My thoughts, musings, opinions and rants on cricket.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

When it rains, it fucking pours

England can't seem to get out of their injury rut - Matthew Hoggard just got his right hand trampled on by Tim Bresnan and has got 6 stitches that most likely will see him sit out of the 1st test against Pakistan. Andrew Flintoff is already out of the 1st test but seems to be recovering well enough to come back for the 2nd test.

So now England are without their 2 best bowlers and the selectors meet tomorrow to pick a squad that will hopefully last 5 days. Pakistan too has some injury concerns with
Naved Rana recovering from Gilmore's Groin while Kamran Akmal & Mohammad Asif have also picked up injuries from the tour match against England A - both are expected to play in the Lord's Test.

Chris Read & Jamie Dalrymple have put their hands up and I think it's time England drop Geraint Jones and give Chris Read another go. He's unquestionably a better keeper and has put up the runs that definitely warrant attention. For all his supposed batting capability Geraint Jones just hasn't delivered and more importantly his wicket-keeping hasn't improved at all in the past 2 years. The Ashes are just 4 tests away and England have to win the series against Pakistan to get some confidence and you're going to make it very difficult if you don't take the catches that come your way.

Anyway, here is my 14 for the Lord's Test (Jon Lewis on stand-by if Hoggy doesn't make it)

  • Marcus Trecothick
  • Andrew Strauss (captain)
  • Alastair Cook
  • Kevin Pietersen
  • Paul Collingwood
  • Jamie Dalrymple
  • Chris Read (wicket-keeper)
  • Matthew Hoggard / Jon Lewis
  • Liam Plunkett
  • Steve Harmison
  • Monty Panesar
  • Sajid Mahmood
  • Ian Bell
  • Stuart Broad