Following the last World Cup in South Africa 2003, where England's progress to the Super Six stage was blighted by the controversial Zimbabwe situation, it would have been nice for this World Cup to pass without any controversy.
So when the England players hit our headlines in the Sunday morning papers, it was more in hope than expectation that we were about to be informed of good news.
The news that a handful of England players had been fined in breach of team discipline (late night boozing!) actually broke on our screens around Saturday tea time.
Then over the proceeding hours, we were made to endure the lambasting of chief trouble maker Andrew Flintoff, and his role in the debacle, by former players, pundits and journalists alike. We learnt 'Freddie' was to not only lose his place in the side for Sunday's crucial game against Canada, but also his role as vice-captain.
So has all the criticism of Lancashire's own loved one been justified ? Well, if you happen to have been living on Mars for the last few days, and do not know what took place, it was like this. According to reports, and as Flintoff put it "a bit of poetic licence", he along with fellow Lancastrian Jimmy Anderson, Ian Bell, Jon Lewis and Liam Plunkett, enjoyed more than a few drinks in a nightclub in St. Lucia, near the team hotel, following Friday's defeat to New Zealand.
Flintoff was then said to have allegedly capsized a pedalo out at sea at around 4am in the morning.
While there is no doubt the basis of this story actually happened, the truthful extent of the pedalo incident is still open to debate, however, he is known to overindulge and self destruct every now and again.
Nevertheless, this regrettable incident has now happened, the players have been appropriately dealt with. You cannot condone what took place, and certainly the timing of the episode was lacking in common sense, when you consider England had an important win at all costs game against Canada on Sunday. If England had been playing, with all due respect, a more gifted side, the decision to drop England's talisman would have been made that bit more difficult for the management, but it was still a relatively brave decision.
If the boys fancied a night out, then surely after Sunday's game, where a six day break followed, would have been more understandable, if still not absolutely necessary. What the management expect of the players is made quite clear to them, and one would expect the players to adhere to the seemingly relaxed instructions.
Mistakes have been made, and hopefully lessons have been learnt, now surely it is time to forget about recent events and concentrate on what England have been sent over there to achieve.
Another cricketing side that have been sent to foreign climes are our own Lancashire, who were due to arrive in South Africa on Tuesday for their pre-season tour.
They will undertake a 12-day training camp in Cape Town, competing in a minimum of five matches, four against South African opposition and Durham C.C.C completing the fixtures. The first fixture against a Boland XI takes place on Friday 23 March.
The players are looking forward to getting some cricket under their belts, having already undertaken a large chunk of their pre-season fitness drills, having returned to training as early as 5 February.
The touring squad has a good blend of experience and youth, with Mal Loye having the chance to put his disappointment of missing out on the World Cup squad behind him. Mike Watkinson found difficulty in naming 17 players to take on the tour with so many being away on international duty.
The tour represents a good opportunity for competitive cricket to be played and to build on the fantastic spirit that is already instilled in the camp.
(BBC Lancashire, 21/03/07)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2007/03/21/cricket_paul_wood_flintoff_210307.shtml
Wednesday 21 March 2007
Evolution of One-Day Cricket
With the introduction of powerplays, boundary ropes being brought in, the increasing number of flat wickets, and the technologically enhanced bats, there is no doubt the ICC's mission statement for one-day cricket is boundary hitting, and plenty of it.
The powers that be are determined to reward batting teams with aggressive risks in the early stages of a limited overs contest. Almost goading the openers to chance their arm and take on an extravagant lofted drives, in turn responding to the hierarchies desire for a constant flow of boundaries. Indeed 'Babe' Ruth would not look out of his place in the modern game with his own inimitable hitting style.
With such scenarios set, teams have experimented between orthodox batsmen with the versatility of playing the expansive strokes and so called 'pinch-hitters', generally lower order batters promoted to utilise the fielding restrictions without the fear of losing their wicket.
Two of the finest exponents of this art are a combination of both styles. Happy to blaze away from ball one, yet technically good enough to appreciate and deal with an opening bowler who has found his rhythm with the new ball. I am of course referring to Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya, for whom it will almost certainly be their last World Cup and a final chance to take centre stage in a prestigious one-day event before their inevitable retirements arrive.
Australia's Adam Gilchrist will now be arriving in time for the start of the World Cup, after his wife gave birth to their third child, however, making up for lost time is nothing new to the Aussie keeper (he had to wait till he was nearly 28 for his Test debut). In the one-day arena Gilchrist has been pretty much a regular since his debut in 1996, and he has proved to be one of the most entertaining and exciting batsmen of the modern era.
Unfazed by the prospect of facing the new ball, 'Gilly' sees it as a chance to get some early runs with the attacking fields set and does so with a mix of ferocious cuts and pulls, flaying anything that offers a hint of width. A career strike rate of 96.29 in 257 ODI's tells you all you need to know about how Gilchrist goes about his batting. It is obviously not all about how quick you score the runs, but how many you score, and he has accumulated an impressive 8585 runs, whilst twice winning the award for One-Day International Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
Gilchrist' plan in the future is to spend more time with his family, and in the 20 games he has played in the World Cup so far he is yet to register a century, what better way to sign off than amending that particular statistic.
Sanath Jayasuriya will be hoping to lead the way for Sri Lanka in a repeat of their 1996 World Cup success. Another exceptionally explosive hitter at the top of the innings, and like Gilchrist, he is as strong as any other player in world cricket square of the wicket. He has so far scored over 11,500 runs in ODI cricket and still maintains a strike rate in excess of 90 runs per 100 balls, which emphasizes the fact he has been one of Sri Lanka's most important one-day players in their history.
It was in 1996 where Jayasuriya first came to worldwide prominence with his ultra positive style, when he was promoted up the order to open the innings and use the first 15 overs like you would the last 15. It was possibly the first time such a diverse tactic was used (New Zealand and Mark Greatbatch may disagree). The decision was made by his captain Arjuna Ranatunga and against England in the quarter-finals, Jayasuriya scored 82 runs off a mere 44 balls helping them secure a comfortable five wicket victory.
It has not all been plain sailing for Sri Lanka's master blaster, it was not until his 34th innings that he managed to pass the half century mark, and he briefly retired in 2006, only to be called out of his armchair and slippers to join up with Tom Moody's squad in England (of which he did not feature).
He still holds the record for the fastest fifity, racing to the landmark off only 17 balls against Pakistan in 1996 and was top of the list for fastest century when he reached a hundred off 48 balls in the same series (this record lasted only 6 months, that innings is now fifth in the list).
