PlanetCricket
Bot
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2010
Article by swacker -
Monty Panesar has been a valuable addition to the England set-up since his return to the side, but Andy Flower decided to go for Tim Bresnan instead for the second Test in Sri Lanka. I would have to question this decison though, agreeing with Mahela Jayawardene that the left-arm orthodox?is a ‘victor’ that could perform a key role for the tourists. Certainly his fielding skills are lacking and his drop of Jayawardene in Galle proved expensive as it could have led to a largely different match. However, I consider that the environment on this?pitches?are really calling for two ‘genuine’ spinners.
Graeme Swann is the obvious first selection, and then I see no reason why Monty Panesar shouldn’t join him as a variable spin option. While I am not a fan of Samit Patel, I am also not surprised about his return to the national side, but I see him as a limited overs option, not as someone for the longer format. He is helpful in the shorter format, holding up an end with the ball with his straight line, while he also offers runs with the bat. However, he is not strong enough in either discipline to be playing Test cricket, and then there is his fitness which needs to be brought into question.
Patel averages 38.14 with the ball in first-class cricket though and this means he doesn’t make the grade as an England bowler. I can understand the idea of using him as a fifth bowler in this attack, but not on this surface. It was good enough for the first match (even though I would have recommended Bopara in that instance) as we had two genuine spinners, but now he is with Swann, and now he has a role with the ball. I consider that he should have been the player to make way for Bresnan rather than Panesar, who offers a much greater menace to Sri Lanka’s batsmen.
In my opinion, I think that Andy Flower has made a blunder in leaving out the Sussex left-armer. I believe he offers another element to England’s attack, with a nice variation from Graeme Swann, which allows the two to bowl when required. This is critical in the sub-continent, with the temperature meaning that the spinners must be used successfully in order to permit the seamers to rest. However, I don’t believe Patel can offer that option. He may be able to keep the runs down, as he had done in Colombo hitherto (going for 32 runs from 16 overs), but England can’t allow to let the batsmen settle like this.
They need bowlers who could break the partnerships before they start. It is regularly said that the hardest time for batsmen is the early part of their innings on the sub-continent, and if they can survive through that period then the runs start to flow without difficulty. So in that respect, while Patel may hold up an end, keeping the runs down equally Sri Lanka’s batsmen will become more confident with each over that passes as he poses little menace in terms of wickets. Panesar perhaps offers a much better opportunity of taking wickets, and at least putting more pressure on the hosts rather than letting them to settle into their innings.
More...
Monty Panesar has been a valuable addition to the England set-up since his return to the side, but Andy Flower decided to go for Tim Bresnan instead for the second Test in Sri Lanka. I would have to question this decison though, agreeing with Mahela Jayawardene that the left-arm orthodox?is a ‘victor’ that could perform a key role for the tourists. Certainly his fielding skills are lacking and his drop of Jayawardene in Galle proved expensive as it could have led to a largely different match. However, I consider that the environment on this?pitches?are really calling for two ‘genuine’ spinners.
Graeme Swann is the obvious first selection, and then I see no reason why Monty Panesar shouldn’t join him as a variable spin option. While I am not a fan of Samit Patel, I am also not surprised about his return to the national side, but I see him as a limited overs option, not as someone for the longer format. He is helpful in the shorter format, holding up an end with the ball with his straight line, while he also offers runs with the bat. However, he is not strong enough in either discipline to be playing Test cricket, and then there is his fitness which needs to be brought into question.
Patel averages 38.14 with the ball in first-class cricket though and this means he doesn’t make the grade as an England bowler. I can understand the idea of using him as a fifth bowler in this attack, but not on this surface. It was good enough for the first match (even though I would have recommended Bopara in that instance) as we had two genuine spinners, but now he is with Swann, and now he has a role with the ball. I consider that he should have been the player to make way for Bresnan rather than Panesar, who offers a much greater menace to Sri Lanka’s batsmen.
In my opinion, I think that Andy Flower has made a blunder in leaving out the Sussex left-armer. I believe he offers another element to England’s attack, with a nice variation from Graeme Swann, which allows the two to bowl when required. This is critical in the sub-continent, with the temperature meaning that the spinners must be used successfully in order to permit the seamers to rest. However, I don’t believe Patel can offer that option. He may be able to keep the runs down, as he had done in Colombo hitherto (going for 32 runs from 16 overs), but England can’t allow to let the batsmen settle like this.
They need bowlers who could break the partnerships before they start. It is regularly said that the hardest time for batsmen is the early part of their innings on the sub-continent, and if they can survive through that period then the runs start to flow without difficulty. So in that respect, while Patel may hold up an end, keeping the runs down equally Sri Lanka’s batsmen will become more confident with each over that passes as he poses little menace in terms of wickets. Panesar perhaps offers a much better opportunity of taking wickets, and at least putting more pressure on the hosts rather than letting them to settle into their innings.
More...
