Who should make the cut for the England World T20 XV?

Such is the life of an international cricketer nowadays that not all of the England touring party to Bangladesh will return home together to cooler climes. Two of their number, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, instead head off to Bangalore and Delhi respectively for lucrative assignments in the IPL. They will join Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Michael Lumb and Eoin Morgan from the 30 man provisional England squad who are already in India; Dimitri Mascarenhas having left the tournament early with injury. 

And it is the shortest form of the game that is the next assignment for England with the World T20 in the Caribbean starting on April 30th, where they find themselves in Group D with the hosts and Ireland. So whilst most of the players will be recuperating and getting ready for the English domestic season, the selectors will be gathering in the coming days to pick the XV for the tournament. It is unlikely that the selectors will look outside the provisional squad named on March 1, which means that potentially useful players like Ian Blackwell and Samit Patel will miss out along with Alastair Cook who failed to make the cut despite being captain for the Bangladesh trip.

It is to hoped that the selectors are tuning into ITV4 to watch the IPL as they will see that Bopara has rediscovered form and confidence in a format that he excels in. He should open the batting with Craig Kieswetter, who made such a good impression for England A and then the 1st XI over the last few months. The selectors should also use the opportunity to give Matt Prior a rest and give the Somerset keeper the gloves in order to pick an extra batsman. Prior has not really shone in T20 and others, notably the unorthodox Shah and Lumb rather than Jonathan Trott or Ian Bell, can offer England more with the bat. The other batting places are straightforward with Pietersen, captain Collingwood and Morgan seemingly nailed on for the middle order spots.

The absence of Andrew Flintoff and underrated Hampshire captain Mascarenhas hands a reprieve to Luke Wright who will likely bat at number seven and be used as a fifth bowler. Tim Bresnan has also done enough to be selected in the XV having shown that he can offer useful runs with the bat and control with the ball. It may come down to a straight choice between the two for a place in the final XI.

This leaves six bowling spots. If the IPL and last year's World T20 in England teaches us anything it is that spin, extreme pace and the ability to bowl yorkers tend to hold the sway in this format. For instance the best bowlers in the last World T20 were Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis and Shahid Afridi. With the pitches in the Caribbean likely to be slow, England should play two spinners in each match and name three in the squad. But are the selectors brave enough?

Graeme Swann, inexplicably not playing in the IPL, picks himself and James Tredwell, who has proved to be a good T20 player with Kent, will also go. That leaves one more spot for a spinner. Adil Rashid has been messed about so much by the selectors, but he did well in last year's tournament and deserves another chance. The other Yorkshire spinner in the provisional squad David Wainwright, looks a good prospect but surely Rashid should get the vote ahead of him?

If fit, Stuart Broad and James Anderson will be in the squad, which leaves one place open. Assuming that the selectors don't have a brainstorm, Sajid Mahmood will not be picked and Liam Plunkett's winter of drinks carrying suggests that he is not at the forefront of Geoff Miller's mind either unless he wants a gin and tonic. With Graham Onions injured, that leaves Ryan Sidebottom, Ajmal Shahzad and Steve Finn to fight it out. Shahzad deserves to go for me.

So my squad with first choice XI in bold is:

Bopara, Kieswetter, Pietersen, Collingwood (C), Morgan, Shah, Wright, Swann, Broad, Tredwell, Anderson, Lumb, Bresnan, Shahzad and Rashid

Comments

[Ian]

Rightly or wrongly, I'd be surprised if they take 3 spinners to the Caribbean and also if they play 2 in a game. Think Bresnan would make the XI ahead of Tredwell. Mascarenhas might get a look in for the squad too, perhaps, wrongly in my opinion, even Bell. I hope they don't take, and play, two keepers.

All that said, I'd be happy with your squad and would be pretty much the one I'd go with. Good call, and good post.

[The Reverse Sweep]

Id definitely take Mascarenhas over Wright or Bresnan but unfortunately he is injured I believe and will be out for a while. Youre right in that they wont take three spinners and that KP will end up bowling in most of the games but I can live in hope!

[ceejaypee]

Spot on selection, so logical that it becomes improbable given England's strange selectorial policy. (!) Totally right about the batting, without the IPL Bopara was struggling, wonder if it is in his head when he pulls on an England shirt - same for Shah methinks. I think playing both of these guys is a bit of a gamble and England may play it safe with Cook or Bell in the squad. Prior doesnt play well in T20 for some reason and yes a rest given the amount of cricket in favour of Kies is probably a good idea.

I would definitely take Rashid, staggered that he wasnt in Bangladesh, Tredwell bowled well but there arent many games where you need two offspinners and England could get away with this given the oppo. Pitches in the West Indies are slow low affairs these days, so a wrist spinner would be an asset, especially given that he can bat and is lightning in the field.

As always, it is the pace bowling where the cupboard is bare. James Anderson is not bowling at present, Stuart Broad is over-rated and expensive in ODI's and there are a spate of injuries. Bresnan gets the nod, Wright too. As an outside shout, I'd have a look at Amjad Khan if we need pace, and Kabir Ali would be a wise head. Other than that I am really scratching around for pace bowlers.

[David Siddall]

@ceejaypee Kabir Ali and Saj Mahmood have surely proven time after time that they don't cut the mustard at international level. I know Twenty20 levels the playing field somewhat but please no.

[The Reverse Sweep]

I totally agree with you David on Mahmood and Kabir lacks the pace to be an international bowler. The cupboard is a bit bare though. I didnt say it in my post as he isnt in the provisional squad, but Id have considered Harmison with Flintoff out injured. But Shahzad is promising and our faith will have to rest with him (if he goes!).

[The Reverse Sweep]

Thanks for the comments Craig. Please not Cook for T20 - he just doesnt have the game. Id also leave Bell out as since he was dropped from the limited overs side his test form has gone up exponentially. Shah and Bopara are quality T20 players and have done well for England in that format. You are right that the cupboard is bare on the pace front, which is why Anderson (if fit) and Broad will definitely go. With Flintoff out, Id consider Harmison, which I know will get me plenty of stick, but that wont happen as he wasnt in the provisional squad and is now out of favour with the selectors. I think Shahzad looks promising and is less wayward than Finn so should go above Sidebottom. Kabir is a good county bowler, but perhaps lacks the pace at international level - saying that he wasnt treated well by the selectors, which unfortunately seems to part of a pattern with British Asians with Shah, Samit Patel, Bopara, Monty, Rashid and Kabir all being dealt with harshly in the last few years. 

[march madness picks]

T20 has been past away and world cup is going on with its shine. Today Australia have lost the match against Pakistan and I am shocked to watch march madness picks. Let's see what's next.