Regular International Players or Domestic Veterans for Twenty20 WC?

[Henners]

After seeing some of the action on Sky Sports News of the Twenty20 cup first rounds and watching Jeremy Snape of Leicestershire Foxes get a hat trick, I decided I would say I believe that England would do better wth the Twenty20 veterans representing them at the World Championship later this year rather than the Internationals. Of course, we all know this won't happen but I think players like Staurt Broad, Jeremy Snape and Paul Nixon deserve a place in the side due to there success and experience in the competition.

Snape is a wise all-rounder who bats well enough and delivers a slow-right arm off-break where he mixes up his pace well. Now he cannot be seen as too much a threat, but when the game is about big, aggressive shots, the pace and length of the ball can result in the batsman hitting to a fielder as he did for his hat trick today.

We all know what Nixon and Broad offer. But the point is that although the tournament may not be well received as a 'prize' for the players (like the ICC Champions trophy. West Indies won that in 2004 but who really cares), the tournament will increase spectators who are attracted to the more quicker form of cricket.

But I don't see why England should just send all their best players who may never have played a game of twenty20 cricket. They may as well include some of the best domestic players of the game to the squad, not just the one-day team.

For this format of cricket to be taken seriously, It needs to have the selecters choosing players for their performance in the twenty20 cup, not 50 over matches. Otherwise, it will just remain a little bit of fun for the players which really, it will always be anyway...

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Henners

I decided I would say I believe that England would do better wth the Twenty20 veterans representing them at the World Championship later this year rather than the Internationals. Of course, we all know this won't happen but I think players like Staurt Broad, Jeremy Snape and Paul Nixon deserve a place in the side due to there success and experience in the competition.

Indeed - I thought the same when listening to the Lanc's Durham game, when Mal Loye scored 80 not out - and seeing off England regular Plunkett as a by the way.

[greg]

I think Darren Maddy should be in the england 20:20 side but there you go.He can bowl too,but nevermind.

[Rachael]

Treat it like Rugby Sevens (as a seperate game) and in the spirit that was intended when the ODI game was developed (fun showcase not serious business).

1. Loye
2. Maddy
3. Brown
4. Hick
5. Yardy
6. Snape
7. Nixon
8. Swann
9. Udal
10. Cork
11. Gough

That lot should be pretty well received.

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Treat it like Rugby Sevens (as a seperate game) and in the spirit that was intended when the ODI game was developed (fun showcase not serious business).

I think you'll find we've already got the Hong Kong Sixes cricket for that

Mind you, Dave Nosworthy seemed quite keen on making the 20:20 like Rugby Sevens.

Anyone for Ryan ten Doeschate for an England call-up for the 20:20 World Cup? He's been sparkling for Essex in the tournament for the last couple of years, and he's a big, big hitter of a cricket ball!

[pie_chucker]

If we sent our contracted players out, they are bound to get injured before the winter tour.

I would send out a team of 20:20 specialists and tell them to enjoy it

[feverpitch]

I wrote a piece on this same topic (http://www.third-umpire.blogspot.com/) and this is what I came up with, a mixture of specialists and regular ODI players. I have picked it on the premise we will pick our best possible side, as it is a World Cup.

Team:
Marcus Trescothick
The powerful left-hander has long since proved himself a superb international player, and has a game perfectly suited to Twenty20; indeed, he averages 55 in the three international games he has played to date.

Mal Loye
Mastered the art of the slog sweep off quick bowlers, an idiosyncratic shot which infuriates bowlers and has been extremely effective, even during his brief ODI career. Loye’s aggressive, fearless style has worked terrifically well to date in this form of the game.

Darren Maddy
Dubbed "Mr Twenty20" by David Lloyd, Maddy was the key man in Leicestershire’s two Twenty20 triumphs, opening the innings to great effect and scoring a match-winning 86* in last year’s final.

Kevin Pietersen
The world’s best ODI batsman is a must pick if England choose to treat the game with the respect it deserves.

Paul Collingwood (captain)
Collingwood is seen as a nudger and nurdler but, as he showed with a 26-ball 46 in the Twenty20 game against Australia in 2005, is very adept at improvising to hit boundaries. He also possesses an ice-cool temperament and his accurate medium-pace bowling has much Twenty20 potential – his 4-22 against Sri Lanka are the best international figures in this form of the game.

Andrew Flintoff
An extremely destructive hitter when his mind is uncluttered, Flintoff’s accurate and fast bowling would surely prove very effective in Twenty20.

Paul Nixon (wicket-keeper)
Matt Prior has done terrifically in Test cricket and is a big hitter but, at the death in the claustrophobic environment of Twenty20, Nixon, with his resilience under pressure and penchant for the reverse-sweep, is an ideal man to have coming in – and his relentless sledging could also be worth a few wickets.

Ian Blackwell
Monty Panesar could prove too predictable in Twenty20 cricket, but Blackwell has fared well with bat and ball in this form of the game. His excellent ODI economy rate – 4.27 – suggests he could tie top quality batsmen down; regulars at Tauntan know he has copious destructive batting potential.

Mark Ealham
Snigger if you must but Ealham’s brand of frugal medium-pace bowling and uncultured hitting have earned extraordinary success in Twenty 20: his strike-rate is a phenomenal 174; his economy rate a mightily impressive 6.8.

Darren Gough
Gough was never granted a satisfactory international farewell but, in Twenty20 cricket, his love of the big stage, fantastic yorker and late-order biffing are deserving of one final international crack – remember he claimed 3-16 against Australia in 2005.

Stuart Broad
Broad revealed his big-match temperament with some sterling exploits in Leicestershire’s Twenty20 triumph last season, taking 3-13 off four brilliant overs against Kent in the quartr-final. An immensely promising quick, he can also bat reasonably well.

Other squad members:
Owais Shah
Shah has done disappointingly for England in ODIs, but he is a richly talented player whose unorthodoxy and flair have come good in Twenty20 - he averages 35 and has a strike-rate of 147.

Ravi Bopara
A Collingwood clone, albeit more obviously talented, Bopara had an excellent World Cup and, despite a modest Twenty20 record, is well suited to this format of the game.

Jeremy Snape
Snape’s nerve and willingness to bowl extraordinarily slow balls - known as 'moonballs' - have served him brilliantly in Twenty20; he has captained Leicestershire to their two titles and also averaged 25 with the bat.

Ryan Sidebottom
Sidebottom brings variety, in that he is a left-armer, control and the crucial ability to swing the white ball. These have certainly stood him in excellent stead in the helter-skelter of Twenty20: his economy rate is an exceptional 6.6.

Having been at The Oval yesterday, though,I'd probably swap Shah for Ramps.

[pie_chucker]

That team would be very competitive. You just never know, we may select something along those lines for the 20/20 WC