England's 25 man Performance Squad

[flanflinger]

I am very disappointed with this squad, there are some good names in there - but the wicket keeper situation has left me very depressed.

I feel Nixon has done a great job, but like Shaun Udal after the India tour, he should have remained off the list this year. We have so many good keepers, why do we need this guy in the squad?

As for Prior, he is not a keeper, he is batsman who can field behind the stumps with a pair of gloves on.

During the A tour I got the feeling that Davies had made the keeper slot his, with Prior acting as a specialist batter. I really feel that it is time that we picked a keeper, rather than an "all-rounder". The fact is that we have been looking for a replacement for Stewart*, Jones was not good enough, I doubt Prior will be, so change the plan, find a guy who can Keep.

We have so many good players - Chris Read, James Foster, Stephen Davies and yet we are again sold short by the selectors!!

On the spinner front, Panesar is the only one we have got, I am desperately hoping that Dalrymple is not being classed as a rival for this slot. The only person who should be challenging Panesar for a place should be a genuine spinner.

Spinners and Keepers have been devalued by the England set up for too long. This squad again devalues the specialist role, it is sad and wrong.

*Rachael will often claim that Stewart was a batsman who was turned into a keeper, but if anything it was the opposite. When Stewart entered the Surrey team, it was as a young Keeper, his batting ability came along after he started playing First-Class cricket. He was eventually selected as an International player because of his batting, which is why Rachael seems to think that he was a Batter who turned to keeping.

[Rachael]

Nice post.. and I'm in full agreement pretty much all the way through.

On the Stewart front... he started out life with the gloves... but his footwork was NEVER that of a gloveman: his one asset (aside from physical fitness) was concentration... which meant he was reliable when stood back... but even when he was at his most accomplished (at the very end of his career) he was in no way a fit replacement for the likes of Russell and (most notably) Piper.

Sadly, the academy has seemingly never got around to the small matter of nurturing glovemen: Andrew Pratt should have been drafted into the development squad, with Durham paid to play him if need be... and Simon Guy should have been given similar support at Yorkshire. Right now, Phil Mustard should be in the 25 named players (vying with Foster) whilst Davies is given a couple of years of intensive academy support from someone like Piper.

The academy should also be working with Yorkshire to get seriously spin-friendly wickets for all first class fixtures in the hope of encouraging both Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson: Yorkshire should be assured that they will not, under any circumstances, be docked points if their pitches turn (and wickets tumble) on day 1. I'd go so far as to offer funding to cover loss of gate receipts in any match that ends early with more than half the wickets falling to spinners.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Rachael

whilst Davies is given a couple of years of intensive academy support from someone like Piper.

The thing he will learn most from Piper is how to roll a doobie

I would have him in now, but I would only do so with a specialist coach, i.e. Jack Russell. I very much take the view if you are good enough you are old enough. Why not give him a good run in the team, get him settled, then by the time the Aussies arrive, bingo experience settled and talented keeper.

[99debra99]

You just know Matt Prior is going to be in that starting XI for England this summer...

Poor old Nixon...

[Simply cricket mad]

I think that S Jones will really help England if he is firing on all guns. He was the best bowler of the 2005 ashes until he was injured and i think he is one of the best if not the best bowler England have at the moment. He can swing it both ways at a very good pace, Always picks up 2+ wickets, rarely bowls a wide one. He should be starting if he is back to his normal self. COME ON JONES

~Tim

[pie_chucker]

Originally Posted by Simply cricket mad

, rarely bowls a wide one.

Not too sure about that, one of Jones' weaknesses (apart from his knee ) is that he can go for runs.

That said an attack containing a fit; Harmison, Hoggard, Jones and Flintoff is the best pace attack around.

[darksideofthemoon]

Well Hoggard and Harmison are among the leading wicket takers so they look ready and raring to go. I don't know about the other two. Flintoff seems like a different person after the Ashes. He hardly celebrates when he gets a wicket and looks like he is running on empty. Probably won't need Jones yet as England might go in with the extra batsman.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

I note with interest that a chap called trego has bagged a few wickets this year, scored a 50 scored three tones last year. At only 25 and a former england under 19 player would it have been worth sticking him into the squad to see if he can be turned into a half decent ODI option ?

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

I note with interest that a chap called trego [...] scored three tones last year.

Read the cricinfo profile on him:

Peter Trego rejoined his first county Somerset in 2006 after brief spells at Middlesex and Kent. Trego is a former England Under-19 allrounder, but has never realised his potential. This was clearly illustrated in the 2006 season when he managed to score an impressive three hundreds, yet still failed to pass 600 runs for the season in 20 innings.

Not a talent to worry the likes of Cook, Bell or even Bopara!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Well as they're mainly batters and he's more of a bowler (juding by he's taken more wickets than anyone else at somerset so far) why should they be worried. And to top that - 2 of them are test players (one of those being a far from brilliant ODI player) and one has had 2good matches in a awful ODI side.

And all I was thinking was stick him in the performance squad with a view to a winter in the academy - not let him open batting and bowling in both national squads !