The news is in. The squads have been announced. What do you think?
I have to say I’m a little surprised. Whereas Zafar Ansari is an interesting pick, I think Alex Hales is a very odd selection. I think anyone who watched the recent ODIs saw just how much Hales is struggling at the moment. I doubt he has either the technique, nor the pure reactions, to succeed against quality fast bowling. He looked woeful.
Maybe the selectors think Hales might prosper down the order, as he certainly doesn’t look like a test opener to me. On the other hand, perhaps they think the wickets in the UAE will be slow and tame, and Hales won’t be so exposed.
Either way, I’m not a fan of this selection. England have to start thinking long term – and find a permanent partner for Alastair Cook. It’s one reason I would be completely against promoting Moeen Ali up the order.
I’m actually quite pleased with the selection of Ansari. I’ve seen him make runs in person, and I think he’s got a lot going for him. His domestic statistics are poor – he averages just 31 in first class cricket – but his strike-rate of 37 interests me. Although this is pretty pedestrian by modern standards, I know Ansari has the patience to succeed at the top level. His left-arm spin is also useful to have around.
I’d like to know whether the selectors see Ansari as a middle-order player, and a rival for Mo’s spinning all-rounder role, or as a potential opener. I’d be concerned that an Ansari / Cook alliance would be too one-paced, but you can’t have everything.
As the cupboard is relatively bare when it comes to openers, it’s up to the selectors to do their jobs and pluck someone from relative obscurity – much like Duncan Fletcher pulled Marcus Trescothick out of a hat. Maybe Ansari is that man?
The other pick we need to talk about is James Taylor, who finally gets another chance in test cricket. Taylor has a lot of fans, but I’m somewhat ambivalent about him to be honest. I like his one-day batting, but the jury’s out when it comes to his test credentials. I hope he comes good.
There are no real surprises in the ODI and T20 squads, although I raised an eyebrow at Chris Jordan’s inclusion. Jordan doesn’t strike me as a particularly economical bowler, but we’re not exactly blessed with exciting options. At least he adds something in the field and gives the batting a little depth.
As for Stephen Parry, the guy does a decent job for Lancs day in day out, but he’s hardly the sexiest name out there. But then again, neither was Michael Yardy before we won the 2010 T20 World Cup.
Test squad Alastair Cook (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Mark Wood
One-day squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
T20 squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Stephen Parry, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
James Morgan
@DoctorCopy
Great piece James but I’m confused as to your reading of ODI form in relation test selection:
Alex Hales – Doesn’t score runs in ODI’s so not good enough for tests
James Taylor – Scoring runs in ODI’s doesn’t prove being good enough for tests
I’m not forming judgements based on the format. I’m judging players simply on how they play the balls bowled to them. Hales has struggled to cope with the extra pace of Australia’s bowlers and his technique looks suspect (which is presumably why he hasn’t scored any runs). Therefore I can’t see how he’s going to be a successful test opener.
Taylor has looked pretty good in the ODIs, but again I’m not sure I see enough pure talent, or a sound enough technique, for test cricket. I could well be wrong. I haven’t made up my mind completely re: Taylor. There’s something to work with but I’m just uncertain whether he’ll make the transition.
I don’t think it’s possible to know whether a batsmen will be successful in tests based purely on ODI performances, but you can make judgements about a guy’s technique / temperament / skill etc based on what you see. It makes it more or less likely they’ll succeed. For example, Cook never really looked like a natural ODI cricketer to me, but he never looked like the bowling was simply too good for him – it was more a problem with his scoring rate and how his style fit into a broader team approach. With Hales, the bowling simply looks too good for him at a the moment. That’s not to say he can’t go away and improve.
I agree, in that Cummings and co had Hales sewn up in the ODI’s but ‘by the same rationale’ in my opinion Taylor showed ‘skill, temperament and technique’ in the same games.
If you’re looking at FC form as an indicator Hales averages over 50 in Div 1 this season with an average and strike rate more impressive than Carberry, Compton etc. so calling it a ‘very odd selection’ is a touch harsh, time will tell of course…
Good to be chewing over cricket matters with you James, all the best.
You too mate. I think Taylor showed a great temperament in the ODIs and he certainly went up in my estimation. Time will tell. The risk of writing a blog is that you have to be prepared to look stupid when youre wrong. I bet Hales goes on to have a wonderful tour now!
Quite a strong possibility that Hales will be Lyth-in-West-Indies-Mark-Two and not play a single f/c match.
On a slight tangent, I hope another county pick up Monty Panesar who has been released by Essex.
“The risk of writing a blog is that you have to be prepared to look stupid when you’re wrong.”
Doesn’t bother the journalists who get paid to write this kind of stuff. Cut yourself the same amount of slack, I say! After all, who gets it wrong more often? :)
Tests and ODIs are different, England have got in a mess picking players for one based on form in another. Hales hasn’t played a test yet, so let’s give him a chance. I’m a fan of his but I agree he looked out of sorts. Runs are what matter though, and Lytham has failed in that regard. I hope I’m proved wrong, but I’d be amazed if Ansari does well. Averaging 31 in div 2 makes him the lucky one in my view. And you are wrong about him and Cook being one paced – Ansari is far, far slower!
Yet another mysterious test.
Agree with you entirely about Hales and Taylor. I like Hales in first class cricket and find him entertaining as well as good value but against top class bowling and the tenacity required for test cricket, I have serious doubts.
