The Reverse Sweep

County Championship Preview - Division 2: Kent

 
Too good to go down? Sadly that truism didn’t apply for Kent last season as they found themselves trapped in the Division 1 ejector seat. Can they bounce back at the first attempt?

Strengths

Despite mainly meagre returns last summer, Kent has a strong and talented batting line-up with the likes of Rob Key, Martin van Jaarsveld, Joe Denly, Darren Stevens, Geraint Jones and Sam Northeast. James Tredwell may not be quite international class, but he is a consistent performer at county level and should bag his fair share of wickets.

Weaknesses

The seam bowling stable doesn’t contain any thoroughbreds and thus doesn’t inspire confidence. That said the experienced Azhar Mahmood and Simon Cook may still have too much nous for Division 2 batsmen.

Main man

We’re huge fans of Robert Key at The Reverse Sweep – but despite his magnificent televised double hundred against Durham, Key had a poor season in 2010. Expect him to bounce back this season.

Look out for…

Sam Northeast has the talent, but struggled badly last year. As such this is a big season for him. Does he have what it takes?

Prediction

Champions – Key will be back where he belongs in 2012

Where next?

County Championship Previews - Division 2: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire

County Championship Previews - Division 1:  Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Sussex, Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Hampshire, Durham

2010 County XI of the season

Cricket heroes: Rob Key

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An XI of unlikely World Cup heroes and a not so heroic 12th man

 
We had a go at naming a composite Associates/Zimbabwe XIearlier in the tournament, which we posted with especially poor timing just hours before Kevin O’Brien committed GBH on the England bowlers in Bangalore.

This XI is different. It is a team of unlikely heroes (and an even more unlikely and much less heroic 12th man) who have mostly starred for the Associates during the World Cup and shown exactly why their presence in the ICC’s premier limited overs tournament should be absolutely mandatory. There are a couple of ringers in there too from full members, but neither would look out of place in an Associate side.

They came, they saw, they mostly didn’t conquer, but they added fun and colour to an otherwise tedious and elongated opening group phase.

Hiral Patel (Canada) – Faced with the heavy artillery of Tait, Lee and Johnson, 19 year old Patel came out with all guns blazing to compile an exhilarating 37 ball 50. The kind of guy who'd happily take a bullet for you.

Paul Stirling (Ireland) – Not only impressed with a 70-ball hundred against The Netherlands and his useful off-breaks, but also has the best jingle on Test Match Sofa. That alone earns him hero status.

Ashish Bagai (Canada)– Looked reasonable with the gloves, but it was his batting that really impressed with 225 runs at 45 including 84 against New Zealand and 64 not out against Kenya to earn his side their solitary win.

Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands)– The man they call “Ten inches” started the tournament with an unlikely ODI average in the high sixties and amazingly maintained it with a truly marvelous hundred against England. Also scored a ton against Ireland and finished with 307 runs at 61.40.

Collins Obuya (Kenya) – A really unlikely story. Impressed as a young leg-spinner in Kenya’s march to the semi-finals in 2003, and then reinvented himself as a top order batsman after getting the yips. Scored 242 runs at 60.50 despite playing in the worst side in the tournament and the fact that he finished on 98 not out against Australia, if anything, makes his story more heroic.

Kevin O’Brien (Ireland)– Came to the crease against England as a fat bloke with pink hair and then proceeded to morph into the bastard child of Gary Sobers and Viv Richards with his memorable never-to-be-forgotten 50 ball hundred. Surely, the IPL awaits.

Peter Borren (Netherlands)– If there is ever a remake of Robocop, Borren should be cast in the title role as he looks one mean and moody geezer. We daren’t leave him out, would you?

Darren Sammy (West Indies) – We like Sammy at The Reverse Sweep – he is definitely the coolest and most relaxed skipper at the World Cup. But let’s face it if he wasn’t captain, he wouldn’t be in the side. But Sammy doesn’t care and happily opens the bowling and promotes himself up the order. And we love that.

James Tredwell (England)– England’s erstwhile drinks waiter was pitched into battle in the do or die conflict with the West Indies and promptly proved that he could do more than mix a mean gin and tonic by snaring the rampaging Chris Gayle with his fifth ball – his first ODI wicket – and grabbing three more wickets thereafter.

Harvir Baidwan (Canada) – His 13 wickets in the tournament place him joint 3rd on the leading wicket takers list. That warrants selection alone. The fact that he got Shane Watson out in the nineties seals it.

