The England Test squad for India is announced tomorrow

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

Wonder who will be captains favourite?

Wasn't that the picture just after Pietersen told Bopara he'd been cut from the final XI for the Oval Test?

He then dropped him from the ODI side.

Not sure about "favourites"...

Funny, I thought it was taken just after KP mentioned that 'if you want to do the captain special things Boppy, you may just get a place'...

Seriously though, always said it - not sure Bops is ready yet & although he has had a better season than Shah, his performances in SL still come to mind.

But if they go the five-bowler route they went with for the 4th SA Test, either Bops or Shah will be on drinks duty anyway, so the point may well be moot.

Why are you so sure Swann's in the Test squad? I always thought he was seen as a useful ODI option and nothing more. He's already lost his ODI place to Samit so I'd be quite surprised if he was the back up Test spinner tbh. I don't know how much inside info journalists get but Simon Wilde in the Sunday Times seems to be pretty sure it'll be Rashid and Bopara in the squad.

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.

Home 812.0 overs 107 wickets at 21.61 econ 2.84 s/r 45.53
Away 874.5 overs 116 wickets at 20.76 econ 2.75 s/r 45.25

He should get on the Lions tour.

Agree.

His fitness record may count against him, but he must have put together a fairly decent run of injury free, wicket-taking form over the last few months now.

MidnightCowboy wrote:

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.

Home 812.0 overs 107 wickets at 21.61 econ 2.84 s/r 45.53
Away 874.5 overs 116 wickets at 20.76 econ 2.75 s/r 45.25

He should get on the Lions tour.

Cheers MC. Shows he dominates everywhere, not just on the Durham wicket.

Yes because away from Durham in England, there be flat dustbowls...

Don't see what's wrong with Davies on a Lions tour. To quote his speed is dross, it's immaterial.

Lever, you've obviously got that picture in your favourites. Or wankbank as it's known.

Brass Monkey wrote:Don't see what's wrong with Davies on a Lions tour. To quote his speed is dross, it's immaterial.

Lever, you've obviously got that picture in your favourites. Or wankbank as it's known.

Or it was on the Cricinfo preview yesterday...

Squad announced...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7640043.stm


England squad: Kevin Pietersen (capt), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Tim Ambrose (wk), Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann.

Shah instead of Bops - fair enough imo and obviously a KP call

This is utter bullshoite though if someone other than the BBC reporter said this....

Essex's Bopara had a better season than his main rival Shah in first-class cricket - but Middlesex's Shah was selected because of his ability to bowl spin.

The squad seems about right. No real complaints from me.

JKLever wrote:Squad announced...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7640043.stm


England squad: Kevin Pietersen (capt), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Tim Ambrose (wk), Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Owais Shah, Graeme Swann.

Shah instead of Bops - fair enough imo and obviously a KP call

Definitely.
Swann as second spinner ahead of Patel, Rashid et al.
Makes sense I guess.

I think Bops is one of the better against spin in county cricket but Shah is probably one of the best 2 or 3 so it makes sense.

Biggest question is 1 or 2 spinners in the attack - was not overly impressed with Swanny in the Notts game.

Ollie Rayner? Er...why?

At least Joseph got some recognition though.

No surprises in the Test squad then really, bar the fact that in my opinion the selectors picked the right back up batter.

However I am absolutely gobsmacked that Ollie Raynor, who is no more than a club mediocre off-spinner is on a performance tour.

Fark me, they might aswell have picked Hamilton-Brown as an off-spinner in that touring side!

KP seems to have a lot of power for one new to the job. It's good that captains have a lot of input but it's always been asserted that Punter doesn't always get his way. And the fat Saffa obviously has to bow to quota priorities.

Yorkie Jill wrote:Ollie Rayner? Er...why?

31 wickets @ 33 is obviously enough to get you recognition these days...

England Performance Programme squad: Tim Bresnan, Mark Davies, Steven Davies, Joe Denly, Robbie Joseph, Robert Key, Amjad Khan, Sajid Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Moore, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ollie Rayner, Jonathan Trott

JKLever wrote:

Yorkie Jill wrote:Ollie Rayner? Er...why?

31 wickets @ 33 is obviously enough to get you recognition these days...

England Performance Programme squad: Tim Bresnan, Mark Davies, Steven Davies, Joe Denly, Robbie Joseph, Robert Key, Amjad Khan, Sajid Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Moore, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ollie Rayner, Jonathan Trott

I spot some Irish and Saffa blood there.

JKLever wrote:

Yorkie Jill wrote:Ollie Rayner? Er...why?

31 wickets @ 33 is obviously enough to get you recognition these days...

England Performance Programme squad: Tim Bresnan, Mark Davies, Steven Davies, Joe Denly, Robbie Joseph, Robert Key, Amjad Khan, Sajid Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Moore, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ollie Rayner, Jonathan Trott

Red wrote:

JKLever wrote:

Yorkie Jill wrote:Ollie Rayner? Er...why?

31 wickets @ 33 is obviously enough to get you recognition these days...

England Performance Programme squad: Tim Bresnan, Mark Davies, Steven Davies, Joe Denly, Robbie Joseph, Robert Key, Amjad Khan, Sajid Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Moore, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ollie Rayner, Jonathan Trott

I spot some Irish and Saffa blood there.

Yep, Khan, Mahmood and Rashid.

If we're talking purely in 'blood' terms then the 3 'saffers' have more english blood in them than they do saffer....

Be afraid.
Be very afraid.

I have always felt that the selectors ought to be pressed to insert a short explanation as to why they selected a particular individual so that others might begin to appreciate their way of thinking.

JKLever wrote:If we're talking purely in 'blood' terms then the 3 'saffers' have more english blood in them than they do saffer....

Since when does English blood dominate over Afrikaner. Malan was born in England when his parents were passing through. His father was an Afrikaner who played first class cricket in SA.