This will be Jayasuriya's fifth and final World Cup, and you would not bet against him going out in typical dynamic and gung-ho fashion.
Most nations throughout the years, since 1996, have experimented with these explosive players at the top and in this coming World Cup they will still be on show. Virender Sehwag of India is currently short on form, but can be quite destructive if he gets it right, as can Robin Uthappa, also of India, who is in the very early stages of his international career but has already signified his intentions in the shorter form of the game, with a strike rate that stands at over 114 runs per 100 balls.
In the last 10 ODI matches of all the major nations, India are the leading side that use the first 10 overs to their advantage, scoring on average 55 runs in the opening stages.
England are the team slowest out of the traps (averaging 39), favouring instead to try ensure wickets are kept in the shed for a later onslaught. I would not imagine things changing for England in the Caribbean, as they left out there only real attacking threat at the top in Mal Loye.
Chris Gayle, who had an outstanding ICC Champions Trophy where he made three centuries, will no doubt be a big threat, especially playing at his home ground in Jamaica in the initial group stage. Gayle has become a consistent performer for the West Indies, and what he lacks in footwork he more than makes up for with bludgeoning drives through the off side.
Pakistan are another side that can boast a handful of destructive players that can be used in the opening salvos. Imran Nazir has won a recall to the side after a two and a half year exile, and blasted a 32-ball fifty on his return against South Africa and Shahid Afridi has been used in the past as an opener with a certain licence to entertain and has scored 3484 of his 4982 career ODI runs at the top of the order. His style of batting needs no introduction, but at times his shot selection is certainly questionable. Pakistan continue to be a little bemused as to which position he is most effective.
Lou Vincent has been in sparkling form for New Zealand recently in the CB Series and the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after replacing Nathan Astle, and will not be shy in taking the aerial route at the World Cup and asserting his authority on opposing sides.
When 50 over cricket was first introduced to the World Cup back in 1987, only the West Indies passed the 300 mark, and that was in large thanks to Viv Richards incredible 181 against Sri Lanka. With all the new tracks laid for this World Cup it is difficult to predict exactly how these pitches will play, but I have the feeling that 300 rather than being the benchmark may well be insufficient on occasions, as the idea of 400 runs in a World Cup innings grows ever closer to becoming an unthinkable reality.
(Cricket Web, 01/03/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=%2024&NewsIDAuto=3497
The powers that be are determined to reward batting teams with aggressive risks in the early stages of a limited overs contest. Almost goading the openers to chance their arm and take on an extravagant lofted drives, in turn responding to the hierarchies desire for a constant flow of boundaries. Indeed 'Babe' Ruth would not look out of his place in the modern game with his own inimitable hitting style.
With such scenarios set, teams have experimented between orthodox batsmen with the versatility of playing the expansive strokes and so called 'pinch-hitters', generally lower order batters promoted to utilise the fielding restrictions without the fear of losing their wicket.
Two of the finest exponents of this art are a combination of both styles. Happy to blaze away from ball one, yet technically good enough to appreciate and deal with an opening bowler who has found his rhythm with the new ball. I am of course referring to Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya, for whom it will almost certainly be their last World Cup and a final chance to take centre stage in a prestigious one-day event before their inevitable retirements arrive.
Australia's Adam Gilchrist will now be arriving in time for the start of the World Cup, after his wife gave birth to their third child, however, making up for lost time is nothing new to the Aussie keeper (he had to wait till he was nearly 28 for his Test debut). In the one-day arena Gilchrist has been pretty much a regular since his debut in 1996, and he has proved to be one of the most entertaining and exciting batsmen of the modern era.
Unfazed by the prospect of facing the new ball, 'Gilly' sees it as a chance to get some early runs with the attacking fields set and does so with a mix of ferocious cuts and pulls, flaying anything that offers a hint of width. A career strike rate of 96.29 in 257 ODI's tells you all you need to know about how Gilchrist goes about his batting. It is obviously not all about how quick you score the runs, but how many you score, and he has accumulated an impressive 8585 runs, whilst twice winning the award for One-Day International Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
Gilchrist' plan in the future is to spend more time with his family, and in the 20 games he has played in the World Cup so far he is yet to register a century, what better way to sign off than amending that particular statistic.
Sanath Jayasuriya will be hoping to lead the way for Sri Lanka in a repeat of their 1996 World Cup success. Another exceptionally explosive hitter at the top of the innings, and like Gilchrist, he is as strong as any other player in world cricket square of the wicket. He has so far scored over 11,500 runs in ODI cricket and still maintains a strike rate in excess of 90 runs per 100 balls, which emphasizes the fact he has been one of Sri Lanka's most important one-day players in their history.
It was in 1996 where Jayasuriya first came to worldwide prominence with his ultra positive style, when he was promoted up the order to open the innings and use the first 15 overs like you would the last 15. It was possibly the first time such a diverse tactic was used (New Zealand and Mark Greatbatch may disagree). The decision was made by his captain Arjuna Ranatunga and against England in the quarter-finals, Jayasuriya scored 82 runs off a mere 44 balls helping them secure a comfortable five wicket victory.
It has not all been plain sailing for Sri Lanka's master blaster, it was not until his 34th innings that he managed to pass the half century mark, and he briefly retired in 2006, only to be called out of his armchair and slippers to join up with Tom Moody's squad in England (of which he did not feature).
He still holds the record for the fastest fifity, racing to the landmark off only 17 balls against Pakistan in 1996 and was top of the list for fastest century when he reached a hundred off 48 balls in the same series (this record lasted only 6 months, that innings is now fifth in the list).
This will be Jayasuriya's fifth and final World Cup, and you would not bet against him going out in typical dynamic and gung-ho fashion.
Most nations throughout the years, since 1996, have experimented with these explosive players at the top and in this coming World Cup they will still be on show. Virender Sehwag of India is currently short on form, but can be quite destructive if he gets it right, as can Robin Uthappa, also of India, who is in the very early stages of his international career but has already signified his intentions in the shorter form of the game, with a strike rate that stands at over 114 runs per 100 balls.
In the last 10 ODI matches of all the major nations, India are the leading side that use the first 10 overs to their advantage, scoring on average 55 runs in the opening stages.
England are the team slowest out of the traps (averaging 39), favouring instead to try ensure wickets are kept in the shed for a later onslaught. I would not imagine things changing for England in the Caribbean, as they left out there only real attacking threat at the top in Mal Loye.