Nehamiah Odhiambo (Kenya)– Murali is known for his winning smile, but it is easy to grin when you can tease and torment batsmen at will. Odhiambo only has a modicum of Murali’s talent, but if anything has an even bigger smile. He made us smile too when he got Shane Watson's wicket and Michael Clarke out in the nineties in the game against Australia.

12th Man – Kevin Pietersen (England)– Despite a long term of duty and several war wounds, Pietersen bravely pitched up at the World Cup and battled through England’s first four matches. Finally, with Andy Flower’s praises ringing in his ear, KP went home early for an emergency operation and some deserved convalescence. The wimp.

Where next?

England's World Cup of total and utter anarchy

Read about our cricket heroes and zeroes

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

England's World Cup of total and utter anarchy

 
Before this tournament we predicted that the Group Stages of the World Cup would be a long, drawn out and predictable affair; and as far as Group A is concerned – Ricky Ponting’s increasingly bizarre histrionics aside – we have been proved correct.

Group B on the other hand has been completely different and it has almost entirely been down to the efforts of a schizophrenic England side.

Earlier in the week, we wrote that England had more noble aims for this World Cup than actually trying to win the bloody thing.

We still stand by this, but it would also seem that instead of the usual fare of bland R&B or drab Dad rock usually found on the dressing room stereo, England have had the Sex Pistols “Never Mind the Bollocks…” on continual repeat.

This can be the only conclusion drawn from a World Cup campaign that smacks of complete and utter anarchy.

Before yesterday’s do or die match with the West Indies, we doubted whether it was possible for the game to equal what had come before.

How could anything beat the squeaky bums win over The Netherlands, the thrilling tie with the hosts, the defeats snatched from the jaws of victory against Ireland and Bangladesh and especially the come from behind triumph over South Africa?

But yesterday’s match was even more dramatic, bizarre and frankly downright anarchic.

It started with the selection of England’s two drinks waiters Luke Wright and James Tredwell, whilst the West Indies inexplicably dropped Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Then we saw Jonathan Trott playing the role of the pinch hitter and club cricketer Wright salvaging the innings whilst debutant Devendra Bishoo and Andre Russell (in only his second ODI) wreaked havoc at the other end.

When West Indies replied we saw Tredwell finally prove that he could bowl as well as serve a mean gin and tonic, Ravi Bopara taking wickets and bowling maidens in the Powerplay and the last four West Indian wickets fall for just two runs.

Phew! We have only just emerged now from the dark room after a much needed lie down.

What happens next is anyone’s guess.

Where next?

Read about our cricket heroes and zeroes

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

The real reason why Ricky Ponting smashed that television

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

World Cup Team Previews: England - How far can resilience take them?

 
The chastening 6-1 defeat in the ODI series down under means that England enters the World Cup with concerns over form, fitness and fatigue. Their recent record in India where they will play all their matches does not bode well either. Nor does the struggle to beat Canada in their first warm-up match.

Nevertheless, prior to the marathon encounter with Australia, England’s ODI fortunes had been transformed since a surprisingly good showing in the Champions Trophy of 2009. So, which England will show up here – the hesitant side we’ve seen over the last six weeks or the shock and awe troops that won five series in a row before they faced Australia?

Strengths

Extremely resilient and well-led, England are unlikely to descend into the rabble they have at World Cups of recent vintage. If Pietersen regains his ODI mojo in his new role at the top of the order, then he could repeat his MVP feats of last year’s World T20 and there isn’t a better spinner on show than Swann.

Weaknesses

The absence of Morgan is a big loss as his innovative batting and ability against spin was likely to be a big weapon on the sub-continent. With England's adopted Irishman gone that leaves just KP amongst the batters with the capacity to provide the je ne sais quoi factor. On the bowling front, too many personnel are returning from injury and England lack a quality spin partner for Swann. The squad lacks depth with the selection of Wright and Tredwell effectively making it a 13 man party.

Main man

The pitches in Australia were deliberately prepared to nullify Graeme Swann, but that won’t be the case here, so expect plenty of wickets and excited tweets over the coming weeks from England’s most famous cat lover. Ravi Bopara has a point to prove too.

Look out for…

Wright and Tredwell fighting it out to be head drinks waiter – barring injury neither is likely to see much action.

