Thetownend.com

slow day at work, so...

AJ Strauss
AN Cook
OA Shah
KP Pietersen
IR Bell
A Flintoff (c)
CMW Read (wk)
SCJ Broad
RJ Sidebottom
SJ Jones
MS Panesar

A Strauss (c)
A Cook
O Shah
K Pietersen
I Bell
A Flintoff
J Foster (wk)
S Broad
R Sidebottom/ M Hoggard (Depending on fitness)
S Jones
M Panesar/ J Anderson (Depending on pitch conditions on the day)

Strauss is ten times the captain that Flintoff is. Not sure on the keeper, I kinda feel that if we need a keeper to bat at 6, it's Prior or bringing back Alec Stewart. If Prior keeps we can afford to drop Broad for a better bowler. Tricky one this.

   I've been giving this a deal of thought, and we really are up shit creek without a paddle.  The whole structure of the 1st class game means it's riddled with overseas players, a bit like the football, only worse.  Take Somerset riding high in LV, but besides Tresco not a player capable of stepping up outside of Kieswetter and De Bruyn, both Saffas.

  You can swap a Vaughan for a Shah or Boparda, but they wont be good enough either.

  How many ineligible players take part in the Aussie state games or the SA equivalent, wouldn't have thought too many.

this will be the team.

A Strauss
A Cook
Vaughan (C)
K Pietersen
I Bell
P Collingwood
A Flintoff
Ambrose
S Broad / Panesar
R Sidebottom
J Anderson

Edgbaston is traditionally a swinging pitch for the first couple of days and then a bit of turn for the spinners in the last two days. I don't think Anderson should be dropped, he's done nothing wrong in the last two tests. Broad has put in a good showing with the bat, but he's just not effective as a bowler at the moment, I'm going for a wild one and say we bring in Mahmood for Broad. Close one between Sidebottom and Jones, but I think Sidey edges it.

Strauss (c)
Cook
Shah
Pieterson
Bell
Flintoff
Prior
Sidebottom
Anderson
Panesar
Mahmood

Ville Valo: No way will we play four bowlers with Broad and Flintoff, that's a disaster wating to happen.

  Of the available swing bowlers....based on last season and this so far, Kabir Ali is probably as good as any, he had a test in 03, a bit like Sidey, is now a better bowler.

  Th last time a test was played here 2 years ago Liam Plunkett took most wickets for England.

 I think we should just pick the 05 foursome.

is vaughn injured then?

No, he's just getting a lot of flack for his form.

To be fair, the first three times he got out in this series have all been to excellent balls, but still.

The only changes I'll do is Foster for Ambrose, and Sidebottom in for the Aussie. If Sidebottom doesn't make it, bring back Hoggard.

The last test was virtually decided by the toss of the coin, due to the fact the overhead conditions disappeared as soon as we came out to bowl after tea on the first day, which turned into batting conditions for the next two days...so no need to panic.

i wouldnt get rid of vaughan so hastily.

I'd just play Sidebottom for Pattinson, and as for a wicketkeeper they're all much of a muchness in what they bring in their game, the outside chance of a decent bat and capability with the gloves.

Just had a look at the bowling averages and for everyone's moaning about Pattinson, some of the bowlers who we are told are having good seasons and are close to being named in the starting XI (Plunkett, Mahmood, Tremlett) aren't the ones with the best stats this season. Although only stats Hoggard/Harmison/Jones (especially) are the ones with the better stats - Jones has 32 wickets at just over 16 (Div 2 mind you). So if you are looking to put another bowler in, I'd pick from those 3 - those in form. The others maybe in good form for them, but they still aren't good enough (yet) - Mahmood will never be.

This is England were talking about. The selectors always go for the disaster option.
(I don't want this team either)

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
KP
Bell
Freddie
Ambrose
Broad
Hoggard(if Sidey is not fit.)
Harmison
Panesar

strauss
cook
vaughan
pietersen
bell
collingwood
flintoff
ambrose

that's the top 8 that makes sense and isn't some knee-jerk reaction, which most of the teams in this thread are.

then panesar

which leaves you needing two seamer - sidebottom will definitely be one if fit.

broad's scoring runs but not taking wickets and anderson hasn't been reliable enough.

shame onions is injured.

so i'd probably say hoggard

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you're the cricketing oracle and nobody's allowed a different opinion to you.

 I thought most people's picks were fairly restrained....apart from the odd tweek here and there, nobody has called for wholesale changes.  Bring back the halcyon days of teh late 80's early 90's when we could have 3 different captains in a series, one of whom Chris Cowdrey, only got in because he was the Chairman of Selectors godson.

i didn't say they weren't, just that some of those selection are quite obviously knee-jerk - chris read a proven failure at the top level and scattergun sajid mahmood who has been comfortably outperformed by darren pattinson this year, for starters

but you said the top 8 were knee jerk reactions

Quite sad to see Pattinson hung out to dry by Vaughan in the papers today. Why not give something in the way of an explanation as to why he was picked? Bad captaincy there.

 Think Vaughan is trying to hang the selectors out to dry.

  The Graveney era now looks like some sort of golden age.

I haven't liked Michael Vaughan ever since he started talking about himself in the 3rd person.

Plunkett having a good chuck in the T20 1/4 final...

His first over was a funny one - although typical of Twenty20. His first ball was a good'un.

Again, why didn't I go to this? Traffic around Chester-le-Street was chock-a-block! Would've missed a fair chunk of Durham's innings. Still, Boo.

considering how badly we've bowled it would be a tad risky to drop a bowler for collingwood wouldnt it?