Chris Gayle, who had an outstanding ICC Champions Trophy where he made three centuries, will no doubt be a big threat, especially playing at his home ground in Jamaica in the initial group stage. Gayle has become a consistent performer for the West Indies, and what he lacks in footwork he more than makes up for with bludgeoning drives through the off side.
Pakistan are another side that can boast a handful of destructive players that can be used in the opening salvos. Imran Nazir has won a recall to the side after a two and a half year exile, and blasted a 32-ball fifty on his return against South Africa and Shahid Afridi has been used in the past as an opener with a certain licence to entertain and has scored 3484 of his 4982 career ODI runs at the top of the order. His style of batting needs no introduction, but at times his shot selection is certainly questionable. Pakistan continue to be a little bemused as to which position he is most effective.
Lou Vincent has been in sparkling form for New Zealand recently in the CB Series and the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after replacing Nathan Astle, and will not be shy in taking the aerial route at the World Cup and asserting his authority on opposing sides.
When 50 over cricket was first introduced to the World Cup back in 1987, only the West Indies passed the 300 mark, and that was in large thanks to Viv Richards incredible 181 against Sri Lanka. With all the new tracks laid for this World Cup it is difficult to predict exactly how these pitches will play, but I have the feeling that 300 rather than being the benchmark may well be insufficient on occasions, as the idea of 400 runs in a World Cup innings grows ever closer to becoming an unthinkable reality.
(Cricket Web, 01/03/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=%2024&NewsIDAuto=3497
England's Keeper Dilemma
The England selection committee are doing their level best to imitate cartoon favourite Homer Simpson when asked the question who should be England's permanent and long-term wicket-keeper. One can imagine the blank faces, head scratching and indecision as if Homer was asked to sacrifice his doughnut or his beer.
Since Australia's Adam Gilchrist has seemingly raised the bar in the role of a wicket-keeper, it has become integral for this man to make big scores, and England appear to be the only country having considerable problems with whom to select. Many of the nations seem to be settled in this particular position, using one man to feature in both one-day and five-day cricket, only Kumar Sangakkara does not keep in both forms of the game, due to his continued brilliance as a specialist number 3 batsman in Test cricket.
In the latest LG ICC Player Rankings, three wicket-keepers feature in the Top 10 ODI Batsman. Australia's Gilchrist, India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sri Lanka's Sangakkara are setting the example for keepers round the world.
Geraint Jones began the Ashes with the backing of Duncan Fletcher and it was generally considered his position to lose, which he duly did after the first three dismal Tests in Australia when, what is considered to be his strength, his batting, sadly let him down. His work behind the stumps was certainly more impressive than his work in front of them, predominantly faultless throughout with the gloves, accentuating his improvement in this area since he first joined the England squad. However, it is indeed his work with the willow that gained him the advantage in his Ashes selection over Chris Read, but unfortunately he has not delivered. In his last 20 innings he has accumulated a meagre 229 runs at an average of 12.05, a considerable drop, when you take into account after his first 6 Tests he averaged in excess of 40.
So the gloves appeared to be reluctantly thrown back to Nottinghamshire's Read, an act that would have hurt Fletcher in particular, as if to emphasize his initial selection was incorrect. Read could have counted himself hard done to in losing his place for the beginning of the recent Australian trip, as he kept impeccably on his recall to the side against Pakistan last summer. His scores were neither earth shattering nor disappointing but he did display encouragement for the future as he registered 38, 55, and 33 and kept wicket with the general tidiness that is incomparable within English domestic cricket. The impression given is that the management do not have full faith in his batting capabilities as a number seven and that certain technical deficiencies will always delay Read becoming a regular feature in the Test team. Maybe given time he could iron out his flaws and get to grips fully with the international scene and begin converting his impressive domestic form. Yet it seems that time is one commodity he is not about to be given.
Perhaps for Read to continue as England's regular, the option of changing team tactics could see him retained, by way of England going into the Tests with only 4 specialist bowlers, with Flintoff as one of them. This would create an opening for an extra batsman, presumably the returning captain Vaughan, fitness permitting, Flintoff dropping to number 7 and Read coming in one place below, thus not placing as much importance on him to contribute big runs.
So we come to the one-day game and a decision that puzzled most within the cricketing world. The debut handed to one wily old keeper by the name of Paul Nixon, which arrived very much out of the blue. Despite his consistent steady service to county cricket since 1989, at the age of 36, Nixon could have been forgiven for giving up on his international ambitions. This choice clearly made as a short term option, signifies the selectors bewilderment as to who to offer the gloves to on a long term and permanent basis for both forms of the game.
You certainly do not begrudge Nixon his moment in the spotlight, he is a fiercely competitive player who will keep things lively on the field and as expected make some typically innovative and crucial runs down the order accompanied by his usual high standard of glove work. If he continues to impress in Australia, a place in the World Cup side that appeared highly unlikely just a few months back could now become a reality, unlike his chance of getting the gloves for the 5-day version.
So who are England likely to turn to next ? Here is a brief look at four of the leading contenders -
1). Matthew Prior (Sussex) - Was born in South Africa and has already appeared for England in the one-day format, generally as an opening bat and with mixed success. Capable of exploiting early powerplays in one-day cricket he also offers a solid batting option down the order in Tests. A career first class batting average of a touch under 40 shows he is no slouch with the bat, crucial if England are to look twice at a keeper, he helped Sussex to the County Championship and the C&G Trophy last season. His development as a wicket-keeper was slightly hindered by having to share the role with Tim Ambrose while at Sussex (especially during seasons 2003 & 2004).
2). James Foster (Essex) - A premature selection for England some 5 years ago when he was aged 21 and to date has represented his country in 7 Tests and 11 one-day internationals. If the selectors required any reminding of what he is capable of, in 2006, Foster produced the largest of elbows in the selectors ribs. He claimed more victims than any other wicket-keeper in either division in the County Championship with 68 and he also exemplified his talent with the bat accumulating 721 runs at a more than reasonable average of 42.41 (he maintained his batting consistency in the C&G Trophy where he averaged 46.33). Lost his England place when he broke his arm, batting in an Essex net, allowing Alec Stewart the chance to take the gloves. Has since developed into a fine gloveman who has found increased consistency with the bat.
3). Steven Davies (Worcs) - Widely acknowledged as England's future wicket-keeper/batsman, the managemet will be only too aware of the dangers of throwing in a player before he is ready for Test cricket, a la Foster and Read. An undoubted talent, when at the crease Davies's batting has been described by his director of cricket at Worcester, Steve Rhodes, as having a 'bit of David Gower' about it, both a compliment and quite a burden. His glove work is still in need of some fine tuning but he displays a sound basic technique, and is a genuine wicket-keeper as averse to a batter that can keep. His potential remains unquestioned, but he is still young and learning and may have to settle for national selection further down the line.
