Four weeks to go to the first test

[Occasional Fan]

Yes, that's all it is.

Any ideas where we can find eleven cricketers in that time?

Changed thread title: the first test against West Indies starts on 17 May at Lord's.

[Richard Jenkins]

try looking in the pub

[Ernest]

"White Coppice" have 11 English players I believe.

[sambino239]

My team
Strauss
Cook
Vaughan(c)
Pieterson
Bell
Collingwood
Bopara
Reid
Hoggy
Mahmood/Anderson
Monty

Freddie needs a good rest so Bopra and Colly can fill his position with the ball. Harmison needs to prove himself before coming back. Reid Deserves a decent crack with full support at this level and if he fails after this move on to a younger keeper although Nixon has been a bright spot he is to old to be making his test debut

[EllN]

My team for the first test against the west indies

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Bell
Pietersen
Flintoff
Nixon
Plunkett
Broad
Plunkett
Panasar

No Collingwood because the man i think does not possies the talent, even though he contains a few good preformances, I would rather see Bell some one who may not yet totally shown potential (Apart from against a weak Pakistani bowling attack), walk out to the crease, also a valid partner of pietersen, possible opener, and lower middle order sheperd for the tail. Plunkett and Broad are both wicket takers and Plunkett should be able to control the red ball far better and possess more wicket taking delivery's than Mahmood

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by EllN

Plunkett
Broad
Plunkett

You've gone for double Plunkett when England wouldn't even pick a single Plunkett in the World Cup!!

I'm inclined to go more for Sambino's team:

Strauss
Cook
Pietersen
Bell
Vaughan(c)
Collingwood
Bopara
Foster
Plunkett
Hoggy
Monty

but with Foster over Read and Plunkett over Mahmood. Obviously, Flintoff would be in there for Bopara under normal circumstances, but Fred needs a rest. He's not looked 'there' at this world cup, and I think that could be symptomatic of playing pretty much without a proper decent break for 6 months. Give the guy a break!

I honestry don't think there's much else you can do, although the team I've gone for only has 3 proper bowlers, which is probably insufficient in test cricket

[pie_chucker]

Originally Posted by EllN

My team for the first test against the west indies

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Bell
Pietersen
Flintoff
Nixon
Plunkett
Broad
Plunkett
Panasar

You've selected Plunkett twice! (sorry, Andy beat me to it!)

Broad is no where near ready to being selected and it would be folly to do so. Our pace bowling attack of Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Jones (if fit) is one of the best, if not the the best around, and if fit and in form these have to play. We have to be careful we dont start changing things for the sake of it.

At the moment the likes of Plunkett, Broad and Mahmood are not yet good enough or have enough experience to play test cricket.

If Vaughan plays then I would drop Bell and keep Colly.

If we rest Flintoff then play Bopara and then him and Colly should be able to bowl 10-20 overs if needed and Hoggard, Harmison, Jones and Panesar can do the rest of the bowling.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by pie_chucker

If we rest Flintoff then play Bopara and then him and Colly should be able to bowl 10-20 overs if needed and Hoggard, Harmison, Jones and Panesar can do the rest of the bowling.

We are talking Test cricket here - I would drop Flintoff from PJ cricket - but Colly and Bopara in any for of cricket would not make up for the loss of Flintoff.

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

Yes, that's all it is.

Any ideas where we can find eleven cricketers in that time?

No problem. Hire a large bus and do a 3 week tour of South Africa, picking up cricketers disgruntled with their quota system. There should be tens of thousands and chances are that you will find at least 11 who have relatives ( if you checked further enough) in England and so 'eligible' to play for the country without much difficulty. Charter flight them to London, arrange kits and accommodation and that will still leave you 3 full days before the first test - more than enough to get this lot fighting fit and ready to face the West Indies on even terms. They'll do a better job than any local lads that you can round up.

[first change]

For what it's worth, this would be my first Test team:

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
One of Shah, Compton, Ramprakash (no, really) or Bopara
Foster
Flintoff
Harmison or Plunkett - depending on Harmison's early season form.
Panesar
Hoggard

In the unlikely event that Simon Jones is fit, he would replace Harmison.