*Official* England in West Indies

[TT Boy]

Can't believe Powell is still around, especially after he threw his toys out of the pram against New Zealand. He should have a worse test average than Mohammed Sami once this series is finished.

 

[superkingdave]

Hmm, so on the ECB website it shows the first match as a Three day match and the second as a third day first class match so i guess this will be a 13 a side affair tomorrow.

Hope to see Jimmy get amongst the wickets

 

[Manee]

Can't believe Powell is still around, especially after he threw his toys out of the pram against New Zealand. He should have a worse test average than Mohammed Sami once this series is finished.

And unlike Sami, he doesn't have the visible promise of extreme pace, nor statsitics blighted by extremely flat pitches. This is not to say that Sami wasn't an awful bowler, btw.

 

[Manee]

Windies squad for 1st test:

Chris Gayle (c)
Dale Richards
Devon Smith
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Xavier Marshall
Brendan Nash
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Denesh Ramdin (wk)
Amit Jaggernauth
Suliemann Benn
Jerome Taylor
Fidel Edwards
Darren Powell
Lional Baker

Ryan Hinds makes 240, averages 45 in regional cricket, bowls tidy left arm spin and yet he still can't make it. I hate our selectors.

Truly, what is this faith on Baker - is there some sort of potential that I am missing. He is pretty slow and has shown poor accuracy. In fact, the only thing going his way is an exemplary seam position and that certainly should not get you into a Test squad.

 

[TT Boy]

He went to school in Hackney, that is enough for me.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I wouldn't say that Baker has poor accuracy. When he's in rhythm he actually is pretty accurate. The problem is that at this stage in his career, the rhythm isn't consistent.

I like the look of that Test squad in general. Unfortunately I don't think anyone has truly put a hand up to replace Powell, hence his selection. Benn is a ridiculous selection though, as he shouldn't be too far from proving.

My team:

CH Gayle (c)
XM Marshall
RR Sarwan
S Chanderpaul
BP Nash
DS Smith
D Ramdin (wk)
JE Taylor
FH Edwards
DB Powell
AS Jaggernauth

You just know it's gonna be Benn for Jaggernauth and Smith opening though.

 

[Uppercut]

My team:

CH Gayle (c)
XM Marshall
RR Sarwan
S Chanderpaul
BP Nash
DS Smith
D Ramdin (wk)
JE Taylor
FH Edwards
DB Powell
AS Jaggernauth

You're in favour of moving Chanderpaul up the order? I think it's a good idea to keep him and Sarwan apart. Eggs in one basket type thing. Also, Xavier Marshall surely isn't an opener?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

You're in favour of moving Chanderpaul up the order? I think it's a good idea to keep him and Sarwan apart. Eggs in one basket type thing. Also, Xavier Marshall surely isn't an opener?

I'd prefer Xavier Marshall opening than Devon Smith. He didn't look half-bad when he had to do it against Australia last year. Dale Richards, I'm a fan of, but age definitely isn't on his side. He should have been picked a couple years ago. Still, he's a good player, so better late than never.

And Chanderpaul should be batting as high as possible. He's highly likely to be batting with the tail regardless of when he comes in. Might as well let him get some time in the middle when the going is a bit easier. Basically, Chanderpaul's use to the team should not be as a backup plan, if the top order fails.

 

[Uppercut]

I'd prefer Xavier Marshall opening than Devon Smith. He didn't look half-bad when he had to do it against Australia last year. Dale Richards, I'm a fan of, but age definitely isn't on his side. He should have been picked a couple years ago. Still, he's a good player, so better late than never.

And Chanderpaul should be batting as high as possible. He's highly likely to be batting with the tail regardless of when he comes in. Might as well let him get some time in the middle when the going is a bit easier. Basically, Chanderpaul's use to the team should not be as a backup plan, if the top order fails.

I didn't watch the innings against Australia, but i definitely wouldn't have him down as an opener from what I've seen. He plays so many back-foot drives on the off side it seems a clear recipe for disaster. Although obviously it doesn't always work like that, so if he's up for it and he's done it well before i suppose it's worth a shot.

The reservation about Chanderpaul is that they don't want to change anything- he's been batting superlatively at 5 for such a long time now. When your number 5 keeps getting stranded on 50 he's not who there's a problem with. Although Nash was impressive in NZ, so hopefully he can stick around a bit.

 

[Shoggz]

"England captain Andrew Strauss has chosen to revert to a traditional 11-a-side contest for the Caribbean tour opener. "

"Clearly, we haven't performed all that well in practice matches previously and I think one way to maybe encourage us to improve our performances is to treat each game like a proper game of cricket, so we will be playing 11-a-side in both warm-up games," said Strauss.

I'm liking Strauss as captain more and more. Let's hope he can inspire us to start winning consistently again!

 

[superkingdave]

AWTA, great decision...also interesting who gets to play. Possibly see KP rested for the first game along with Flintoff..meaning Bell and Shah get to duke it out and gives an opportunity for either a spin off or a seam off. Ideally we could play 3 seamers and give Swann the opportunity against Panesar but given that none of the seamers are considered definates...with Sidey coming back from injury the 4 will probably play with Broad at 7

Cook
Strauss*
Bell
Shah
Collingwood
Prior
Broad
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison
Panesar

Long tail but it is a warm up

Expect the second game should be a expected test XI

 

[garage flower]

Windies squad for 1st test:

Chris Gayle (c)
Dale Richards
Devon Smith
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Xavier Marshall
Brendan Nash
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Denesh Ramdin (wk)
Amit Jaggernauth
Suliemann Benn
Jerome Taylor
Fidel Edwards
Darren Powell
Lional Baker

Ryan Hinds makes 240, averages 45 in regional cricket, bowls tidy left arm spin and yet he still can't make it. I hate our selectors.