I’ve always been a fan of Taylor. He seems to frustrate, unsettle and get under the skin of the opposition. That’s a good thing but I hope he also finds more security and longevity at he crease within in a more sound technique.
It will be an error of judgement if Ali turns out to be the interim opener. That’s not the way to go. Would have preferred to see Lyth or Lees ahead of Hales or Ansari but time will tell.
I thought a piece you wrote earlier in the season about the ODI team was nearer to the mark, James. They have a better, more attacking Plan A. Good – that’s progress. It still feels though like they are playing to a pre-conceived plan and aren’t able to adjust to different circumstances. This ultra-positive approach requires a batting road and/or weak bowling – when they came up against a pitch with some seam movement they got skittled (and by Hastings and Mitch Marsh – not exactly Lillee and Thomson).
It also needs remembering that while England were missing some players so were Australia. Both teams England have played in ODIs this summer have had 4/5s of their first choice bowling missing. England’s batting has progressed but I’m not fully convinced. I’d like to see someone who could anchor and rebuild an innings that was in trouble and I’m not sure we have such a player. The bowling is even more of a worry. I think Broad may need to come back if he gets through the winter unscathed.
It isn’t unusual for England to do well in ODIs in the summer after a WC. England have only lost one summer series in those summers since 1995 (to the West Indies in 2007). In the long run, it didn’t mean very much. This may be different – but it may not.
Sorry James can’t agree on Hales, at least not when Ansari is being put forward as a positive.
Hales scores lots of runs, Ansari doesn’t. The focus on technique is a flawed one in my opinion. Top batsmen find ways to score runs, Ansari hasnt demonstrated that ability at any point. He struggles to put away the relatively loose bowling in division 2, how will he deal with tests where better bowlers invariably provide even less scoring chances?
I can see where youre coming from of course, but county runs dont always mean a great deal. Lyth is a prime example (not to mention the likes of Hick and Ramprakash). Its such a big step up from county cricket to test cricket, and historically the selectors have needed to take a punt on players with unremarkable county records. Neither Trescothick or Vaughan had particularly great county records when they were selected for England. Duncan Fletcher saw something in them, and thought theyd become good test players, and they went on to do very well. I have no idea whether Ansari will follow in their footsteps, but I like what Ive seen of him. He got runs against Jimmy Anderson yesterday, which means more than a greater aggregate of runs against weaker attacks imho. However, it could all be academic. Its possible Ansari is simply there to back up Mo as a batting/spinning all rounder.
On the UAE squads, both Paul Newman of the DM and Ali Martin in the Guardian got the squads exactly right yesterday before they were announced. But, apparently, the ECB doesn’t leak or so we are told….
I’ve seen one report (think it was George Dobell) that Ansari isn’t just there to make up the numbers but is likely to play and not as an opener. That must mean either Moeen Ali opening or Ansari instead of Rashid or both – I don’t see how it could fit otherwise. By the way, Ansari had to go off with a hand injury today – hopefully it isn’t anything serious.
One thing England must learn from last winter is to give everyone a chance in the two warm-up games and not pre-decide the starting XI and then pick it in both warm-up matches.
To be fair Simon, it wasn’t the hardest squad to predict.
You’d have predicted Ansari if it hadn’t been trailed so much in advance? Plunkett over Woakes or Jordan? Hales over Lyth, Ballance or Lees?
I would have predicted Hales, as it’s the kind of boneheaded selection England persist in making, even when the selectors seem to be getting a bit better at their job.
Ansari was slightly unexpected, but three spinners in the squad is sensible… especially when all of them can bat.
Ansari’s injury confirmed as a dislocated thumb.
Suspect the taxi containing England’s next opener after Ali and Hales has already got its engine running.
I’d have stuck with Lyth – give him a go on different pitches against bowlers who haven’t had chance to work him out. We keep dropping openers at the end of series – Carberry, Compton, Robson – we’re repeating the same cycle and expecting a different result. Failing to use the WI tour as a stepping stone to introduce Lyth to Test cricket was a shocking error, too. This summer, he was typically getting starts vs Australia, then getting out to loose shots. He didn’t look too bad technique-wise or over-awed though, just needs to develop a bit more discipline and adapt to the idea that if you bat 30 mins in Test you might only be 10 not out, rather than 20 in a county game. He’s a good slip fielder, too, and did make a hundred vs NZ. Graham Gooch took something like 36 innings to make his first. Furthermore, there’s no-one else. Using Moeen seems madness. His technique is completely wrong for a Test opener, it’s way too loose. He’s going to have to do loads more bowling in the UAE, too, and could well be bowling at the time the last Pakistani wicket falls, so focusing on opening will be tricky. He’s a brilliant and genuine all-rounder, we’re really lucky to have him. It would be just typical of England’s selectors to wreck him in a stupid experiment.
Rotten luck for Ansari, I’d be surprised if he makes the tour. He’ll be back though, he’s clearly “from the right sort of family”, and a Double First from Cambridge, no less! Definitely earmarked as a FEC.
Lions squad announced:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/921181.html
Can anyone explain how Tymal Mills has gone from the stories early in the summer that he couldn’t play longer-form cricket because of an hereditary back condition to being in the Lions’ squad?
I think selectors have to give opportunities for new faces other than experience guys.