Deep Fine Leg

It isn’t very often that an England test squad comes as much of a surprise. Normally, someone would have predicted what would happen because of inside information or a gut feeling.

However, when the 12-man strong squad for the first test against the West Indies was announced yesterday, there was undoubtedly a great deal of surprise amongst the fans and the pundits themselves.

Just to recap, here is the squad in full:

Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann.

The first thing that everyone noticed was the omission of senior players Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell, Owais Shah and Steve Harmison. At least two of them were expected to be given the nod and if anything, it made a refreshing change that the cricket odds were upset.

Instead, Ravi Bopara was chosen to bat at No.3 with Onions and Bresnan called up for the first time to support Anderson and Broad in the seam
bowling department.

The only choice for the selectors now ahead of the first test, presuming they don’t play two spinners at Lords, is whether to select Swann or Panesar as the senior spinner.

This means that both Onions and Bresnan will make their test debuts at Lords and this represents a change in the selectors’ thinking. They have decided to take a risk on the potential of two young bowlers who have performed consistently well for their County teams.

It seems as though the ECB have finally stood up and made a bold decision or two. Instead of staying loyal to players for too long or recalling players too soon, they have given the team a fresh look. Personally, I think this can only be a good thing.

Ahead of the Ashes, England could do with finding a couple of players who can slot into the team without many problems. If they stuck with Harmison or recalled Bell, there was a chance that the old habits would come back.

This way, they have two players in their seam attack that will be starting afresh and doing all they can to keep their place in the team for the summer. Even if just one of Onions or Bresnan holds down a place for the Ashes, these decisions will be worth it.

As for Bopara’s promotion to No.3 in the batting line-up, this is another positive move. The Essex man has rarely had a chance to shine in his preferred position for England and now he has a real opportunity to fulfil his undoubted potential.

If he can score runs against the West Indies in this position, it would be a huge weight off the selectors’ shoulders. The No.3 spot has bothered England for months now and it is up to Bopara to make it his own. Good luck to him I say.

Overall, the squad selected is exciting. There is something to look forward to in this series against the West Indies. In terms of which spinner to choose, I’d go for Swann. He was too good in the winter to drop for an inconsistent Panesar. So, here is the team to play West Indies at Lords.

Cook
Strauss
Bopara
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Onions
Anderson

A fresh looking team for new coach Andy Flower, now let’s push on.

By Thomas Rooney

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Matthew Hoggard has taken 248 test wickets in his career. He is one of the best swing bowlers that England have had in recent years and you just know that he will run in and bowl all day long for his country.

Despite this though, he is yet to get a look in for England since being dropped from the side in New Zealand just over a year ago. This is something that he is extremely unhappy about and you can understand why.

Steve Harmison – who has had his commitment questioned a number of times – was dropped at the same time as Hoggard and keeps getting opportunities to shine in England colours. Why then, has Hoggard not got anything like the same treatment?

Speaking about his situation, the Yorkshire bowler said that he has had no contact with the ECB whatsoever about not being included in the England performance squad for the summer. For someone who has given so much for his country, this seems unacceptable to me.

When Hoggard was dropped, it was fair enough. He wasn’t himself in New Zealand and didn’t produce half of the threat that he had in previous years, including the 2005 Ashes series.

However, this dip in performance was partly due to not being in the right state mentally. His wife was suffering with post-natal depression and his mind wasn’t in the game. He even said that at one stage, he felt as though he ‘wanted to cry’.

Since this moment though, he hasn’t even been mentioned for England. Hoggard lost his central contract five months later and now isn’t even part of the 30-man squad that England are going with this summer. Was this really on the back of one performance in New Zealand?

There was one moment in particular since his omission from the side that would have been perfect for his return. Last summer, Hoggard was
overlooked for the test match at Headingley (his home ground) against South Africa despite being a centrally contracted player.

Instead, Darren Pattinson was given the call and he played his part in a comfortable defeat for England. Hoggard recalls how he ‘wasn’t even offered the courtesy of an explanation’ for this decision. This just isn’t good enough in my opinion – Hoggy has been treated appallingly.

Even though it could well be too late for him now, he at least deserved an explanation. Why was someone who has given so much to the England cause completely ignored? It’s not as if the team has been winning test matches on a regular basis.

It seems a safe cricket bet to me that Hoggard is considered by many as one of the best swing bowlers England have had. He is also one of the most popular players England have ever had and he deserves more than this. Keep plugging away for Yorkshire Hoggy, we (the fans) won’t forget what you did for England.

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