Eng Squad for NZ

[The Worker]

Link here: England call on Ambrose - Media Releases - News - ECB

Headlines - Prior dropped altogether, Strauss recalled to test side in place of Bopara, Ambrose or Mustard to be test keeper, Monty dropped from ODI side, but will play for Lions in India

One curio. Why do we need a 2nd spinner (Swann) for the tests in NZ?

Thoughts people, thoughts??

[Rachael]

Well..... that's harsh on Read and Foster... but I guess if enough makeshift wicket-keepers fail the selectors will eventually go to the guys who can do job 1.

Nothing surprising about the rest of the squad.. though I hope Shah gets to play ahead of Strauss having missed out to Bopara in Sri Lanka.

ps. Assuming you tour with at least two players for every position... you do need two spinners.

[darksideofthemoon]

and if Mustard does well in the ODIs he will be first choice keeper in the Tests according to Graveney.

[engssmoothcriminal]

Provided it's Ambrose (nothing makeshift about his keeping Rachel) and he's guaranteed an extended run in the side then dropping Prior is great news. No real option but to recall Strauss (for the sake of the slip cordon if nothing else) and hopefully he slots back in at 3 and the main plus of the Sri Lankan tour the Cook/Vaughan opening partnership isn't broken up.

The continued perseverance with Anderson in tests is almost reaching Geraint Jones proportions in terms of misplaced loyalty. Yes conditions in NZ may suit him but you can say that about a number of considerably more reliable swing bowlers. Tremlett can consider himself yet again very unlucky not to be included. Agree with you Worker on Swann there really is no point in him being in the squad. If Monty got injured I'd be more than happy to go with a 4 man pace attack out there.

(Alan Richardson's in the Lions squad )

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by engssmoothcriminal

Alan Richardson's in the Lions squad

LOL - I noted that one as well. In fairness... he's also done a bit to earn it of late: just a shame he didn't do much with a certain former club I guess

Re: Strauss / Shah - as they're both slip catchers, I'm not sure that should influence the decision as to which plays in place of Bopara. I can also seen the appeal of having another opening bat in the top order. That said... I really do feel for Shah: he really shouldn't have been left out of the Tests in Sri Lanka and deserves to be higher up the pecking order than a guy who didn't even make the touring party before Christmas!

[adamberry]

Originally Posted by darksideofthemoon

and if Mustard does well in the ODIs he will be first choice keeper in the Tests according to Graveney.

I didn't think he had said that, I thought it was said that Ambrose was the shoo-in for the Test spot unless Mustard did something exceptional. If I've got it wrong, blame Sky.

Apart from that, I have no complaints with either squad on the most part. Panesar really has deserved ditching in one-dayers, so Swann pretty much has the spinners spot (putting my Kent bias to one side here, I can't see Tredders displacing him unless Swann injures himself). Anderson must surely be in the last-chance saloon now, if he's still in the squad playing South Africa this summer I'll be surprised, but England selectors have done stranger things in the past.

And I can't really see what Strauss has done to deserve a recall, apart from be a good slip fieldsman. I'd rather have someone who is in some sort of form, and on the Performance squad.

[greg]

Very surprised Prior was dumped so quickly and not shocked Ambrose is called up,i think Ambrose will play in the tests and Mustard in the one dayers.The only other shock in the main squad is actually taking Swann,we may as well have saved the money and left him at home,still i guess he will be good at drinks carrying by the end of the tour.

Personally i would have dropped Anderson and picked Tremlett but i wasn't expecting it to happen so i can't really complain.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by greg

The only other shock in the main squad is actually taking Swann,we may as well have saved the money and left him at home,still i guess he will be good at drinks carrying by the end of the tour.

Not such a shock really greg, Panesar is not that consistent of late - I suppose the selectors are taking Swann as cover, a sensible move IMO.

Originally Posted by greg

Personally i would have dropped Anderson and picked Tremlett[...] but i wasn't expecting it to happen so i can't really complain.

Can't agree here greg, I agree Tremlett deserves a chance - but at the expence of either Broad or Sidebottom, and BTW Anderson was treat how you expect Swann to be treat, a long serving tea waiter - had that not happened, he would have been a more seasoned bowler by now.

[darksideofthemoon]

What is the point of giving a player a contract and then dropping him. Anderson is only cover in the Tests anyway. Tremlett should be in the squad instead of Broad. Broad does not have the stamina for Tests yet.

[EllN]

You all talk of anderson in past tense or as cover, but this is the same bowler who won man of the series against india, not least for how he made tendulkur his bunny. He has much more potential than sidebottom along with more pace, yes he may be bit wayward but so is harmison, if england get a proper coach (not a half bit one like ottis gibson) then he can be tamed into the fast bowler he has always shown the potential to be. Futhermore tremlet has had chances to shine, but not once in his short international carer has he "come to the party" though i agree that broad is just a little bit raw, and showed that in sri lanka. I think the one person who needs to show himself this series is monty panaser he has hardely lived up to the high expectations england had for him this time last year, avereging 50 for his test wickets is hardely exceptable also swann has something that pansar does not have , and that is a ball that turns the other way, i think that he must develop one if he is to be a complete success. Though i think that after ducan fletchers autobiography it is true pansar is picked on personallity not actual preformances and though i disagree with fletcher in the respect that giles is better but i think swann should be given a chance.

One thing i dont understand about the selection of time ambrose is that he is not the most outstanding wicket keeper in the county championship and he averages less than prior (who also averages 40 in test cricket ) yes i agree that prior needed to be dropped because his clamamity james style keeping cost to many runs but i must say that ambrose is more than a suprise selection it is some what extraordinary.

On strauss i think that he should slot back into his opening spot on return because his batting against the spinners just isnt strong enough to bat in the middle order (not that in new zeland this would matter but still for practise sakes) and vaughan should go to three where he had an amount of success , though i think collingwood should move up to number 4 becuase pieterson has obiously had much more succes batting 5 than 4 as he has more runs on the board to allow him to be free flowing also collingwood is also the type of player who you want coming in at 10-2 with his gritty style of play. Finally with bell at 6 where he had his purple patch where he scored three consecutive hundreds (something he has now failed to do after making 6 consecutive test 50s). With ambrose at 7, then the seam attack of harmison hoggard and sidebottom and anderson (this just for new zeland where spin very rarely plays a huge part unless you are named daniel vettori) though normally you would leave sidebottom out for pansar.