4). Jon Batty (Surrey) - Rarely gets a mention when there is talk of who England's next keeper should be, and perhaps unfairly so. Since stepping out of the shadows of Alec Stewart at Surrey, Batty has proved himself worthy of a place among the Surrey superstars. He opens the batting in both forms of the game and was even given the chance to lead the side in 2003. A highly respected professional, who is now 32, and must be reinvigorated since Nixon's selection, four years his senior. His coach, Alan Butcher, is mystified as to why Batty never enters the equation, and believes the results he has produced put him alongside 'the best of his type in the country'.
To reiterate the value placed on a keeper to indulge in his fair share of runs, during the period of 1975 and 2000, 50 Test centuries were scored in total by all wicket-keepers. In the 2000's alone a further 50 Test hundreds have already been made.
It is therefore clear that whoever is next selected for England in this role must be an accomplished batsman that is capable of scoring centuries, however, one would hope that the old fashioned virtues of sound glovework are not compromised too extensively in the search for runs, as it is still a specialist position. The four players mentioned above (along with a handful of other keepers not mentioned - Pothas, Sutton, etc) will certainly all be hoping to get out of the traps quickly in 2007 and catch the eye of the selection committee ahead of the visiting West Indies in the middle of May.
(Cricket Web, 18/02/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=3439
Since Australia's Adam Gilchrist has seemingly raised the bar in the role of a wicket-keeper, it has become integral for this man to make big scores, and England appear to be the only country having considerable problems with whom to select. Many of the nations seem to be settled in this particular position, using one man to feature in both one-day and five-day cricket, only Kumar Sangakkara does not keep in both forms of the game, due to his continued brilliance as a specialist number 3 batsman in Test cricket.
In the latest LG ICC Player Rankings, three wicket-keepers feature in the Top 10 ODI Batsman. Australia's Gilchrist, India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sri Lanka's Sangakkara are setting the example for keepers round the world.
Geraint Jones began the Ashes with the backing of Duncan Fletcher and it was generally considered his position to lose, which he duly did after the first three dismal Tests in Australia when, what is considered to be his strength, his batting, sadly let him down. His work behind the stumps was certainly more impressive than his work in front of them, predominantly faultless throughout with the gloves, accentuating his improvement in this area since he first joined the England squad. However, it is indeed his work with the willow that gained him the advantage in his Ashes selection over Chris Read, but unfortunately he has not delivered. In his last 20 innings he has accumulated a meagre 229 runs at an average of 12.05, a considerable drop, when you take into account after his first 6 Tests he averaged in excess of 40.
So the gloves appeared to be reluctantly thrown back to Nottinghamshire's Read, an act that would have hurt Fletcher in particular, as if to emphasize his initial selection was incorrect. Read could have counted himself hard done to in losing his place for the beginning of the recent Australian trip, as he kept impeccably on his recall to the side against Pakistan last summer. His scores were neither earth shattering nor disappointing but he did display encouragement for the future as he registered 38, 55, and 33 and kept wicket with the general tidiness that is incomparable within English domestic cricket. The impression given is that the management do not have full faith in his batting capabilities as a number seven and that certain technical deficiencies will always delay Read becoming a regular feature in the Test team. Maybe given time he could iron out his flaws and get to grips fully with the international scene and begin converting his impressive domestic form. Yet it seems that time is one commodity he is not about to be given.
Perhaps for Read to continue as England's regular, the option of changing team tactics could see him retained, by way of England going into the Tests with only 4 specialist bowlers, with Flintoff as one of them. This would create an opening for an extra batsman, presumably the returning captain Vaughan, fitness permitting, Flintoff dropping to number 7 and Read coming in one place below, thus not placing as much importance on him to contribute big runs.
So we come to the one-day game and a decision that puzzled most within the cricketing world. The debut handed to one wily old keeper by the name of Paul Nixon, which arrived very much out of the blue. Despite his consistent steady service to county cricket since 1989, at the age of 36, Nixon could have been forgiven for giving up on his international ambitions. This choice clearly made as a short term option, signifies the selectors bewilderment as to who to offer the gloves to on a long term and permanent basis for both forms of the game.
You certainly do not begrudge Nixon his moment in the spotlight, he is a fiercely competitive player who will keep things lively on the field and as expected make some typically innovative and crucial runs down the order accompanied by his usual high standard of glove work. If he continues to impress in Australia, a place in the World Cup side that appeared highly unlikely just a few months back could now become a reality, unlike his chance of getting the gloves for the 5-day version.
So who are England likely to turn to next ? Here is a brief look at four of the leading contenders -
1). Matthew Prior (Sussex) - Was born in South Africa and has already appeared for England in the one-day format, generally as an opening bat and with mixed success. Capable of exploiting early powerplays in one-day cricket he also offers a solid batting option down the order in Tests. A career first class batting average of a touch under 40 shows he is no slouch with the bat, crucial if England are to look twice at a keeper, he helped Sussex to the County Championship and the C&G Trophy last season. His development as a wicket-keeper was slightly hindered by having to share the role with Tim Ambrose while at Sussex (especially during seasons 2003 & 2004).
2). James Foster (Essex) - A premature selection for England some 5 years ago when he was aged 21 and to date has represented his country in 7 Tests and 11 one-day internationals. If the selectors required any reminding of what he is capable of, in 2006, Foster produced the largest of elbows in the selectors ribs. He claimed more victims than any other wicket-keeper in either division in the County Championship with 68 and he also exemplified his talent with the bat accumulating 721 runs at a more than reasonable average of 42.41 (he maintained his batting consistency in the C&G Trophy where he averaged 46.33). Lost his England place when he broke his arm, batting in an Essex net, allowing Alec Stewart the chance to take the gloves. Has since developed into a fine gloveman who has found increased consistency with the bat.
3). Steven Davies (Worcs) - Widely acknowledged as England's future wicket-keeper/batsman, the managemet will be only too aware of the dangers of throwing in a player before he is ready for Test cricket, a la Foster and Read. An undoubted talent, when at the crease Davies's batting has been described by his director of cricket at Worcester, Steve Rhodes, as having a 'bit of David Gower' about it, both a compliment and quite a burden. His glove work is still in need of some fine tuning but he displays a sound basic technique, and is a genuine wicket-keeper as averse to a batter that can keep. His potential remains unquestioned, but he is still young and learning and may have to settle for national selection further down the line.
