmen can bowl? Certainly not Collingwood. Probably Ian Bell.

Bell, maybe, but I'm really glad he's not been picked, given how poor his one-day form has been this season.

Hammered? By a batting side 7 strong, yet too weak to hit a six? Or too weak or afraid to hit more than 3 boundaries in 7 overs? Or a Number 3 who pushes himself up to show his cold feet against pace? This is Harmison's best chance to prove himself as an ODI bowler. Given Brett Lee's success in ODI's, pace can bwe quite a handful when used well, so Harmison deserves more chances. Giles has struck form, but it has to be seen how long he can keep it up. Not much has been seen of Kabir Ali- you never know what to expect.

Giles hasn't struck form - he's played one ODI since last autumn!
I'm thoroughly confident that if Sri Lanka's batsmen play well, Harmison will go round the park against them, however weak or strong Dihan Avishka Gunawardene or Romesh Kaluwitharana are. Atapattu is much better placed at three in ODIs IMO.
Harmison has had one good ODI series in his entire career - otherwise he's gone for 5.5-an-over and the like.
Given his recent Test economy-rates, I'd back Sri Lanka to deal with him pretty well.

If a wicketkeeper can hold on to catches to dismiss Gilchrist, Hayden and Martyn, and even have Ponting stumped, that can give his team a very good chance of winning. Crucial catches, stumpings, runouts and singles can win matches, not just big innings, or loaded wicket-hauls. The best teams in ODI's are superior fielding sides.

Wicketkeepers are expected to do all. Doing so will not earn credit for changing a match. Not doing so will earn discredit for failing to.

 

[Arjun]

Wicketkeepers are expected to do all. Doing so will not earn credit for changing a match. Not doing so will earn discredit for failing to.

That does not seem to work with Rahul Dravid- even though his wicketkeeping, if that's what it is called, is getting worse with every match, a majority of fans and experts still think he is doing a good job! Even if you pick a wicketkeeper on his batting, he should be good enough to play as a specialist batsman. Otherwise there is no point. The wicketkeeper does not have to bat like a top-6 batsman. Even a bowler can bat, if you find one. The English side already has Flintoff, and there may be a few more. Fielding is what is needed to win a match- that extraordinary catch, that brilliant direct throw, sustained single-proof fielding, these can change a match- as they changed the course of the Asia Cup final.

 

[gio]

And IMO Harmison's sudden degredation in figures has rather more to do with a sudden improvent in batsmen's handling of him than any lowering in quality of the bowling.

Imho, the pitches have been so slow and low that Curtley Ambrose would find it difficult getting the ball above the stumps. At the pacier Old Trafford, Harmison took 4-44.

 

[PY]

Seriously Pete, burnout really is a mental thing, that's IMO demonstrated beyond all question by the infinately fewer overs bowled today than in the pre-2000 and pre-1967 years.
And IMO Harmison's sudden degredation in figures has rather more to do with a sudden improvent in batsmen's handling of him than any lowering in quality of the bowling.

I didn't say it was anything but mental burnout. I said nothing about physical burnout (except for possibly the reference to Trueman) but I am worried that he might get injured because his past is full of it.

I'm not saying that they should cotton wool him because we've seen what that's done to Anderson and Jones but surely a little rest in something which he is far from proved in wouldn't be too harmful.

However, he bowled really well in this Test which is a back-to-back so who knows why he bowled slightly average in first 3 Tests.