Winter tours 2007/08: Sri Lanka and New Zealand

[Notts Exile]

I don't think Loudon will get anywhere near the squad. He's had a very poor year with the ball and Warwickshire have brought in Ant Botha from Derbyshire such is their belief in Loudon's bowling. If the selectors want a slow bowler who can bat a bit then it's Swann, Blackwell, Batty, Rashid or Scofield for me (not sure the latter has done enough in first class cricket).

[engssmoothcriminal]

Loudon won't even make an A tour. 8 wickets at 83 tells its own story and he's no longer even a factor with the ball in one day cricket. His bowling has completely disintegrated over the course of the season (after his winter renaissance in Bangladesh when he worked with a proper coach) under the guiding hand of our glorous leader Greatbatch and a captain who is pretty clueless when it comes to handling spin bowling. To be honest his bowling was always vastly overated in the first place because of the over hyped doosra which he never had any control of but it's been sad to see the decline into that of a very ordinary part timer on a par with Jim Troughton.

[greg]

I don't know when the Academy/A team tour is but if it is after christmas you could easily take Rashid to Sri Lanka then send him on the academy tour later in the winter.

I would be happy enough for Swann and Rashid to be the other spinners along with Panesar in Sri Lanka and then drop Rashid for New Zealand.

[darksideofthemoon]

Lions squad to India. Davies and Ali who are injured have been replaced by Shreck, Foster and Kirby.

Carberry
Denly
Yardy
Trott
Hildreth
Rashid
Panesar
Onions
Richardson
Plunkett
Joyce
Foster
Kirby
Shreck

[Trescothick's Footwork]

Where's Saj Mahmood? Is he injured or something? I know he had a poor year last year, but one thing he always looked like doing was taking wickets. He has looked the most likely to do the role we've missed over the last two years - the Simon Jones role of reverse swing. I hope they haven't given up on him already.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Trescothick's Footwork

Where's Saj Mahmood?[...] but one thing he always looked like doing was taking wickets. He has looked the most likely to do the role we've missed over the last two years - the Simon Jones role of reverse swing. I hope they haven't given up on him already.

I think he was injured twards the end of last season, I am surprised he has not been picked though.

Wonder if it's anything to do with "Saj goes to Bollywood? BBC SPORT | Cricket | England duo land Bollywood roles

Lancashire County Cricket Club - Official Website

Up to early June, he was looking in sublime form, ready to claim his England Test place back. But unfortunately he was forced to undergo a double hernia op that kept him out for six weeks.

[cantplaycantalk]

Well the traditional injury crisis appears to have hit the England squad ahead of the first test in NZ.
Tremlett has flown home, Sidebottom has an injury and missed the last warm up game, Colly has a grade 1 tear of his hamstring and Hoggy is "under the weather"

So if needed who do we fly in to bolster the squad?

Mahmood? - Hasn't played since the end of last year
Flintoff? - Is he fit to bowl yet?
Onions/Shreck/Richardson/Plunkett? - Toured with the Lions
Jones? - Hasn't played in ages, is he fit?

At the moment we have Harmison, Broad and Anderson fit and available with Hoggard sure to be ok by the test so it isn't yet a crisis but...