4). Jon Batty (Surrey) - Rarely gets a mention when there is talk of who England's next keeper should be, and perhaps unfairly so. Since stepping out of the shadows of Alec Stewart at Surrey, Batty has proved himself worthy of a place among the Surrey superstars. He opens the batting in both forms of the game and was even given the chance to lead the side in 2003. A highly respected professional, who is now 32, and must be reinvigorated since Nixon's selection, four years his senior. His coach, Alan Butcher, is mystified as to why Batty never enters the equation, and believes the results he has produced put him alongside 'the best of his type in the country'.
To reiterate the value placed on a keeper to indulge in his fair share of runs, during the period of 1975 and 2000, 50 Test centuries were scored in total by all wicket-keepers. In the 2000's alone a further 50 Test hundreds have already been made.
It is therefore clear that whoever is next selected for England in this role must be an accomplished batsman that is capable of scoring centuries, however, one would hope that the old fashioned virtues of sound glovework are not compromised too extensively in the search for runs, as it is still a specialist position. The four players mentioned above (along with a handful of other keepers not mentioned - Pothas, Sutton, etc) will certainly all be hoping to get out of the traps quickly in 2007 and catch the eye of the selection committee ahead of the visiting West Indies in the middle of May.
(Cricket Web, 18/02/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=3439
England v Australia, W/C Warm up
England's brief hold over Australia came to an abrupt halt at St. Vincent today as Australia cruised comfortably to a five wicket victory, as they chased down England's meagre total of 197.
Adam Gilchrist (72) and Shane Watson (55) were the chief tormentors as they combined for an opening stand of 140, which resulted in Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin knocking off the winning runs with 55 balls to spare.
Shaun Tait impressed with the ball, and for England the return to some form for Michael Vaughan will have been their most pleasing aspect.
It was Vaughan who won the toss and decided to strap his pads on as England set about setting a testing target. However, Ed Joyce, who continues to keep Andrew Strauss out of the side, fell early to a full pitched inswinger from the pacy Tait.
That brought together England's best partnership by some distance, as Vaughan and Bell combined to great effect. Both were severe on anything slightly full or off line and accumulated 116 before Bell was lured from his crease by a wrong one from the left armed Hogg.
England's captain had looked in excellent nick, particularly strong through the leg side, he hit young Mitchell Johnson for three fours in one over. One flick through straightish mid wicket especially, brought back memories of what a talent England have been missing recently.
The skipper was next to go, only 9 runs later, to another Hogg wrong one, in attempting to make room for himself, Vaughan over compensated, which resulted in him stretching and spooning a cut up to point. The England management, players and supporters alike will have been heartened by what they saw of Vaughan today, a well earned 62 off 73 balls.
Both openers will be disappointed by something that has blighted their one-day careers to date, the inability to go on once a start has been made.
That was virtually England's only bright spell for the day, it was downhill from there. In typical England fashion of old, the rest of the batting simply capitulated, in the face of some good accurate Australian bowling who mixed up slow bowling with out and out pace, and a cocktail of cutters thrown in for good measure.
The old adage of picking up wickets being the best way to slow down a run rate was no more apparent than here today. After 20 overs England were progressing nicely at 100 for 1. The next 28.3 overs saw a mere 97 runs made with nine wickets being lost in the process.
England once again struggling to come to terms with slow bowling in the middle stages of an innings. Brad Hogg, with all due respect, not one of spin bowlings world beaters, got through his 10 overs for 28 runs picking up a couple of vital wickets.
Tait, who bowled sharply throughout, picked up 4-33. How much Australia will miss Brett Lee is difficult to tell at this stage, but Tait is certainly the man who is most likely to replace him, likely to be used as a strike bowler brought on to remove any danger of a partnership forming.
So with 198 in their sights, Australia set about their task, and a commanding performance it was. There was a slight wobble later on in the day, but Gilchrist and Watson had already done the damage at the top of the order.
With the recent disappointments in the one-day arena, it will have been viewed as imperative they start to head in the right direction from here on if they are to complete the third World Cup win in succession. So a good start was needed and boy did these two deliver.
They batted positively yet watchfully and after 20 overs the score had ticked nicely along to 118-0. Gilchrist even had the courtesy to wait till he reached 50 before he deposited Plunkett on the roof of a stand with a trademark strike down the ground for a helathy sized maximum.
With Watson sill unsure of his place as an opener, especially with Matthew Hayden waiting in the wings, this knock will have done him no harm at all. His bowling may not yet be up to the level to trouble the best batsmen consistently, but his batting is improving with every outing, and here he batted powerfully and straight.
England finally broke the partnership on 140, when Watson cut Panesar to backward point and Pietersen took a good catch low down. More wickets were to fall but the general feeling was the job had been done. They could even afford a rare failure from their captain Ponting who chopped one on off Dalrymple.
Michael Clarke came to the crease and watched while Brad Hodge and Mike Hussey threw away chances to see the game to its finish. Clarke batted sensibly and ensured no mistakes were to be made on his part, and finished 24 not out.
It was a professional display from the holders, and their bowling, which is generally perceived as their weakness, was accurate and showed good variety.
However, England were below par on all facets of their cricket today. The batting, excluding Vaughan and Bell, lacked any real purpose, the fielding in general was sloppy and the bowlers failed to get the ball in the right areas consistently enough to make it a difficult chase.
Duncan Fletcher will be hoping to get this kind of performance out of the way in the not too important warm up games and improve when the serious business gets underway for England on Friday. They will find the New Zealanders no more accomodating.
Australia will be looking to build on this and forget their recent misdemeanours. A third consecutive World Cup triumph ? You would not bet against it.
England 197Michael Vaughan 62, Ian Bell 56Shaun Tait 4-33, Stuart Clark 3-16
Australia won by 5 wickets
Australia 200-5Adam Gilchrist 72, Shane Watson 55Paul Collingwood 1-15, Monty Panasar 1-16
(Cricket Web, 09/03/2007)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=%2024&NewsIDAuto=3549
Adam Gilchrist (72) and Shane Watson (55) were the chief tormentors as they combined for an opening stand of 140, which resulted in Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin knocking off the winning runs with 55 balls to spare.
Shaun Tait impressed with the ball, and for England the return to some form for Michael Vaughan will have been their most pleasing aspect.
