Patel wouldn't listen to warnings

As you no doubt picked up last week, Samit Patel will not travel from New Zealand where the Lions are on tour, to join up with the main squad in the West Indies for the ODIs. The reason? He's not as fit as is expected of him. Or, as The Telegraph explains, because he's fat.

He's 24 and, although many observers consider that young, it's plenty old enough to have gone through the rebellious teens and got that out of your system. He's a professional sportsman and that means approaching all aspects of his game professionally. Yes, he may be able to carry out what is required of him without being as fit as he possible could be, but equally his lack of application now could reduce the length of his career or make him more susceptible to injury.

But the main reason I think the England management are right to take a stand on Patel - who has had many warnings apparently - is the impact that someone not pulling their weight has on team morale. Everyone must be 100% dedicated to being the best they possibly can be, and it appears Patel isn't.

He clearly has talent and I hope he comes back into the reckoning for both the ODI and Test squads because, although it hasn't really been recognised yet, he is another option as a batting all-rounder in Tests. I just hope he heeds this clear warning that he'll only make it internationally if he knuckles down - as a country England can't afford not to have talented players on the pitch....we're not overburdened with them.