Tour Party to India 2012

Cook, Trott, Bell, Bairstow

The first three are obvious and are of great importance given the inexperience of the likely squad line-up. Bairstow showed enough in the last test to be a certainty given the lack of other viable options.

Jonathan Trott has made it known that he is not expecting to open in India which would suggest that England are going to pick out an opener to replace Andrew Strauss. Joe Root has been the most touted of the players on the circuit and I’m a huge fan but I feel like he simply is too inexperienced and in need of another season or so of county cricket producing decent runs. Given the fact there are likely to be two other rookie batsmen in the test team come the first test I would like the third and opener to have a little more experience that a guy with two seasons of first class cricket to his name and four first class centuries.  

Chopra/ Compton/ Nash

Michael Carberry is the most experienced of the possible options but he has had a poor first class season and struggled against spin in Bangladesh on debut and his opportunity may have gone. Then there is Nick Compton who has had a brilliant couple of seasons at Somerset. Compton is 29 and is at the highest point of his career and seems to have mastered the understanding of his own game. Although prolific this season, he has scored his runs at a slow rate and given he has played half his games at the quickscoring Taunton you have to question if he quite has the range of strokes to prosper in international cricket. India will be tough and a slow scorer who gets tied down by the spinners and eventually falls may not be what England requires. Chances are Compton isn’t quite good enough – although on the weight of runs he has scored the past two seasons he deserves a chance. Take Jonathan Trott for instance, in 2009 when he broke into the England lineup he scored 1207 runs @ 80.46 avg @ 61.58 sr for Warwickshire – Trott goes at 47.5 SR in test cricket. Compton has scored 2201 runs @ the impressive average of 73.36 @ the less impressive strike rate of 45.47. How will he do at international level?

Varun Chopra and Chris Nash are the two other decent options for me and both fulfil vitals roles other than their batting which could sway the selectors in their direction.  Compton and Chopra are the only two guys to have reached 1000 runs in the last two years and Chopra continues to improve and has produced in high pressure situations for Warwickshire this season. He also some of last winter playing first class cricket in Sri Lanka and managed two centuries – experience that should be invaluable should he make the India tour. Chopra is also an excellent 1^st slip, a place vacated by Andrew Strauss and in need of reinforcement.  Chris Nash has the advantage of being a more than useful part time off-spinner. He has picked up 20+ wickets this season at an average of just over 20. At 29 he is the same age as Compton and is another late bloomer – he averages just a shade fewer than 40 this season and actually opens at Sussex. If Kevin Pietersen doesn’t go then Nash’s chances of going on tour increase dramatically as Nash could take the second or third spinners role in a match in a squad likely to be without any other occasional spin bowlers.

Personally I think it could be a toss up between any of Chopra, Compton or Nash and wouldn’t mind any of them going. I think I’d favour Chopra as he has been consistent over two years, will slot in at first slip, has experience in Asia, and at 25 is the best long term bet. Although many others disagree I think picking Root would be a big mistake as I really think he needs more time in county cricket and with the lions before he should be blooded. 

Taylor/Bopara (both if KP doesn't go) 

James Taylor played the last two tests of the summer and looked OK but some way short of the player many in the press and supporters had made him out as. He has also struggled in first class cricket this season at Notts and was possibly lucky to get his chance with England when he did. My personal feeling is that he is going to struggle massively in India but options are limited and as he is the man in possession he deserves a full tour to expand his experience – but don’t expect too much. 

Ravi Bopara’s confidence seems shot and needs to make sure his personal issues are sorted out if he wants to go on tour. His bowling could come in useful in a 2 seamer/2 spinner attack but only if he is back firing with the bat.  He’s probably competing with Taylor for a spot if KP does go – they probably both go if as likely KP doesn’t

Pietersen

Given the uncertainty around the rest of the batsman I’m loathe to admit it but I think England need to bring back Kevin Pietersen. There is just too much inexperience and lack of skill to omit one of our best batsmen. Obviously I have no idea what has happened behind closed doors but Alaistair Cook coming into captaincy should make the prospects of reconciliation more likely(although it doesn’t seem likely at present). Cook needs to stamp his own authority on the captaincy and should he not he may struggle to shake off the perception than he is just a clone of Andrew Strauss and under the control of Andrew Flower. I’m not saying I think he should definitely bring Pietersen back, I just think there is the need to show everybody involved that he is in charge now and that the bickering and problems that were prevalent in Strauss’ last six months have to end.

Eoin Morgan is another name that keeps coming up as many former players and journalists have included Morgan in their squads for India. I really don't think he has done enough. He averaged 18.16 this season for Middlesex in 5 games and whilst he continues to dominant in ODI cricket he has done nothing to warrant selection since his horror show in the UAE. He has obvious problems home and away in 5 day cricket and it would be a short term stop gap based on the experience he has in India.

Prior, Kieswetter

The backup wicketkeeper is an interesting dilemma with Jonny Bairstow already in the squad there may be the inclination to have him as spare man. The problem with this is that I can’t imagine he has the skills to keep in India especially as for the current season he has spent more time with England in the field than back at Yorkshire back behind the stumps. This will be a problem going forward for Bairstow if he continues to be a England regular in all 3 formats as he will not improve his wicketkeeping. Stephen Davies seems to have fallen off the edge of the planet and was dropped towards the end of the season by Surrey and so won’t get the chance to continue as Matt Prior’s understudy. On weight of runs and experience Craig Kieswetter is deserving of the spot even if I would be slightly worried about his keeping standing up to the spinners. If England deems Bairstow a good enough keeper then Kieswetter misses out.

Patel

Samit Patel will return to fulfil his position from last winter if England considers his fitness worthy. Moeen Ali and Liam Dawson offer enterprising options going forward as batsman offspinners but neither scored enough runs this season to be seriously considered. Dawson is an interesting prospect as he is an excellent slip catcher and his left arm offspin continues to develop but without more runs Ali and Dawson cannot ever seriously be considered.

Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn

Are all definite although Swann’s troublesome elbow is a big worry on a tour where he will have big responsibilities. Graham Onions will presumably make the squad due to his name being added to the incremental contract list and his impressive season. Tim Bresnan is likely to go also even given his form and elbow problems given the options he gives due to his batting. Although doubts persist over his ability to bowl teams out on a last day pitch and his shocking batting and fielding Monty Panesar surely goes as the second spinner. James Tredwell likely only makes the tour if there are serious doubts over Swann and Simon Kerrigan’s confidence was dented by a bashing by Kevin Pietersen and likely will have to wait another year.

Onions, Bresnan, Panesar

Leaving a squad of  Cook, Chopra, Trott, Bell, Pietersen, Bairstow, Taylor, Prior, Kieswetter, Patel, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn, Onions, Bresnan, Panesar.

It sounds like the Lions will be out in India at the same time so potentially the final squad won't be as important and Kieswetter may miss out to make the squad a more manageable 16.

Lions

E Morgan(C) , A. Hales, J. Root, C. Nash, B. Stokes, N. Compton, J. Buttler, S. Borthwick, S. Kerrigan, C. Woakes, J. Harris, S. Meaker, C. Wright, T.R. Jones, J Tredwell

Performance Squad

G Ballance, L Dawson, L Wells, S Northeast, D Redfern, T Westley, D Willey, D Wainwright, K Barker, A Rafiq, R Topley, M Coles, O Rayner, D Briggs, A Carter, Z Ansari, B Brown, T Mills