I can see the logic for selecting Dalrymple over Clarke.

However, I am still shocked at the exclusion of Shah for David Sales. If both were playing in the Ashes in a parallel universe, would you honestly expect Sales to fare better?

Anyway, other than that I am pleased with the side. The credentials of Messrs Broad and Tremlett have also reminded me of how ridiculous it is that Liam Plunkett has been selected ahead of both in the Ashes squad.

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third-umpire.com

Guys, is there any news on the England A-team that suppose to tour Bangladesh in February ?

What about the guy Lawson from Yorkshire?? Wouldnt it be nice to have a couple of leggies in development?

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Mark.

I think we left this to stew and forgot the formality of naming the final side. Going back two pages I suggested a side based on our discussions and to achieve a consensus. That side is:

Nick Compton (Middlesex)
Scott Newman (Surrey)
Michael Yardy (Sussex)
Ed Joyce (Middlesex)
David Sales (Northants)
James Dalrymple (Middlesex)
James Foster+ (Essex)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Leicestershire)
Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire)
Chris Tremlett (Hampshire)

Can we now officially confirm this side? I have suggested elsewhere that titles should be adde to selectors' user information and I think the side was accepted back then by the drop in responses to the thread.

That was the Provisional XI. I said I'd allow time for people to mount challenges: no-one has mounted a successful campaign.. so I've no problem signing that side off.

It's nice to see four of the side made England A-team's tour of Bangladesh.. though had we done as I suggested and picked Smith ahead of Mahmood that would have been 5/10

Those touring are:

Nick Compton (Middlesex)
Michael Yardy (Sussex, capt)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Leicestershire)

Of the remainder of our 2006 WAT XI... Joyce (rightly), Mahmood (for reasons that have yet to be explained given his dire performances) and Dalrymple (inexplicably ommitted from the Sydney Test) have been involved in the current Ashes tour.... Foster has suddenly re-emerged as a frontrunner for the England wicket-keeper's spot for the summer Tests... Tremlett has been the outstanding bowler in Perth and and is now in the ODI squad and only only old-hands Newman and Sales can complain that the powers that be have overlooked merit that we recognised.

Of the rest.... Ravi Bopara (Essex) is not a surprise inclusion.. and the same goes for Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Michael Carberry (Hampshire) and Steve Davies (Worcestershire). Will Jefferson (Notts) was in the 2005 WAT 'A' side... and if I recall rightly, Alex Loudon (Warwickshire) was also in that side. Graham Onions (Durham) and Matt Prior (Sussex) were mentioned in the 2006 discussions and the only included name overlooked by us was Amjad Khan (Kent).

ps. Good to see Key and Shah overlooked as we overlooked them