England test squad to tour Sri Lanka

[Salamuddin]

Just wondering, which players forum members would like to see in the England test squad for Sri Lanka ?

Of particular interest to me is who England will choose as their 2nd spin bowler......

 

[Pup Clarke]

Graeme Swann

 

[open365]

Meh, Swan's never going to be an international player but Rashid is miles of right now aswell so i guess it might aswell be Swan

 

[PhoenixFire]

Yeah I'd go with Swann, pretty good batsman as well.

 

[Pup Clarke]

No other real contenders apart from Rashid and Swann tbh.

 

[open365]

Tbh in previous seasons Swan has been probably about as useful a batsman as he was a spinner, something must have clicked this year with his bowling because he's taking a hell of a lot more wickets than he has before.

Rashid is worrying me atm, every time i look at the scorecard he's got runs but crap bowling figures. Really hope he isn't going to go the same way as Schofield.

 

[Pup Clarke]

If it's a 16 man squad...

Michael Vaughan (c)
Andrew Strauss
Kevin Pietersen
Alastair Cook
Ian Bell
Owais Shah
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Chris Read
Matt Prior
Graeme Swann
Monty Panesar
Matthew Hoggard
James Anderson
Steve Harmison/Chris Tremlett
Ryan Sidebottom

 

[iamdavid]

Rashid dosent appear to be anywhere near ready, but I get this sinking feeling they have him penciled in which would be very detrimental to his development.
I saw Swann bowl a couple of years ago and he looked like your stock-standard FC finger spinner, no better than Keedy, Blackwell, Daniel Cullen, Johan Botha, and the 50 others playing around the world... Hopefully he's improved a little but I dont see him having much impact were he to get a test.

I really dont see the point in picking another finger-spinner who you know will play a support role to Monty for 15 overs max a day in Sri Lanka, and likely not be seen again for a couple of years.
Really how big is the gap in ability between these guys and Pieterson/Vaughan ?

 

[Poker Boy]

I worry about pickiong Rashid, but when Swann is the alternative, you know there is problem. Will Rashid be any worse than Batty or Udal? If only Ashley Giles was fit....

 

[Zimdan]

Rashid has been bowling quite poorly towards the end of the english season.

I think taking him so quickly would be a bad decision.

 

[Prince EWS]

Keedy. For sure. And before someone (most likely Richard ) prances in here and tells me he's a "middling county bowler", take a look at his stats in the last 3 seasons. They make Monty look ordinary. How someone like Swann or Dalrymple could be ahead of him in the pecking order as a bowler is beyond me, unless they want the guy to bat #7.

 

[iamdavid]

How someone like Swann or Dalrymple could be ahead of him in the pecking order as a bowler is beyond me, unless they want the guy to bat #7.

Well whoever they pick is probably only going to play a little in this series, play a support role and look average doing it and then not be seen again until the next subcontinent tour, so might aswell be someone who can hold a bat.

But I agree on Dalrymple ....bowling....in tests....no way.

 

[Prince EWS]

Some stats I posted in another thread on the 13th. 10 days out of date now, but meh.

Monty Panesar
2007: 49 wickets @ 27.53
2006: 78 wickets @ 28.57
2005: 51 wickets @ 22.47

Gary Keedy
2007: 20 wickets @ 23.95
2006: 61 wickets @ 27.21
2005: 33 wickets @ 22.81

Adil Rashid
2007: 38 wickets @ 38.26
2006: 25 wickets @ 25.16

Gareth Batty
2007: 32 wickets @ 33.43
2006: 43 wickets @ 33.46
2005: 33 wickets @ 37.50

Graeme Swann
2007: 39 wickets @ 31.51
2006: 28 wickets @ 44.53
2005: 33 wickets @ 39.60

Shaun Udal
2007: 9 wickets @ 33.55
2006: 15 wickets @ 43.06
2005: 44 wickets @ 18.90

Robert Croft
2007: 29 wickets @ 41.86
2006: 66 wickets @ 32.00
2005: 43 wickets @ 49.62

James Tredwell
2007: 21 wickets @ 36.80
2006: 26 wickets @ 35.65
2005: 3 wickets @ 48.66

Ian Salisbury
2007: 9 wickets @ 70.44
2006: 62 wickets @ 27.93
2005: 7 wickets @ 51.28

Ian Blackwell
2007: 21 wickets @ 30.23
2006: 3 wickets @ 46.43
2005: 28 wickets @ 56.03

Richard Dawson
2007: 5 wickets @ 33.60
2006: 8 wickets @ 87.62
2005: 27 wickets @ 40.66

Alex Loudon
2007: 8 wickets @ 76.12
2006: 32 wickets @ 34.28
2005: 37 wickets @ 36.64

 

[PhoenixFire]

Hmm, Rashid has been taking wickets though, shame that they're at such a high average.

 

[Prince EWS]

Well whoever they pick is probably only going to play a little in this series, play a support role and look average doing it and then not be seen again until the next subcontinent tour, so might aswell be someone who can hold a bat.

But I agree on Dalrymple ....bowling....in tests....no way.

What if Panesar gets injured though? If you're picking a guy to bat #8, balance the side out and play alongside Panesar as a bowling allrounder, then I think you'll still need another spinner to be in the squad for depth in case Panesar gets injured, or your poor-man's Giles turns out to be completely dire.

I can see someone of Keedy's recent record being much more difficult to handle in the subcontinent than Ryan Sidebottom, and if the selectors opt for Flintoff at 6 again which I think they will, two spinners would be the way to go in most games IMO. If neither of them can bat, it poses a problem - especially if you're going to have Flintoff and Prior at 6 and 7 and Hoggard somewhere in the tail as well - but again I don't see how Keedy's batting is that much different to Sidebottom's...

 

[stumpski]

I would pick three spinners for the Sri Lanka leg, because we're probably going to want two in each Test, and you need some competition for places (and cover for a last-minute injury), and replace one of them with a seamer, probably Sidebottom, for New Zealand. We're not exactly spoilt for choice though, so few good homegrown tweakers under 30.

 

[aussie]

Vaughan
Strauss
Cook
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Flintoff
Shah/Bopara
Prior
Foster/Pothas
Hoggard
Harmison
Anderson
Panesar
Swann
Keedy

Will be interesting to see once all are fit which of Anderson/Tremlett/Sidebottom they will pick. I am presuming only one since based on selections of every sub-continent touring squad 3 spinners wil be picked so it just leaves one of those 3 quicks to be chosen & i'd go for Anderson.

With the spinners i am going for two county pro's instead of Rashid, he does seem like a wicket-taker has a great action when he saw him on TV, but he is too expensive. It doesn't make sense picking him just for experience since every member of the squad should have some use. With Swann you get a Giles like player & Keedy in case Panesar gets injured.

The keepers, the back-up should be a solid glovesman. Won't go back to Read again personally, would give Foster or even Pothas a shot.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Will be interesting to see once all are fit which of Anderson/Tremlett/Sidebottom they will pick.

Depends on what the ground conditions are like, if it's green and damp then probably Sidebottom or Anderson, if it's flat and dry, then Tremlett no doubt.

 

[stumpski]

I think I'd sooner take Tremlett than Harmison tbh, and not just because the Durham man has been ruled out for the rest of the season. Let him stay home for the winter and watch the footie, I gather that's what he'd rather be doing anyway.

 

[open365]

How on Earth did i forget Keedy?

Keedy and Panesar for the spinners spots.