WAT Future England Test Cricketer award 2005

[admin]

Player              Age Style   Team            CC Division

Scott Newman        25 LHB RAM  Surrey           Div1
Alastair Cook       20 LHB RAS  Essex            Div2
Ed Joyce            27 LHB RAM  Middlesex        Div1
Owais Shah          26 RHB RAOB Middlesex        Div1
Dimitri Mascarenhas 27 RHB RAFM Hampshire        Div1
Chris Tremlett      24 RHB RAMF Hampshire        Div1
Mark Davies         25 RHB RHM  Durham           Div2
Monty Panesar       23 LHB SLAO Northamptonshire Div2

Now that the team has been selected I'd like to choose one of the players as our WAT Future England Test Cricketer. Last year's choice was Gary Keedy. The player should have had an exceptional year in the County Championship and be most deserving of Test selection in the near future. Player's who already have Test experience don't qualify for this award.

To ensure you aren't influenced by other voters please PM me your vote. Voting closes on the 31st Oct and the results posted to this thread.

[The Phantom Ram]

I have voted, will give my full reasoning when we can post them on this thread.

[Rachael]

Surely we should discuss the relative merits of the candidates before voting? To vote first and then witness the campaigning sounds back to front to me! We can discuss, sensibly, without causing problems: the point of a secret ballot is simply to avoid tactical voting... and that's not going to change so long as we discuss candidates rather than announce intentions!

Seems to me that neither Cook nor Newman have done enough... at least when compared with Shah or Joyce. Some allowance can be made for Cook's promise.. but not THAT much: he wasn't, as Joyce and Shah were, one of the batsmen of the year in the CC. Of the bowlers it has presumably got to come down to Davies or Panesar... as they were the stars of the CC this year. Not playing full seasons is perhaps an issue with each of them... but their impact can't be questioned.

Comparing batting with bowling is always going to be tough.. but is there any reason to look beyond that short-list of four?

[admin]

I agree with your short list of four although I won't be considering Panesar who played only half the season when bowling conditions suited him.

[Ernest]

To my mind the player has to be a bowler, we could probably have named more batsmen, so England are not desperate there.
For an A Team I would like to see a spinner played, and being Monty Panesar was picked, it might be a good idea to choose him, because England will soon need a spinner.
But there is also Plunkett, Tremelett, and even two all rounders to consider, so I think I will consider a bit longer.

[Notts Exile]

As the player of the year often comes from the County Champions - who aren't being given any credit for anything this year - I would put forward Messrs Ealham and Sidebottom. Both had a far greater impact on the destiny of the Trophy, which is what it is all about, than the others. How can Tremlett and Mascarenhas be considered to have had better seasons than those two??? I'm biased, I know, but the Notts bowling attack is not getting the credit it deserves on here.

[admin]

Hi Notts Exile, the candidates for the award must have been selected in this year's WAT England A side. The point of selecting an A side and Future Test player is to promote up-and-coming players. Although Ryan Sidebottom qualified for the A team he didn't qualify for this award because he has already played a Test match.

From the votes I have already received this award is wide open with no clear favourite.

[The Phantom Ram]

Originally Posted by admin

From the votes I have already received this award is wide open with no clear favourite.

How many votes have you recieved? Is there a deadline or are you waiting for all selectors to vote? (just spotted the deadline ignore this bit!)

As we ar enow discussing our selection I went for Panesar. I think he is the only player in the A side who could step up to the full team and improve it from day one.

[Scottish Chalky]

Cooky is the future

[admin]

Please don't discuss your selections. It may influence other voters. I will accept votes from all WAT members but only those I receive by PM. If you just vote on this thread it won't count.