It was Vaughan who won the toss and decided to strap his pads on as England set about setting a testing target. However, Ed Joyce, who continues to keep Andrew Strauss out of the side, fell early to a full pitched inswinger from the pacy Tait.
That brought together England's best partnership by some distance, as Vaughan and Bell combined to great effect. Both were severe on anything slightly full or off line and accumulated 116 before Bell was lured from his crease by a wrong one from the left armed Hogg.
England's captain had looked in excellent nick, particularly strong through the leg side, he hit young Mitchell Johnson for three fours in one over. One flick through straightish mid wicket especially, brought back memories of what a talent England have been missing recently.
The skipper was next to go, only 9 runs later, to another Hogg wrong one, in attempting to make room for himself, Vaughan over compensated, which resulted in him stretching and spooning a cut up to point. The England management, players and supporters alike will have been heartened by what they saw of Vaughan today, a well earned 62 off 73 balls.
Both openers will be disappointed by something that has blighted their one-day careers to date, the inability to go on once a start has been made.
That was virtually England's only bright spell for the day, it was downhill from there. In typical England fashion of old, the rest of the batting simply capitulated, in the face of some good accurate Australian bowling who mixed up slow bowling with out and out pace, and a cocktail of cutters thrown in for good measure.
The old adage of picking up wickets being the best way to slow down a run rate was no more apparent than here today. After 20 overs England were progressing nicely at 100 for 1. The next 28.3 overs saw a mere 97 runs made with nine wickets being lost in the process.
England once again struggling to come to terms with slow bowling in the middle stages of an innings. Brad Hogg, with all due respect, not one of spin bowlings world beaters, got through his 10 overs for 28 runs picking up a couple of vital wickets.
Tait, who bowled sharply throughout, picked up 4-33. How much Australia will miss Brett Lee is difficult to tell at this stage, but Tait is certainly the man who is most likely to replace him, likely to be used as a strike bowler brought on to remove any danger of a partnership forming.
So with 198 in their sights, Australia set about their task, and a commanding performance it was. There was a slight wobble later on in the day, but Gilchrist and Watson had already done the damage at the top of the order.
With the recent disappointments in the one-day arena, it will have been viewed as imperative they start to head in the right direction from here on if they are to complete the third World Cup win in succession. So a good start was needed and boy did these two deliver.
They batted positively yet watchfully and after 20 overs the score had ticked nicely along to 118-0. Gilchrist even had the courtesy to wait till he reached 50 before he deposited Plunkett on the roof of a stand with a trademark strike down the ground for a helathy sized maximum.
With Watson sill unsure of his place as an opener, especially with Matthew Hayden waiting in the wings, this knock will have done him no harm at all. His bowling may not yet be up to the level to trouble the best batsmen consistently, but his batting is improving with every outing, and here he batted powerfully and straight.
England finally broke the partnership on 140, when Watson cut Panesar to backward point and Pietersen took a good catch low down. More wickets were to fall but the general feeling was the job had been done. They could even afford a rare failure from their captain Ponting who chopped one on off Dalrymple.
Michael Clarke came to the crease and watched while Brad Hodge and Mike Hussey threw away chances to see the game to its finish. Clarke batted sensibly and ensured no mistakes were to be made on his part, and finished 24 not out.
It was a professional display from the holders, and their bowling, which is generally perceived as their weakness, was accurate and showed good variety.
However, England were below par on all facets of their cricket today. The batting, excluding Vaughan and Bell, lacked any real purpose, the fielding in general was sloppy and the bowlers failed to get the ball in the right areas consistently enough to make it a difficult chase.
Duncan Fletcher will be hoping to get this kind of performance out of the way in the not too important warm up games and improve when the serious business gets underway for England on Friday. They will find the New Zealanders no more accomodating.
Australia will be looking to build on this and forget their recent misdemeanours. A third consecutive World Cup triumph ? You would not bet against it.
England 197Michael Vaughan 62, Ian Bell 56Shaun Tait 4-33, Stuart Clark 3-16
Australia won by 5 wickets
Australia 200-5Adam Gilchrist 72, Shane Watson 55Paul Collingwood 1-15, Monty Panasar 1-16
(Cricket Web, 09/03/2007)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=%2024&NewsIDAuto=3549
Bangladesh v Canada, Match report
Bangladesh secured a 13 run win against the plucky Canadians in this exciting climax in the Associates Tri-Nations tournament in Antigua. The thanks for Bangladesh must go to all-rounder Saqibul Hasan, who made the highest individual score ever by a Bangladeshi in ODI's making a match winning 134 not out, then bowled his 10 overs picking up 2 wickets for a measly 36 runs. Bangladesh recovered from a nervy start to post a decent total of 278, and while Canada always seemed a little behind the pace in run rate terms, they pushed Bangladesh right to the very end, and were unfortunate to fall 13 short. GeoffBarnett and Ian Billcliff the stars of their innings. Canada were not the pushovers perhaps people expected and fought to the very end and played their part in a thrilling run chase.
Bangladesh made two changes to their line-up from the opening game, the two quick bowlers, Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain, had recovered sufficiently from their respective back and foot problems to replace Syed Rasel and Tapash Baisya.
Canada made just one change to their side, slow bowler Kevin Sandher was left out in favour of Ugandan-born seamer Henry Osinde.
Canada won the toss and chose to field and made early inroads into the Bangladeshi's line up, when century maker in the first game, Shahriar Nafees, was caught behind from his first ball off the bowling of former West Indies international Anderson Cummins.
The 40-year old paceman then picked up Aftab Ahmed for 0. He fell second ball, again caught by promising keeper Ashish Bagai. When Tamim Iqbal was run out for 11, Bangladesh were staring down the barrel at 30-3. They need not have worried, because at this point captain Habibul Bashar joined the exciting young Saqibul Hasan, and when the skipper had finally departed the scoreboad had shunted along to 162-4, a much needed, steadying partnership of 132.
It did not get any easier for Canada's slightly ageing attack, as Mohammad Ashraful came to the crease, and put together a partnership with Saqibul that in retrospect took the game away from Canada. They accumulated 116 runs off just under 14 overs, with some calculated hitting.
Ashraful was finally out off the last ball of the innings for a superb 60 off only 45 balls, Saqibul remained not out for an outstanding 134, including 14 fours. Bangladesh finished on 278-5 off their allocation of 50 overs, with 95 coming off the last 10 overs.
It was a breezy knock from the classy Ashraful, which cameat just the right time for Bangladesh to gain some impetus and post a daunting total for the Canadians.
