England in Sri Lanka

[RoboRocks]

I would be keen for Vaughan to open since he has done it before and it will be good to add either Shah or Bopara in the team.

So I would go...

Cook
Vaughan
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Shah
Prior
Swann
Sidebottom
Anderson
Panesar

Reserves:

Bopara
Hoggard
Ambrose
Rashid

 

[wolf]

Well seeing as everyone else is...I will pick my team.

First X1

Vaughan (c)
Cook
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Prior
Swann
Sidebottom
Hoggard
Anderson

Reserves

Bopara
Read
Panesar
Harmision

It was a tough choice between Anderson and Panesar for me, but I just love Jimmy too much to drop him.

EDIT: On second thoughts I would play Panesar, not decided who for though.

 

[Sureshot]

England squad announced tomorrow just before noon (1130AM). I'm quite looking forward to it, squads under Moores seems so much less predictable than under Fletcher.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/7050248.stm

Strauss dropped, Ravi and Shah in.

More to come...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/7050248.stm

England squad: Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Phil Mustard (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Matt Prior (Sussex), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire).

So we have a 15 man squad. I believe Harmison is called up if he can prove his fitness (not sure on that tbh)

What's your team?

Vaughan (C)
Cook
Bell
KP
Colly
Shah
Prior
Swann
Sidebottom
Panesar
Anderson

So that's leave Hoggard, Mustard, Bopara and Broad out. Only change I might make would be Bopara for Shah, but I'd play Shah due to him playing spin well. Will need Colly to roll his arm. If we don't play 2 spinners then Broad comes in for Swann.

 

[RoboRocks]

We will need 2 spinners Sureshot no doubt.

Pretty much what I would of thought but surpised by Mustard's inclusion in the squad.

Good to see Shah and Ravi given a chance at test level.

I doubt Harmison will get in since we have enough good bowlers here and Harmison has still much to prove regarding form and fitness.

 

[wolf]

England squad:

Batters

Michael Vaughan (captain)
Ian Bell
Ravi Bopara
Paul Collingwood
Alastair Cook
Kevin Pietersen
Owais Shah

Keepers

Phil Mustard
Matt Prior

Bowlers

James Anderson
Stuart Broad
Matthew Hoggard
Monty Panesar
Ryan Sidebottom
Graeme Swann
Steve Harmision*

*subject to proving his fitness when playing first class cricket in South Africa

It has also been confirmed Vaughan will open and Prior will be the first choice wicket keeper.

So it looks like a straight choice between Bopara and Shah for the final batting slot. I doubt any one of the bowlers is a guaranteed pick.

 

[hollandcricket]

I think Strauss should be in that squad instead of Phil Mustard. He didn't preform well enough with bat and gloves in the ODI's to get the nod for the Tests ahead of Straussy, I believe.

(Btw, did Strauss get his Central Contract when P. Moores was already in charge?)

Anyway, my team would be:

Cook
Vaughan (c)
Bell
KP
Collingwood
Shah
Prior (wk)
Swann/Hoggard
Sidebottom (/if fit, Harmy)
Monty
Anderson

If Strauss was included, I'd play him for Shah, opening the batting with Cook. Vaughan will then be number 3, with Bell at 6 like he did against Pakistan.

 

[Sureshot]

Sidebottom is a guaranteed pick as a bowler, best bowler.

Strauss?

I was surprised that he got a central contract, but he shouldn't be in the side. In awful form, not suited to Sub-continent in the slightest.

 

[lancashire666]

i think it comes down to the fact that if strauss playes then he is going to open with cook, and they are defo going to play vaughan, KP, collingwood and bell as well as a keeper (obviously) so the team is picked to number 7 and that means that they wont play 2 spinners as they wont go into a game with only 2 main seamers because if hoggards gets injured again they are in big trouble.

if they open with vaughan insted it frees up an extra place so they could play swann and panesar as well as 3 seamers because if they play broad and swann they are both pretty useful with the bat as well.

My Team on a spinning pitch

Cook
Vaughan (c)
KP
Collingwood
Bell
Prior (K)
Swann
Broad
Sidebottom
Anderson
Panesar


My team on non-spinning pitch

Cook
Vaughan (C)
KP
Collingwood
Bell
Shah
Prior (K)
Broad
Sidebottom
Anderson
Panesar

 

[Leicester Fox]

I wouldn't say sidebums our best bowler, lets not forget Hoggy so fast who's been consistently in the top 10 in the world for the past 3 or 4 years and has just had 1 summer off through injury and obviously doesn't play ODI's. My team:
Cook
vaughan
Bell
KP
Colly
Shah
Mustard (WK)
Broad/Swann
Sidebum
Hoggy
Monty

 

[Sureshot]

Mustard? Nah, he didn't show enough in the 5 games imo. And I would say Sidebottom is a better bowler than Hoggard, I think Sidebottom is excellent in pretty much any situation.

 

[Animator!]

Problem is you can't really play Hoggard and Sidebottom because their two similar types of bowlers, But I'd play 2 spinners whatever if I'm honest.

Same side as SS had for me tbh.

Picking Mustard is a waste, since he, Ambrose and Davies were in the performance squad going to India and the selectors said if Prior was injured they could call them up from India.

 

[lancashire666]

Problem is you can't really play Hoggard and Sidebottom because their two similar types of bowlers

apart from one is a left arm bowler and one is a right arm bowler.

i think you can play them both as the different arm give them different angles of attack, i think england wouldnt play 2 spinners and only 2 seamers so with 3 seamers in the team id be quite happy to see hoggy and sidebottom both playing, especially in swinging conditions

 

[Animator!]

Yes, but Hoggard can swing the ball both ways as can Sidebottom, so the angles don't really change. It's the matter of having no pace in there.

 

[evertonfan]

Thank goodness they didn't call up Ramprakash. I'd have lost all faith in England's management had they done so.

I'm not picking a line up because I don't have the guts to drop either Sidebottom or Anderson nor do I have the guts to leave out Hoggard or Harmison. I'm glad i'm not Peter Moores.

 

[lancashire666]

i dont think harmison will be in the team for the first test as peter moores is probable thinking the same as you, id think he would go with anderson, sidebottom and hoggard first test