Onions cant get in the Durham team even when he is fit, because Harmisson, Pollock and Plunkett are all better than him. As for Vaughan, I think its time for a new captain. England are lacking direction.

Strauss
Cook
Shah
Pieterson
Bell
Flintoff (c)
Mustard
Broad
Sidebottom
Panesar
Harmisson

errr..... onions can get in durham's team when he's fit.

shame he hasn't been because he's outperformed harmison, plunkett et al (pollock doesn't even play championship cricket) as he always has done and always will do: http://stats.cricinfo.com/durham/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?class=4;id=2008;team=975;type=season

no surprise with the squad then, aside from harmison maybe. i'm happy with that but i'm sure boeta will disagree...

MP Vaughan (capt, Yorkshire), AN Cook (Essex), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), A Flintoff (Lancashire), TR Ambrose (wkt, Warwickshire), SCJ Broad (Nottinghamshire), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), SJ Harmison (Durham), JM Anderson (Lancashire), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire).

Harmison back in the fold again. Great.

Good squad....Harmo should be in that Western really,The good,the bad or downright ugly!...lets hope he comes back hungry.

hahaha makes me laugh all the people slagging off patterson, saying 'ooooh he shouldnt play, hes not really english'. hes more english thank pietersen ffs, and no-one says anything about him anymore

pietersen's mum is english and he came here with the sole intention of playing international cricket for england - he played county cricket until he qualified for notts and hampshire.

patterson has played half a season in english cricket and gets a bizarre call-up ahead of more experienced and arguably more talented players. according to his father, he just wanted to play international cricket...fair enough, but it's not as if he's likely to have much affinity with a country he barely knew and a cricketing nation he's had scant involvement with.

i don't think the two are particularly similar at all. strauss is south african born, if he'd chosen to play for south africa that would be a more accurate comparison.

personally i don't give a fuck if someone is english or not so long as they're good enough, professional enough and dedicated enough.

i think if he'd have taken 10 wickets in the match then none of this hoo-ha would have happened, at least not to the extent it has

that's not the point though is it?

This team selection is the one that should have happened before Headingley.I still think Geoff Miller needed his roof tiled and thats why he picked Pattinson ;)

Harmison has played well enough in county cricket to warrant a recall,and if he had played in yorkshire he probably would have been blamed for englands top order batsmen not getting any runs instead of Pattinson.Surely changes should be made in that top order?I mean i watched Shah play a suberb innings in the 20/20 final last night,of course its much different to test stuff,but it seems as if changes to the batting line up aren't even considered.Virgils lack of form is the issue i guess,he's in the team as captain not for his runs,just hope he starts getting some soon.....but then been saying that for a long time.

its a bit of a puzzle why shah doesnt play more for england. its not as if he's ever majorly let england down consistently, that i can think of

For some reason the selectors don't seem to like Owais Shah,with regards to test match cricket.
Remember the winter tour to Sri Lanka? Shah was crying out to be picked at Number 6,but they
went for the flavour of the month,Ravi Bopara.The predictable result was that Bopara failed and
the tail went down like a deck of cards.Bopara is a good 1 day player,but Shah has the quality to
make it in the test arena,if given the time.It reminds me of the Chris Read situation,class keeper,
but for some reason his face did not fit.

Ambrose worries me,but the selectors to save face,seem to want to stick by him come what may.
His glove work is average and he flatters to deceive with his batting.Under pressure i'd suggest in
thursdays test.

bopara was picked too early, shah has been harsly dealt with

chris read has had plenty of chances but cannot bat at the top level

ambrose is a very good keeper and a good bat. the best fit between keeping and batting ability that england have

One of the problems is that most of the candidates for the wicketkeeping role, are all much of a

muchness.They all have their faults,either with their batting or keeping.Ambrose's keeping this

summer has been pretty average and he's had one good innnings in the home series with NZ.

If he wants to cement his place,then he's going to have to up his game.

I'm pretty sure i've said this earlier, Ambrose will be stuck with, hopefully he'll get some runs this week in Birmingham.

Boeta: Chris Read didn't have plenty of chances - the way he was dropped for the last Ashes tour for Jones, after scoring some runs in the previous home series was disgraceful - his 2nd chance (his first when he was 19) but his face didn't fit. Not to say he is good enough for England just think he wasn't given a fair crack - unlike GI Jones himself.

holy shit. i agree!

bopara needs a few more years under his belt, definitely one for the future in the ODI arena at any rate. the constant overlooking of shah baffles me - why doesn't he get picked? what's he done wrong? it'll be interesting to see if he gets picked for the india tour.

  So Harmy and Broad not selected, only 4 bowlers 3 of whom have recent dodgy injury probs. We'd better win the toss.

Wasn't Pietersen actually born in England too? I swear he lived her until he was 7 or something?

You're right, that is if Pietermaritzburg's in England.

No real surprise to see Harmison left out,given the conditions,state of the pitch etc
and his record at Edgbaston.Just hope that Sidebottom has fully recovered.

Am I the only one happy that Collingwood is back?

Just north of Kettering, i believe

I like Collingwood.

And I am enjoying all this Shah love too. I have always said he should open for the one day side because as well as being able to manuevre (sp?) the ball, he can hit it a long way too, 75 off 35 the other night wasn't it? Boom.

And I think Podgy Luke Wright would be good at 6 in the "Afridi" slot.

Colly should do well at Edgbaston, both with the bat and the ball.

Batting wise he should sure up the middle order a bit and bowling wise his medium paced swing could catch out a few of the Saffas.

Four man bowling attack including recently recovered Flintoff, recently recovered Sidebottom and patchy Anderson. This is going to go very wrong, or very right.