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Date Posted: 23:55:05 05/08/05 Sun
Author: cant
Subject: Re: the 25
In reply to: jaf 's message, "the 25" on 04:33:30 05/06/05 Fri

>Darren Gough?
>
>Is he not older than Smell the Glove?

It's certainly close, though I reckon he's added less pounds in his latter years!

It's not a bad selection though in terms of the group as a whole. Both the wicketkeepers are the right selections, although there does seem to be an abundance of other candidates especially Wallace and Prior.
The spinners kind of pick themselves, although both Swann and Batty need to start closing the gap on Giles before the winter tours. Any other options are either to weak with the bat (Keedy) or couldn't claim a test place on their bowling merits (Blackwell). Both are lame ducks in the field. Only Dawson can fell a touch aggrevied but I'd have picked the smae three.
The ten batsmen make sense, with the traditional test top five selected (Strauss, Tres, Butch, Vaughan, Thorpe) and Pietersen and Collingwood shoe ins for the one day team. Bell is the natural replacement to Thorpe, who should bow out after the Ashes, and Solanki is a potentially dangerous one day bat whose fielding is of considerable worth. Key would be the one I'd have doubts about but so long as he is not considered for the one dayers its hardly the worst selection in the world. I'd have given Owais Shah another chance though.
As for the seamers, Flintoff, Hoggard, Harmison and Jones pick themselves, Ali, Tremlett and Anderson have shown enough potential to be selected and Lewis has been consistent enough to earn a chance, though I have doubts over his quality at test level. Gough is a fair pick as an old head for the one dayers given how poorly Jones, Harmison and Hoggard have operated in one day terms, although I'd like to have seen Harrison of Glamorgan or Mahmood of Lancs get a call ahead of Wharf, although he will remain handy in English conditions.
Only Thorpe and Gough (and poss arguably Butcher) are at the end of the line, so the squad has a decent balance. The lack of bowling all-rounders aside from Flintoff is a long term concern though, especially given his injury record and the balance he brings to the team.

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