Squad for the first Test against West Indies

[Ian J]

The squad for the first Test against the West Indies will be announced on Sunday. This will be the first team selected by Peter Moores and will be interesting as normally captain and coach have the final say but Michael Vaughan will be out injured.

Looking around at who's available and who's in form I can't really see that there will be many changes as no one is exactly setting the world alight in the early County Championship season but replacements will have to be found for Vaughan and Pietersen who are both out injured.

It would seem that the choice for captain is between Strauss and Colly and I would plump for the former as he's a known quantity and last time he did the job his batting actually improved.

Nixon is getting on a bit in cricketing terms but he's the man currently in the seat and he's one of the few players that didn't let the team down in the recent World Cup and I would retain him as wicket keeper.

Many would like to see Harmison dropped for letting us down recently but he's started the County season well and in my opinion leaving him out would be cutting off our noses to spite our faces.

I would also pick his county colleague Liam Plunkett as the final seamer as he has also started off the season well and outbowled his more illustrious team mate in the current game against Kent.

My 11 would be as follows with James Anderson as the standby bowler

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Collingwood
Bopara
Flintoff
Nixon
Plunkett
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

[Toon-man]

Is Pieterson out ???

[Speedoguy]

Originally Posted by Toon-man

Is Pieterson out ???

Touch and go mate - done his calf playing against Ireland on monday.If i was a betting man I'd say very doutbful.

Would like to see Stuart Broad given a chance if Plunkett/Anderson/Harmison don't show much in the openeing test or two as I think he is a massive talent and could prove to be a valuable to us as McGrath has been for the kangaroo chasers.

[Ian J]

I think that Stuart Broad is one for the future. I was listening to Paul Allot commentating the other day and he was saying that youngsters like Plunkett and Mahmood are still learning and should be learning their craft at county level by playing every week and not by being thrown to the lions at International level before they are ready.

Stuart Broad and Adil Rashid the 19 year old leg spinning wunderkid probably need at least one more season on the county circuit before making the big step up.

I'm afraid that despite forking out over £100 for a pair of tickets for the ODI against West Indies at Edgbaston I can't really get excited as they are hardly the big draw that they once were and although it was worth it in recent years to see Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Brian Lara playing, Chanderpaul and Sarwan don't quite have the same magical qualities.

[CFC1]

Without an in-form Vaughan and Trescothick, I can't envisage England getting a really big score. When was the last time for instance, that two, let alone three of our batsmen made big tons? Whilst on the other hand, I can't see any of our bowlers being a consistent threat in the series. They just lack potency ATM, and although Hoggard and Harmison have taken 6 or 7 wicket hauls in the past, I can't see that happening again... What's happened?

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by CFC1

I can't see any of our bowlers being a consistent threat in the series. They just lack potency ATM,

Oh ye of little faith

Harmison and Hoggard have been warming up well in County Cricket having both played a few games already and have each taken quite a few wickets. reports say that both are bowling well.

Plunkett is currently in the Durham side playing Kent and on a docile and slow pitch took five wickets yesterday including those of the South Africans Martin van Jaarsveld and Andrew Hall.

My guess is that England will whitewash West Indies as long as the weather doesn't interfere

[CFC1]

Originally Posted by Ian J

My guess is that England will whitewash West Indies

Huh! ... Post no. 6 well and truly flagged up to be revisited in due course!

[NWhiteley]

Whats wrong with Trescothick?
He has some big scores in county cricket already.

[CFC1]

Trescothick has ruled himself out of the first test at least, as he doesn't feel ready to get back to playing tests quite yet, after his "stress related" illness.

[wiz]

Wish they'ed bring back Joel Garner and Andy Roberts. They'er soon skittle those guys out

[scrapbook]

Has Flintoff got himself any runs since coming back from the WC?

I think I would prefer to see him at No 7 at the mo and with Bopara in your '11' as well it would be an additional excuse to do so.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by wiz

Wish they'ed bring back Joel Garner and Andy Roberts. They'er soon skittle those guys out

I think that most of the paying public would agree with you. I now pass away a few interesting evenings watching the West Indian greats on ESPN Classics.

I agree that Flintoff on recent forum isn't worthy of batting at 6 but I'm not sure that Paul Nixon is a 6 either

[wiz]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I think that most of the paying public would agree with you. I now pass away a few interesting evenings watching the West Indian greats on ESPN Classics.

I agree that Flintoff on recent forum isn't worthy of batting at 6 but I'm not sure that Paul Nixon is a 6 either

Forgot one M.Holding ( Rolls Royce of fast bowling)

[Ian J]

All of the speculation seems to be on the wicketkeeping position with the favourite according to the press being Matt Prior.

Prior's first class scores so far this season in five innings are an uninspiring 14, 3, 18, 4 and 35

Not only does Paul Nixon not deserve to be cast aside he also brings other dimensions to the game due to his chirpy nature and constant encouragement which could be very useful if we have to go into the Test with a stand in captain

[The Dude]

I haven't personally seen Bopara hit a ball yet... is he up for it?

What tools' he got in the bag?


I know about his knock against SriLanka, but is he gonna be doing that on a regular basis?