Cummins figures took a little bit of hammer towards the end,after his tidy opening spell. His last 5 overs disappearing for 45, but he still finished with relatively respectable figures of 3-60.
The drama continued right after lunch, as Canada's chase got off to a shaky start. Abdool Samad had to retire hurt after taking a blow from Mortaza, and Shahadat Hossain started with a wicket maiden picking up the important wicket of Ashish Bagai, for the second first ball duck of the day. But like Bangladesh, Canada found two allies willing to do the hard yards and get their side into a position of strength. Geoff Barnett and Ian Billcliff have both played cricket in New Zealand, and they combined to great effect here, in a stand of 177 to drag the Canadians back into the game. However, the Bangladesh spinners were gradually cranking up the pressure, and the run rate continued to climb. First Barnett was stumped, then Canada captain John Davison realised the game was drifting away and in an attempt to rescue to the situation was out to the man of the day Saqibul Hasan.
When Billcliff also fell not long after to the spin of Abdur Razzaq for a determined and powerful 92, the writing appeared to be well and truly on the wall. But Canada did not know when to quit and Ashif Mulla came in and got stuck straight into the spinners, and it was back to game on and Canada were 223-4 off 45 overs, still needing another 56 off 30 deliveries. Despite Mulla's run a ball 44, wickets continued to tumble in the manic chase for sweet victory, and inevitably fell just short of the victory total, but all in all gave a very good account of themselves. Bangladesh must continue to work hard and cease the initiative when the chance arises if they are to produce a shock at the World Cup, the fielding was one aspect which was below standard today. However, well done to Bangladesh and the 19 year old talent that is Saqibul Hasan, and let us hope for many more nail biting contests throughout the upcoming World Cup.
(Cricket Web, 28/02/07)
Bangladesh made two changes to their line-up from the opening game, the two quick bowlers, Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain, had recovered sufficiently from their respective back and foot problems to replace Syed Rasel and Tapash Baisya.
Canada made just one change to their side, slow bowler Kevin Sandher was left out in favour of Ugandan-born seamer Henry Osinde.
Canada won the toss and chose to field and made early inroads into the Bangladeshi's line up, when century maker in the first game, Shahriar Nafees, was caught behind from his first ball off the bowling of former West Indies international Anderson Cummins.
The 40-year old paceman then picked up Aftab Ahmed for 0. He fell second ball, again caught by promising keeper Ashish Bagai. When Tamim Iqbal was run out for 11, Bangladesh were staring down the barrel at 30-3. They need not have worried, because at this point captain Habibul Bashar joined the exciting young Saqibul Hasan, and when the skipper had finally departed the scoreboad had shunted along to 162-4, a much needed, steadying partnership of 132.
It did not get any easier for Canada's slightly ageing attack, as Mohammad Ashraful came to the crease, and put together a partnership with Saqibul that in retrospect took the game away from Canada. They accumulated 116 runs off just under 14 overs, with some calculated hitting.
Ashraful was finally out off the last ball of the innings for a superb 60 off only 45 balls, Saqibul remained not out for an outstanding 134, including 14 fours. Bangladesh finished on 278-5 off their allocation of 50 overs, with 95 coming off the last 10 overs.
It was a breezy knock from the classy Ashraful, which cameat just the right time for Bangladesh to gain some impetus and post a daunting total for the Canadians.
Cummins figures took a little bit of hammer towards the end,after his tidy opening spell. His last 5 overs disappearing for 45, but he still finished with relatively respectable figures of 3-60.
The drama continued right after lunch, as Canada's chase got off to a shaky start. Abdool Samad had to retire hurt after taking a blow from Mortaza, and Shahadat Hossain started with a wicket maiden picking up the important wicket of Ashish Bagai, for the second first ball duck of the day. But like Bangladesh, Canada found two allies willing to do the hard yards and get their side into a position of strength. Geoff Barnett and Ian Billcliff have both played cricket in New Zealand, and they combined to great effect here, in a stand of 177 to drag the Canadians back into the game. However, the Bangladesh spinners were gradually cranking up the pressure, and the run rate continued to climb. First Barnett was stumped, then Canada captain John Davison realised the game was drifting away and in an attempt to rescue to the situation was out to the man of the day Saqibul Hasan.
When Billcliff also fell not long after to the spin of Abdur Razzaq for a determined and powerful 92, the writing appeared to be well and truly on the wall. But Canada did not know when to quit and Ashif Mulla came in and got stuck straight into the spinners, and it was back to game on and Canada were 223-4 off 45 overs, still needing another 56 off 30 deliveries. Despite Mulla's run a ball 44, wickets continued to tumble in the manic chase for sweet victory, and inevitably fell just short of the victory total, but all in all gave a very good account of themselves. Bangladesh must continue to work hard and cease the initiative when the chance arises if they are to produce a shock at the World Cup, the fielding was one aspect which was below standard today. However, well done to Bangladesh and the 19 year old talent that is Saqibul Hasan, and let us hope for many more nail biting contests throughout the upcoming World Cup.
(Cricket Web, 28/02/07)
Mixed happiness for Lancs following squad annoucement
There will have been contrasting feelings surrounding Old Trafford in the past few days, on one hand will have been the happiness shared by Sajid Mahmood, Jimmy Anderson and Andrew Flintoff, and on the other, the disappointment for Mal Loye and Glenn Chapple on missing out in England's World Cup squad of 15.
Chapple was probably considered to have only an outside chance of reaching destination Caribbean having not had any international game time to impress the selectors, while Loye's hard and innovative hitting at the top of the order in England's recent CB Series success, was not deemed enough to retain his place in the squad.
Loye will look back on a series of starts without going on to make a big score and truly cement his place in the squad. His style of batting certainly had the Australian opening bowlers looking puzzled, as he regularly got down onto one knee for his trademark slog sweep (which on one occasion did earn him a trip to hospital to have his chin stitched up). At this level when a supposed weakness is found the bowlers have the quality to exploit it, and this seemed the case as they probed away just outside Loye's off stump inducing the drive, resulting in him being dismissed four times caught behind the wicket early in the series. The perils for an opening bat of facing bowlers who use the new ball expertly.
It appears Ravi Bopara was the man selected ahead of Lancashire's opener, with England preferring a more multi-dimensional player rather than travelling to the World Cup with seven specialist batsmen.
It is not inconceivable that Loye may still make it to the West Indies as a replacement if any of the batsmen get injured, and with Michael Vaughan's recent problems I shouldn't think Loye will leave his passport too far out of reach.
