The England Test squad for India is announced tomorrow

What would you like it to be and what will it actually be?

I'd have:

Strauss, Cook, KP, Bell, Bopara, Colly, Fred, Prior, Mark Davies, Topbottom, Harmy, Anderson, Rashid, Panesar.

I'd just as happily take Shah over Bopara but Ravi's had a far better season. They'll probably go with the above except swap Davies for Broad and Rashid for Patel.

I think it's about time Davies was given a go. He's had an injury free season and he's 27 - we're missing his prime bowling years.

I reckon they'll go with:

Pietersen (c), Strauss, Cook, Bell, Bopara, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior (wk), Broad, Sidebottom, Anderson, Harmison, Panesar, Swann.

I'd go with:

Pietersen (c), Cook, Bell, Shah, Bopara, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior (wk), Broad, Sidebottom, Anderson, Harmison, Panesar, Rashid.

Batsmen-

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
collingwood
Shah

Keepers/All rounders-

Prior
Foster
Flintoff
Patel

Fast bowlers-

Harmison
Anderson
Broad
Sidebottom

Spinner-

Panesar



Word is that Rashid wont be picked because they want to give him a bit more time. Shah is incredibly deserving of a spot and unlike Vaughan, Pietersen rates him as a player, and more importantly understands him as a character. Bopara misses out. Samit Patel is receiving rave reviews from all and sundry, and appears to be taking his game to the next level. I think he'll make the test squad.

We wont beat India by bowling them out with 2 specialist spinners. Australia and South Africa have shown that hitting India hard with pace is the way to go on their home tracks, so Patel gives the option of a top 6 batsman, plus the ability to bowl 10-15 overs a day of holding finger spin whilst the quicks try and ruffle India's feathers at the other end.

Trevor, where do you get your inside information from?

eowyn wrote:Trevor, where do you get your inside information from?

The papers...

Oh and Lara. Mark Davies? Not many green seaming wickets for a 76 mph bowler to exploit in India....

Mark Davies is the sort of bowler who should have been picked ahead of Darren Whatsisface for Headingley.

eowyn wrote:Trevor, where do you get your inside information from?

Ashley Giles has slept with everyone involved with English cricket, so there's plenty of sources who have picked up pillow talk information about England's plans.....

Henry wrote:

eowyn wrote:Trevor, where do you get your inside information from?

Ashley Giles has slept with everyone involved with English cricket, so there's plenty of sources who have picked up pillow talk information about England's plans.....

Ah, so you're currently getting it on with someone who has slept with Gilo? Gotcha

The papers...

Ok lets be honest- Don't we all?

Except for Lara, who gets her (his?) information from Steven Stubbings's brother.....

JKLever wrote:

eowyn wrote:Trevor, where do you get your inside information from?

The papers...

Oh and Lara. Mark Davies? Not many green seaming wickets for a 76 mph bowler to exploit in India....

Meh, he outbowls everybody at Durham and pretty much everyone in English cricket everytime he plays. His figures are ridiculously good and lack of pace never hindered McGrath or Pollock.

I would be interested to see Davies' home/away averages if anyone could find them.

Henry wrote:Kabir Ali is the sort of bowler who should have been picked ahead of Darren Whatsisface for Headingley.

Fixed

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:

JKLever wrote:

eowyn wrote:Trevor, where do you get your inside information from?

The papers...

Oh and Lara. Mark Davies? Not many green seaming wickets for a 76 mph bowler to exploit in India....

Meh, he outbowls everybody at Durham and pretty much everyone in English cricket everytime he plays. His figures are ridiculously good and lack of pace never hindered McGrath or Pollock.

I would be interested to see Davies' home/away averages if anyone could find them.

We're talking 76-78 mph - those two you mention were a lot faster than that.

He's a Mark Saggers, trash county players then he'd be biffed on the international stage. Have you even seen him bowl?

On tv before. Cant say i rember him bowling as slowly as 76. Sounds like roobish to me.

How tall is Davies?

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:On tv before. Cant say i rember him bowling as slowly as 76. Sounds like roobish to me.

I said 76-78

And embee, he's not a giant by any means...

Height was one of the means by which Pidge and Polly "got away" with bowling in the 130's ...

Davies is 6 foot 3 according to cricinfo. McGrath is 1.95m which is what, 6 foot 3?

I'd say Davies is over 80 mph for sure anyway.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote: McGrath is 1.95m which is what, 6 foot 3?

6'5"

JKLever wrote:

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:On tv before. Cant say i rember him bowling as slowly as 76. Sounds like roobish to me.

I said 76-78

And embee, he's not a giant by any means...

Low to mid 80's is nearer the mark.

In his dreams...

Whenever i've seen him on Sky he's been under 80

Bull. You'd have to be a geriatric ug to consistently bowl 76. There's no way you take 250 first class wickets at 21 bowling 76. FFS, Colly bowls faster.

It's true though - he's low 80s at best.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Bull. You'd have to be a geriatric ug to consistently bowl 76. There's no way you take 250 first class wickets at 21 bowling 76. FFS, Colly bowls faster.

unless you play against Derbyshire a lot

Cricinfo reckon it's a straight fight between Shah & Bopara for a batting place...

Wonder who will be captains favourite?

Augustus wrote:I reckon they'll go with:

Pietersen (c), Strauss, Cook, Bell, Bopara, Collingwood, Flintoff, Prior (wk), Broad, Sidebottom, Anderson, Harmison, Panesar, Swann.

That's exactly what they'll go with. Plus Ambrose as back up keeper.

Tough on Shah, who may well wait forever to get his Test career going, tough on Rashid, who has had a fruitful season and is probably, even at 20, more of Test bowler than Swanny will ever be, and tough on Wee Jimmy Foster who has had a good enough season to earn a place as at least the "other" keeper.

Strauss and Cook are lucky to make the tour too, having had some slim returns in recent series. Collingwood is only in on the back of one innings as well.

I'd love it if the new Pietersen era threw up a few wildcard picks, but the award of the central contracts seemed to indicate that England still believe - in spite of all evidence to the contrary - that they're pretty much on track with this bunch of players.