England selectors do it again

[chickenfeet]

The Pakistanis must be having a good chuckle this morning. The England selectors have pretty much picked the team that got comprehensively stuffed by Sri Lanka minus the one player, Dalrymple, who acquitted himself well. At least they had the sense to pick Panesar. I just don't get the logic though. If one has a string of seam bowlers who aren't really up to snuff the obvious answer is to play two spinners, if one has them, especially at Lord's. The England selectors seem totally locked into deciding the shape of the side without considering whether they have the players to play that way. I'm also wondering what on earth Chris Read has to do to get a test spot. If Jones playing at his usual dismal standard and Read scoring 150* in the 'A' game won't do it one assumes that Jones will get picked if they have to play him in a full body cast.

FWIW my XI would be Trescothick, Strauss, Key, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Dalrymple, Read, Hoggard, Panesar, Harmison with Mahmood for cover if Hoggard isn't fit.

The official XIII - Andrew Strauss (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Geraint Jones (wk), Liam Plunkett, Matthew Hoggard, Sajid Mahmood, Steve Harmison, Jon Lewis, Monty Panesar.

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Come the Old Trafford Test, shall I throw myself under Jones as he trots out, crying "Votes for Read"?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

You could hover over the pavilion on a cloud flashing thunderbolts and threatening divine retribution but I don't think you would change what passes for Duncan Fletcher's mind.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Must say too that I'm not sure what is going on in the 'A' game. England certainly don't seem bothered about winning it. Batting on on the last day with a 450+ lead is a bit off. The Pakistanis certainly seem to think they are taking the piss as Salman Butt is now bowling his 16th over.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Graveney's comments today? Apparently now the party line is that Jones is the better wicket keeper. They must do really good drugs at the ECB.