8 July 2007

England's best ODI side

Obviously this depends on conditions, injuries etc, but as a starter for 10:

Trescothick
Vaughan
Bopara
Pietersen
Collingwood
Shah
Prior
Flintoff
Mascarenas
Panesar
Anderson

Given the Cricket Burble poll we did recently, I know most of you out there think that Cook should open ahead of Vaughan, but Vaughan was always my choice and I'm sticking with him! Cook would be the first to come in if any of the top 3 got injured. Owais Shah has gone up in my estimation during the recent West Indies series given some of the improvisation he's shown, so despite his skakey fielding, justifies selection above Bell, in my opinion. And Mascarenas has come in and done well so should continue, although he's having to bat two places too high at the moment.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cook instead of Vaughan and Broad instead of Mascarenas.

Anonymous said...

I would say 2 things....Why Michael Vaughan who has had nearly 100 chances and failed in ODIs and why Panesar ?
England are getting two things wrong and firstly it is using the power plays like Australia do and for that we need people like Trescothick but also Maddy or Benning perhaps who can hit over the top and score at a fair old lick. The batting has a solid look with Prior and Freddie 6 and 7. It would mean Bopara and Collingwood must be the 5th bowler but that should be trialed.
Onto Monty yes he is our best test bowler but he seems very naive in ODI cricket. He has played very little and seems incapable of varying his flight or speed and continually bowls quickish. I dont think he has taken more than 2 wickets in any ODI and if England are to win more ODIs we need spinners taking 2-3 wickets not being happy with 1-45 off 10. It is time Keedy or another spinner are tried as these guys take loads of wickets in one days and know how to fool batsmen with change of pace and spin and angle etc. I think Monty needs to go and learn this for Northants and not in the international arena. I would question Mascharenhas too only because we lost 2-1 to Windies because we could not take wickets and put pressure on the opposition. Does a line up including him help us take wickets ? yes he can bat and bowl and field but we have been down this road before. Surely we need wicket takers as this stops run scoring and slows it up. Too many times over the last 2 years we are chasing nearly 300 thanks to our lack of bowling firepower.