Prediction

Third in the group with the odd wobble. Then the inevitable clash with Australia in the quarter-finals with England winning, before a semi-final with India proves a bridge too far.

Where next?

World Cup Team previews: Part 1 - India: Glory or effigies?

World Cup Team Previews: Part 2 - South Africa: Don't mention the 'C' word...

World Cup Team Previews: Part 3 - Bangladesh: Shock & Awe

World Cup Team Previews: Part 4 - West Indies: Calypso or Collapso?

Our XI to shine at the World Cup

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

ODI Series: England marks out of 10

 
Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss are probably as pleased as we are here at the Reverse Sweep that the ridiculously elongated one day series is over. Never again, must England agree to play a seven match ODI series especially straight after a long and tiring Ashes series.

Not only has morale been sapped by a 6-1 caning at the hands of Australia, but injuries to several key players means that their World Cup hopes potentially lie in tatters.

England used a mind-boggling 19 players over the course of the series. Here's how they rate out of ten:

Andrew Strauss (179 runs at 25.57, 2 fifties, SR 82.48) - 5: Reached 63 twice but other than that the captain had a poor series with his muddled thinking in the field indicative of England's malaise.

Stephen Davies (42 runs at 21, SR 102.43) - 4: Hit a streaky 42 in the first match and was promptly then dropped from the World Cup squad to make room for Prior. Must be wondering what he has done to offend the selectors.

Matt Prior (138 runs at 23.00, 1 fifty, SR 90.19) - 4: England's obsession that their wicketkeeper has to open is doing Prior a dis-service as he would be much better employed down the order. Fell cheaply to the pace of Lee three times. 

Jonathan Trott (375 runs at 62.50, 2 100s, 1 50, SR 81.69) - 9: The leading run-scorer in the series scored over twice as many runs as any other England batsman. His 137 at Sydney in the sixth match was a great one day innings and proved that he could change gears when required.

Kevin Pietersen (185 runs at 30.83, 1 50, SR 90.24) - 5: Started like a dream in the first match at Melbourne before being run out by Mitchell Johnson's passable imitation of Wayne Rooney. Thereafter, KP disappointed getting out to a hopeless shot on more than one occasion.

Ian Bell (154 runs at 22.00, SR 70.00) - 3: Looked a million dollars when scoring a hundred against the Prime Minister's XI in the warm-up as an opener, and was then promptly moved down the order for the entire series.  Should open in the World Cup.

Eoin Morgan (106 runs at 17.66, SR 80.30) - 2: Was understandably rusty at the start of the series after three months of twiddling his fingers and carrying drinks, but failed to get into nick before breaking a digit to put his World Cup spot in jeopardy. Another who found some truly horrible ways of getting out.

Paul Collingwood (53 runs at 17.66, SR 86.88; 4 wickets at 20.75, ER 3.32) - 6: Started the series on the sidelines, but the break didn't do his batting much good. His bowling though was a revelation, being the only man on either side to have an economy rate of less than four runs per over.

Luke Wright (56 runs at 28.00, SR 86.15; no wickets, ER 5.36) - 2: Not even a bits and pieces player and how he can be in the World Cup squad ahead of Bopara defies belief.

Tim Bresnan (4 wickets at 27.00, ER 5.68; 47 runs at 23.50, SR 87.03) - 5: Broke down after two matches to join England's walking wounded and may now have lost his spot to Collingwood for the World Cup.

Michael Yardy (5 wickets at 60.20, ER 5.57; 137 runs at 45.66, SR 84.04) - 3: A couple of useful knocks with the bat could not hide the Sussex captain's ineffectiveness with the ball. A weak link in England's World Cup armoury.

James Tredwell (1 match, 16 runs and 0/44) - 1: Has Samit Patel's love of chapatis to thank for even getting one match. England effectively have a 14 man squad for the World Cup given Tredwell's presence in the squad. Maybe it is better to have someone who eats pies rather than bowls them?

Graeme Swann (1 match, 1/42 and 4 runs): 4: Another to fall victim to the injury curse and how England missed Swann's potency and control with the ball. Hopefully, he will now be rested and raring to go for the World Cup where England's fortunes are likely to improve of Swann fires.

Chris Woakes (7 wickets at 21.28, ER 5.65; 20 runs at 10.00, SR 50.00) - 5: Experienced the highs and lows of international cricket with 6/45 at Brisbane before being walloped for 73 runs in 9.2 wicketless overs in the next match at Sydney. One for the future.

