No worries at all. His problems were caused by a lack rhythm which caused a loss of confidence in his action. If he is so mentally weak why does he want to play against the aussies again to make up for the last ashes series? Surely someone that weak would never want to come up against them again.

I can tell you for a fact the only tour where he has been unhappy was the SA tour in 2004 where he played when injured.

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Mark.

If I'd been him on the last Ashes Tour I'd have been very unhappy!

You obviously believe he's got no issues whatsoever. I hope you're right. A fit and fully functioning Harmison is a sight to behold for England supporters.

I'm going to the 1st day tomorrow. If Harmison roars full pelt in with the crowd behind him all the way (as it always is at Edgbaston) and gets the batsman in trouble it'll do him the world of good. However, a few bad overs destroys his confidence and he'll be bowling crap all day.

Can't understand why Collingwood is back. Send him back to Durham. Make him earn a recall.

Drop Vaughan. Can't bat, can't bowl, can't field. Strauss to be captain.

Give Ambrose this last chance to perform. If he can't perform on his home ground he can't do it at all internationally. Unfortunately, Mustard (who I think is our best bet) is a little way off from being our test keeper at the moment, in the meantime, Foster would be fine with me.

Simon Jones over Harmison, but well, Jones isn't even in the squad so....

Cook
Strauss (c)
Bell
Pietersen
Shah
Flintoff
Ambrose (wkt)
Broad
Sidebottom/Anderson (I thinking whether Sidebottom needs a rest)
Harmison
Panesar

Collingwood 12th man

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Frank Skinner: "You know when Glenn McGrath trod on that cricket ball? Don't you wish it would've been a landmine?"

He was for the first 2 matches. He wasnt fit to bowl. He did all right in the last three though.

At the moment I think he's fine mentally. I think in the past he hasnt always been handled brilliantly and I would say he has responded to some of our bowling coaches better than others. I also think there have been times when he hasnt been fit and has been selected when he shouldnt have.

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Mark.

Remain unconvinced about Harmison and find myself very much in Athertons camp. However, he has the talent to prove me wrong, and by the sounds of it the pitch wont help either so lets see if he's as good as he says he is, cause if he isnt Smith will fill his boots.

The bigger worry, as ever, is the batting. Ambrose isnt a test number 6. Ambrose isnt a county number 6 or indeed the best keeper so why pick him ? As much as I didnt like prior, and he will drop chances at least he'll get more runs, but with 5 bowlers you should create more chances. But is he really a number 6 ? Not sure but freddie isnt either so what do you do ? Drop broad for a batter would be the obvious answer but he's scoring more than most anyway. I'd be looking at fred as a bowler only and any runs a bonus - and lets face it its not like vaughan under bowled him in the second innings of the last test he bowled 40 odd overs. All of this could/should be a mute point if we had a top 5 like SA. Or India. Or Sri Lanka or, obviously Austrailia. Now I know we have KP (whose a bit hit and miss) but AS A UNIT, they are well below alot of sides when it come to consistancy.

In fact is that why we are going with 5 bowlers - because we can find 5 bowlers (plus decent backup) while we are scratching for any kind of cover for a "grafter" like collingwood ?

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Well according to the beeb here BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Harmison left out of England team Harmison isnt playing and they replace pattinson for Siders (good move) and also dropped top batsman Stuart Broad for specalist fielder, Paul Collingwood (very risky move but he did score a few in the 20/20).

Apparently Broad is exhausted. One can only asume Shah knackered himself too scoring all those runs at the weekend.

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

It always makes sense to drop a bowler when you're not taking enough wickets. Especially when that bowler has outscored the batsman replacing him for he past few months. Top stuff, selectors. I can see what you get paid to do. Muppets.

Looks like I beat the Beeb to it.

Seriously though I'm not too sure that hose 4 bowlers will fare any better than the 5 we played at Headingly.

Looks like 2-0 going into the Oval test....

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Mark.

Well, I don't buy the 'Broad is exhausted line'. This England side are prone to coming up with all sorts of little 'injury' related reasons for why players are being dropped.

It's a strategic decision based on the weather and pitch report they must have got from the groundsman. We've had rain over-night here so I would guess they've had rain too, and obviously feel going with two swing bowlers is better than two tall 'bounce' bowlers, given the likely conditions.

Add in that Flintoff is really 'replacing' Broad and Sidebottom is simply coming back in for Pattinson. This is the side that's been successful for them in the past, but only against sides like New Zealand; as I've always said, I don't beleive a 4 bowler lineup is good enough against a side as strong as South Africa, it's a gamble.

The gamble is, that they'll get swing and do most of the damage with swing, if they don't get swing, they're dead in the water. It's a fair enough strategy, because it's based on a sound selection principle: if it all goes well for us we'll win, if it doesn't we'll bat ourselves a draw, something they failed to do in the last match, but then that's probably what's behind Collingwoods return.

It could go exactly like the last Test Match if they don't win the toss and don't get that precious swing. It'll also be interesting to see exactly how much pace and bounce that pitch has and how dangerous Panesar is.

Well i am not sure this side will be good enough to win but i remain hopeful.