Jimmy Anderson's selection will be subject to further re-assessment regarding his troublesome back problem. He returned home early from the recent Australian tour merely as a precaution as he was receiving discomfort in a similar area to the problem he had last year. He is back in the nets at Lancashire but only as a batsman, and England will be hoping it isn't too long before he gets a few overs under his belt.
It was during the World Cup in 2003 that Anderson announced himself on the world scene, when at Newlands against Pakistan he ripped through their top order taking 4-29 off his 10 overs, including Yousuf and Inzamam, both for first ballers.
Mahmood's recall into the one-day side coincided with England winning the last four games on the Australian tour and he was understandably delighted when he was told of his inclusion in the World Cup party.
This is considered just reward for the fast bowler who bowled some more than useful spells in the recent CB Series, where he concentrated more on his areas as averse to trying to bowl too quickly.
He visited the West Indies in the early part of last year with the England 'A' squad with encouraging success. He claimed 12 wickets in five one-day games, against West Indies respective 'A' side, at an average of 15.75, also picking up 12 wickets in two 4-day matches. A repeat of that form will certainly help England to progress to the later stages of the competition.
There was no doubt that 'Freddie' Flintoff was to be included in England's selection, it was merely a question of what capacity. Would he be chosen as the man to attempt to lead England to their first ever World Cup victory or would he be restored back to the ranks to concentrate solely on winning England matches with his performances. The latter option was decided as England opted for the injury ravaged Vaughan to take centre stage.
Now does this show a lack of faith in Freddie's leadership that they are willing to gamble once again on a man so unfortunate with knee and hamstring problems, and without a great ODI record, in the hope that he can somehow survive the furious pace of such a prestigious one-day event, or is it simply the fact that England are a better side when Vaughan takes control and asserts his calming, yet authoritative leadership on the team. Leaving Freddie free from the strains of captaincy and focused solely on his own contributions.
It certainly took the pressure off the selectors when it was announced that any injured players can be replaced by players selected in the original 30-man party, making it much less of a gamble to include Vaughan.
So with the unfortunate Loye and Chapple left to watch the event at home, Lancashire will still have three representatives in the England set-up, and of course two other players that will be representing their countries in Brad Hodge, who was selected for tournament favourites Australia, and Muttiah Muralitharan, who will be hoping to spin Sri Lanka to a repeat of their victorious 1996 campaign.
It is possible that Lancs will be without five of their side when they take to the field at Edgbaston on April 18 for the first game of the County Championship season, if England, Australia and Sri Lanka progress to the closing stages of the competition with the second stage of the World Cup not concluding till April 21. Still I am sure we can find forgiveness for the England trio should they still be there.
(BBC Lancashire, 17/02/06)
Chapple was probably considered to have only an outside chance of reaching destination Caribbean having not had any international game time to impress the selectors, while Loye's hard and innovative hitting at the top of the order in England's recent CB Series success, was not deemed enough to retain his place in the squad.
Loye will look back on a series of starts without going on to make a big score and truly cement his place in the squad. His style of batting certainly had the Australian opening bowlers looking puzzled, as he regularly got down onto one knee for his trademark slog sweep (which on one occasion did earn him a trip to hospital to have his chin stitched up). At this level when a supposed weakness is found the bowlers have the quality to exploit it, and this seemed the case as they probed away just outside Loye's off stump inducing the drive, resulting in him being dismissed four times caught behind the wicket early in the series. The perils for an opening bat of facing bowlers who use the new ball expertly.
It appears Ravi Bopara was the man selected ahead of Lancashire's opener, with England preferring a more multi-dimensional player rather than travelling to the World Cup with seven specialist batsmen.
It is not inconceivable that Loye may still make it to the West Indies as a replacement if any of the batsmen get injured, and with Michael Vaughan's recent problems I shouldn't think Loye will leave his passport too far out of reach.
Jimmy Anderson's selection will be subject to further re-assessment regarding his troublesome back problem. He returned home early from the recent Australian tour merely as a precaution as he was receiving discomfort in a similar area to the problem he had last year. He is back in the nets at Lancashire but only as a batsman, and England will be hoping it isn't too long before he gets a few overs under his belt.
It was during the World Cup in 2003 that Anderson announced himself on the world scene, when at Newlands against Pakistan he ripped through their top order taking 4-29 off his 10 overs, including Yousuf and Inzamam, both for first ballers.
Mahmood's recall into the one-day side coincided with England winning the last four games on the Australian tour and he was understandably delighted when he was told of his inclusion in the World Cup party.
This is considered just reward for the fast bowler who bowled some more than useful spells in the recent CB Series, where he concentrated more on his areas as averse to trying to bowl too quickly.
He visited the West Indies in the early part of last year with the England 'A' squad with encouraging success. He claimed 12 wickets in five one-day games, against West Indies respective 'A' side, at an average of 15.75, also picking up 12 wickets in two 4-day matches. A repeat of that form will certainly help England to progress to the later stages of the competition.
There was no doubt that 'Freddie' Flintoff was to be included in England's selection, it was merely a question of what capacity. Would he be chosen as the man to attempt to lead England to their first ever World Cup victory or would he be restored back to the ranks to concentrate solely on winning England matches with his performances. The latter option was decided as England opted for the injury ravaged Vaughan to take centre stage.
Now does this show a lack of faith in Freddie's leadership that they are willing to gamble once again on a man so unfortunate with knee and hamstring problems, and without a great ODI record, in the hope that he can somehow survive the furious pace of such a prestigious one-day event, or is it simply the fact that England are a better side when Vaughan takes control and asserts his calming, yet authoritative leadership on the team. Leaving Freddie free from the strains of captaincy and focused solely on his own contributions.
It certainly took the pressure off the selectors when it was announced that any injured players can be replaced by players selected in the original 30-man party, making it much less of a gamble to include Vaughan.
So with the unfortunate Loye and Chapple left to watch the event at home, Lancashire will still have three representatives in the England set-up, and of course two other players that will be representing their countries in Brad Hodge, who was selected for tournament favourites Australia, and Muttiah Muralitharan, who will be hoping to spin Sri Lanka to a repeat of their victorious 1996 campaign.
It is possible that Lancs will be without five of their side when they take to the field at Edgbaston on April 18 for the first game of the County Championship season, if England, Australia and Sri Lanka progress to the closing stages of the competition with the second stage of the World Cup not concluding till April 21. Still I am sure we can find forgiveness for the England trio should they still be there.
(BBC Lancashire, 17/02/06)
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