Liam Plunkett (1 match, 2/49 and 20 runs) - 5: Plunkett came from a galaxy far, far away (i.e. the Caribbean) for the final match in Perth and defied jet lag to put in a creditable performance.

Ajmal Shahzad (6 wickets at 40.50, ER 5.15) - 3: Bowled excellently in Hobart, before fading away and then becoming another to pick up an injury. Shows promise but is maybe not as good as many are saying.

Chris Tremlett (6 wickets at 33.50, ER 5.20) - 5: Left out of the World Cup squad and then promptly bowled brilliantly at Hobart to take 3/22. Yet another England bowler who picked up an injury.

James Anderson (7 wickets at 34.00, ER 5.95) - 4: Was given a break back home for the first three matches and must have wished he'd have stayed there after being smashed for 91 runs at Sydney, before bouncing back with 3/48 at Perth.

Steve Finn (3 wickets at 56.33, ER 5.63) - 4: Bowled better than his figures suggest and really enjoyed himself with the bat in Brisbane.

Where next?

Reaction to England's World Cup Squad

An XI of cricketers that died young

Zeroes: Salman Butt

The best Test XI of 2010

The worst Test XI of 2010

4-0 to Jonathan Trott 

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

An XI of Asian Cricketers let down (for the most part) by England

 
The successors to Ranjitsinhji and Duleepsinhji and the contemporaries of Nasser Hussain have for the most part not been dealt a good hand by the England selectors.

Monty Panesar was given plenty of opportunities before being usurped by Graeme Swann and Ajmal Shahzad may have made the cut for the World Cup.

Here is an XI of cricketers of Asian origin who have fallen by the wayside over the last decade or so. Some have been tried, found not to be good enough and discarded. Others have not helped themselves at times like the talented but unfit Samit Patel, but perhaps some could have been handled better by the selectors:

1. Vikram Solanki (Captain)– Indian born Solanki may have 51 ODI caps, but the selectors never seemed to fully trust this silky strokemaker and quite brilliant fielder. His 13 match streak in 2003, including a sparkling century against South Africa, was his longest consecutive stint in the side. Never got a Test opportunity, but perhaps should have.

2. Owais Shah – Finally nailed down a regular spot in the ODI side in 2007 after being jettisoned after 15 matches earlier in the decade. In his second coming, Shah averaged 35 in 53 matches and seemed set to be a fixture in the side for some time to come after a brilliant 98 against South Africa in the Champions Trophy of 2009. But question marks about his fielding, running between the wickets and propensity to be overwhelmed by nerves did for him in the end. All these failings were on show in his short six game Test career, which fell away after a promising 88 and 38 on debut against India.   

3. Mark Ramprakash – The most talented English batsman of his generation fell foul of his own failings, but also those of the selectors who dropped him more times than Kamran Akmal let Mike Hussey off the hook in the Sydney Test of 2010. Ramprakash played his last Test in 2002 at the age of 32, but despite his astonishing consistency and mountain of runs for Surrey since, the selectors have resisted the temptation to recall him one more time.

4. Aftab Habib– A surprise pick during the 1999 home series with New Zealand, which England lost to slide to the bottom of the test rankings, Habib was here today and gone tomorrow with just 26 runs in his three innings and falls into the category of those that weren't good enough.

5. Usman Afzaal– One that fell victim to the selectors aversion to those of a more portly nature, Afzaal admittedly didn’t set the world alight with just 83 runs in three tests during the 2001 Ashes series - although he did score a classy fifty at The Oval. He didn’t impress in other ways too. The Aussies were non-plussed by his cockiness and the flashy sponsored car that he rocked up in for his debut.

6. Ravi Bopara– To be frank, it is amazing that Luke Wright is ahead in the pecking order, but the immensely talented Bopara has become used to life on the fringes since bombing in the 2009 Ashes series. Three successive hundreds against the West Indies convinced the selectors that Bopara was the man to bat at three against Australia, when it was obvious that five or six were more suited to him. In one day cricket, he can fill a multitude of roles as an opener, late order hitter, useful bowler and electric fielder. May get a second coming in Tests, thanks to Paul Collingwood’s retirement.