A somewhat curious selection. The treatment of Jaggernauth, in particular, has been odd, as is the continued faith in Benn, who just looks very ordinary to me.

I guess it's no bad thing that Roach isn't being rushed into the test team despite what appears to have been an impressive start to the season. As Mr M suggests, Powell is there pretty much by default as - short of fast-tracking Roach - there are no other obvious candidates. The fact that he's rubbish and unlikely to get any better should arguably carry more weight though.

The squad selection evidently happened a few hours too early for Ryan Hinds, but his double ton should at least impress upon the incumbents, the importance of performing in the first test. Is the selection of four (!!) specialist openers a bit much though? Do we know which one of them has been picked to bat in the middle order? More pertinently; do the selectors know?

 

[Beamer]

I think Marshall has been selected as a middle order batsman as Dyson only uses him as an opener in an emergency.

The selection of Powell and the non-selection of Ryan Hinds have taken the headlines in the Caribbean, but to me Baker and Benn are also mysterious selections.

Baker averages 50 in FC cricket, played a test without taking a wicket, seaming a ball or bowling above 140 kph. I really don't know what they see in him.

I agree that Benn looks insanely ordinary (he is being carted all around the ground by Morton as we speak), and while Jaggers has looked pretty ordinary this season, I pray that he plays ahead of Benn.

 

[Uppercut]

AWTA, great decision...also interesting who gets to play. Possibly see KP rested for the first game along with Flintoff..meaning Bell and Shah get to duke it out and gives an opportunity for either a spin off or a seam off. Ideally we could play 3 seamers and give Swann the opportunity against Panesar but given that none of the seamers are considered definates...with Sidey coming back from injury the 4 will probably play with Broad at 7

Cook
Strauss*
Bell
Shah
Collingwood
Prior
Broad
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison
Panesar

Long tail but it is a warm up

Expect the second game should be a expected test XI

Hmm I don't agree with your use of warm-up games. I'd give KP and Freddie a run-out for sure to make sure they get a bit of cricket in before the series starts. England's chances in any game have a lot to do with how they perform, getting them in condition is more important than which fourth seamer or spinner to choose.

The balance of the team doesn't really allow for Broad to be dropped, unfortunately. Ironic that playing one superlative all-rounder means they more or less have to play a distinctly average one. I think the attack looks a lot better with Graeme Swann doing the Broad role at 8 and Sidebottom, Anderson and Harmison making up the pace attack. But that's in the long run- given Monty's record against the Windies, it would be harsh to drop him now.

In any case, I don't think England can lose this one whoever they pick.

 

[roseboy64]

You're in favour of moving Chanderpaul up the order? I think it's a good idea to keep him and Sarwan apart. Eggs in one basket type thing. Also, Xavier Marshall surely isn't an opener?

Has opened for most of his career.

 

[Uppercut]

Has opened for most of his career.

Really? Hmm, interesting. Although that may be one reason he has such a modest record despite clearly being capable of so much more.

As i say, he plays very freely off the back foot outside off stump and for an opener that's not ideal. Not that this means it can't work- just that it doesn't look good on paper.

 

[Uppercut]

England's side for the warm-up game:

Andrew Strauss (capt)
Alastair Cook
Ian Bell
Kevin Pietersen
Owais Shah
Andrew Flintoff
Matt Prior (wk)
Adil Rashid
Steve Harmison
James Anderson
Monty Panesar

Owais Shah being given a chance to prove himself (i hope to god it's at the expense of Bell and not Colly). Could be the Middlesex influence coming through, but it's about time he got a shot anyway. Will be interesting to see how Rashid does too.

 

[roseboy64]

Really? Hmm, interesting. Although that may be one reason he has such a modest record despite clearly being capable of so much more.

As i say, he plays very freely off the back foot outside off stump and for an opener that's not ideal. Not that this means it can't work- just that it doesn't look good on paper.

Possibly why he was moved to the middle by Dyson and Gayle. Opening for Jamaica now though in the current FC match due to lack of options.

 

[Jigga988]

I wouldn't say that Baker has poor accuracy. When he's in rhythm he actually is pretty accurate. The problem is that at this stage in his career, the rhythm isn't consistent.

I like the look of that Test squad in general. Unfortunately I don't think anyone has truly put a hand up to replace Powell, hence his selection. Benn is a ridiculous selection though, as he shouldn't be too far from proving.

My team:

CH Gayle (c)
XM Marshall
RR Sarwan
S Chanderpaul
BP Nash
DS Smith
D Ramdin (wk)
JE Taylor
FH Edwards
DB Powell
AS Jaggernauth

You just know it's gonna be Benn for Jaggernauth and Smith opening though.

Really like this team, as long as you put Nash at 4 Chanders at 5 and Dev Smith at 6, dont see the point in unsettling our best player, despite the knowledge that he might do as well at 4 if not better, too much of a risk.

 

[Jigga988]

England's side for the warm-up game:

Andrew Strauss (capt)
Alastair Cook
Ian Bell
Kevin Pietersen
Owais Shah
Andrew Flintoff
Matt Prior (wk)
Adil Rashid
Steve Harmison
James Anderson
Monty Panesar

Owais Shah being given a chance to prove himself (i hope to god it's at the expense of Bell and not Colly). Could be the Middlesex influence coming through, but it's about time he got a shot anyway. Will be interesting to see how Rashid does too.

Strange how they give Rashid a shot instead of Swann despite Rashid not being a genuine pick for the test side, would've thought it would have been better for Swanny and Monty to duke it out.