Just a reminder to everybody getting involved in this selection process that the WAT England A-Team is going to be selected with future Test selection in mind rather than future one-day selection.

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Administrator

Hmm, I take it from your earlier posts that we can edit out teams from the players we picked?, I think my team will need tweaking

Yes, and I'll be interested to see who goes.

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Administrator

OK Mike. the way I see it there's certain "givens" with respect to this team.

1. It WILL include Bell, Wagh, Pietersen, Wallace / Prior, Mascarenhas and Mahmood.. and in all probability Lewis.

2. There's going to a righ humn-dinger of a row on Prior / Wallace (one's a keeper, with genuine Test prospects as a gloveman.. and credible batting.. the other's a batsman who can't keep.. but who could, given three years, make a decent enough backstop: it's the classic dilemma of our times).

3. The balance of the side will not be resolvable until the row over (2) has been resolved.. as Prior IS your batting alrounder.. and with him in the side there's absolutely NO call to select (say) Gidman.. but with Wallace being more of a quality no 7.. the likes of Gidman would be in with a shout.

My provisional side is as follows:

1. Bell,
2. Wagh
3. Pietersen
4. Afzaal
5. Shah
6. Gidman (capt)
7. Wallace (wk)
8. Mascarenhas
9. Lewis
10. Mahmood
11. Keedy

Well one sticks out like a sore thumb for Test Cricket, you will know my new 11, by stumps tomorrow

My bowling attack is going to clash with yours Rachael, I dont believe you have picked your no 3"Convert",unlike you i am not going to row and upset my keepers, I have picked mine.

I think I can say Ed Smith is in with a shout in my team

Ern, do you think kyle hogg has an england future? I know hes young but He isnt featuring much and hasnt done a lot when he has featured. I also believe that hes said to have potential with ball and bat, but england quality? Maybe we'll find out in the next couple of years.

Statto,
I think with the right team he would be good, not long ago, all the pundits where raving over him, one to watch and all that.
He has not been featured much, thats the problem, ok he did not make the most of his rare chances, but compare him to Schofield, he was getting wickets galore, he was picked for England, did not do that well, but they should have persisted with him, he could do it, he just needed confidence, and he could bat, as good if not better than Giles.
Has Hogg got an England future?,depends on Lanc's really, do they want to bring him on, he would benefit going with the academy.

If we want pace in our teams, we have to pick Hogg,and Mahnood really, not a lot of good pace bowlers about at the moment.

Ern,
I was only asking because every time I go to Lancs he doesnt seem to be playing. I do remember seeing him in 2003 in a 2020 game but he didnt do anything special - looked no quicker than chapple or martin and didnt get any wickets. I know that he has played games this year,but never when ive been, so I have no real idea of what he can do. Maybe next year he'll have more of a chance with anderson surely going to be with england as mahmood may be. If he cant get in the side above the old bowlers I think it could be 5 years before he could get near a call up even if he is good enough.

Yes I take your point Statto, last season they did a preview of him, and he was expected to be the best up and coming bowler, but like you say, he has not played that much, they have hung on to Martin, and look we have been relegated.


I admit I have only seen him once, he bowled well for little return, his pace, well that day I would have said the same as a younger Chapple, I agree there, but the more he plays, I think that his pace would pick up.
Chapple was no slouch, well I dont think so, you might agree with that.
Chapple deserved a chance with England,IMO, he could bat a bit as well, he opened the batting at times as a pinch hitter, with some success.
Hogg if I am being realistic will make it one day, but I doubt it will be with Lanc's.