I'd not be surprised to see Bell play in the remaining games of the series... but I'd also like ot see Prior, Shah and Solanki given the remaining games: get them used to the intensity of the Indian side and see if they can respond.

The calls for Sajid Mahmood to be dropped seem particularly unjustifiable: Stewart reckons it takes 30 ODIs to find your feet.... and folk are asking for him to be ditched when he struggles in his second game! The kid is only 24: it's in England's long term interests to give him a run whilst Harmison and Jones are unavailable.

On the same topic... Kabir Ali has 11 ODI caps to his name.... Plunkett has 8.... and Prior has 9: by contrast, Dhoni seems to have arrived from nowhere in and already has 38 caps - he's actually played a ridiculous 34 ODI matches in the last 12 months!

Sehwag is just 27 and yet has 144 ODI caps... Harbhajan is not yet 25 and yet has 120 ODI caps... Kaif is 25 and has 111 ODI caps... and Yuvraj Singh at 24 and has 145 ODI caps....

Even Pathan at just 21 already has 55 ODI caps..... and Young Suresh Raina has just arrived and is not even 20.. but with 16 ODI caps already has more experience than Mahmood, Kabir Ali, Plunkett and Prior!!!

I agree with people calling for Bell to get a go.

He has been a good performer in limited overs cricket for Warwickshire in recent times, it wasn't so long ago his list A average was under 30, it is now a healthy 37.

We have nothing to lose, and whilst we are trying out these young players we may as well give Bell a go now. He has been poorly treated in ODI's imo, he got a go opening in Zimbabwe and did very well and in his caps since he has been subjected to the hopeless task of batting at number 7 or 8, which is completely pointless. Give him the rest of the series somewhere in the top 3 and see if he looks like offering England that reliable figure they are craving for.

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- Rob

I understand where you are coming from, Rachael, but the problem with Mahmood is that in his two caps so far he has bowled appallingly and looked like a club bowler. He has gone for about 130 runs in about 16 international overs without looking remotely like a wicket taking threat.

It's all very well wanting to play your youngsters but playing a liability is not bright in my opinion.

I don't know what was wrong with Mahmood today, but he didn't look like he had seen a gym in weeks, he last spell was very worrying.

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- Rob

Please post any pre-match comments for the fourth ODI in this thread please, thanks.

http://www.world-a-team.com/showthread.php?t=6060

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Watch this for a perfect about.
James May

This makes me think. Pathan is clearly a good ODI bowler as he does things with the white ball far more consistently than with the red one for some reason. Given that Hoggard bowls at the same pace/a shade faster and swings it more, isn't this further proof that Hoggy should be playing ODIs. He's effectively been dropped after one bad over (the 24 from Kemp in SA).

On the Bell issue, Bell for Mahmood could be an option if Fletcher insists on playing Shah.

Strauss
Prior
Bell
Shah
Pietersen
Flintoff
Collingwood
Plunkett
Blackwell
Anderson

10 overs each from Fred/Jimmy/Liam/Blackie, 5 from Colly and 5 from Bell. Plus, we'd have some solidity at 3 rather than Owais "all or nothing" Shah, who could wait and come in at 4.

Hoggard sould be in your ODI side especially in India he is in the same frame as a Pathan and a Nathen Bracken they are suited to Indian conditions, they all have the ability to swing the new white ball a mile. Plus Hoggard in my oppinion is Englands best bowler (excluding Flintoff)

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.