7. Samit Patel – Patel did well in his 11 ODI in 2008 and in our view is a better bowler and batsman than both Tredwell and Yardy. However, Patel has fallen foul of England’s dislike of lardy cricketers and to be fair given that he reportedly failed a fitness test before the final XV for the World Cup was chosen, he only has himself to blame. That said, maybe it is better to have someone in the side that eats pies, rather than bowls them.

8. Adil Rashid– Nothing excites selectors and fans alike as a world-class leg-spinner, and Rashid has the potential to be just that. Selected for the 2009 World T20, Rashid did reasonably well. Since then though he has been messed about - most famously when withdrawn after one expensive over in Alastair Cook's farcical debut as captain in a T20 match against South Africa in 2009. Suddenly the England hierarchy lost faith and Tredwell leapfrogged Rashid for the tour of Bangladesh - surely the ideal place to blood the young leg spinner. Time is on Rashid’s side however, as he is still only 22.

9. Kabir Ali– It is perplexing that Kabir wasn’t given more than the solitary Test after taken five wickets on debut against South Africa at Headingley in 2003. He also performed reasonably well in his 14 ODI, taking 20 wickets at a shade over 34. However, his economy rate was over six runs per over and the final straw came when he was smashed for 72 off just six overs by Jayasuriya and Tharanga in 2006.

10. Sajid Mahmood– He may be quick, but despite being a cousin of boxer Amir Khan, Mahmood invariably lacks the killer punch and can make Harmison and Mitchell Johnson look accurate – such is his waywardness at times. Like many on this list however, Mahmood was mistreated by the selectors. After impressing against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the summer of 2006, he was promptly dropped for the Ashes series opener at Brisbane. When he was finally picked both form and confidence had gone and so was Mahmood just two tests later. He did make a brief limited overs comeback in South Africa in 2009, but his performances lacked the promise of his initial foray into international cricket.

11. Amjad Khan– Another of England’s one cap wonders, the Danish born Amjad played his only Test at Port-of-Spain in 2009 and took 1/122. A subsequent knee injury and loss of form means that others have leapfrogged him in the pecking order and barring a minor miracle, is unlikely to play for his adopted country again.

Where next?

How well are the England selectors handling Adil Rashid?

Mark Ramprakash: English cricket’s great lost talent

Reaction to England’s World Cup Squad – Prior the victor, but where is Bopara?

Ravi Bopara – England’s Michael Hussey

The Worst Test XI of 2010

The Best Test XI of 2010

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including amongst others Graeme Swann, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Shoaib Malik, Ijaz Butt, Imran Khan, VVS Laxman and Mushtaq Ahmed

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Reaction to England's World Cup squad - Prior the victor

 
Unsurprisingly, the fifteen names chosen by England today for the forthcoming World Cup differ from those we picked in our World Cup XV earlier in the week.

We can understand leaving out Chris Tremlett on a horses for courses basis given that on the pitches of the sub-continent he would be unable to generate the bounce that made him such a dangerous proposition during the Ashes. Moreover, with Tremlett’s chequered history of injuries, perhaps it is best that he be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the summer tests against Sri Lanka and India.

England will regret only picking one specialist keeper if Matt Prior falls victim to injury or Delhi Belly during the tournament. That said, we applaud the selection of Prior ahead of Stephen Davies, who hasn’t convinced us either, but we would have taken the Surrey gloveman or Craig Kieswetter ahead of Jonathan Trott for insurance purposes.

The omission of Davies and selection of Prior also makes the selectors look a bit foolish for not including the latter in the squad for the current seven (yawn) match series with Australia. The selectors hadn’t put a foot wrong this winter, but they erred on this occasion.

That said, both of these decisions were borderline and don’t cause us too many grumbles. However, the selection of Luke Wright and James Tredwell do.

Wright may look uncannily like Shane Watson, but it is Steve Smith that he most closely resembles as a player. Neither are good enough with bat or ball for international cricket, and surely Ravi Bopara would have been a better choice. Bopara could even have opened with Andrew Strauss, leaving Prior to fulfill the role down the order, which he is probably best suited to.

Like Wright, Tredwell is out of his depth in international cricket and whilst we never expected the selectors to go with our choice of Samit Patel, surely there are better options than Tredwell. Adil Rashid for one comes to mind.

Will this squad win the World Cup? Probably not. But England fans should expect their team to put in its best performance at the World Cup since 1992 when they were beaten in the final by Pakistan. We tip them to make the semi-finals at least.

Where next?

Watch Luke Wright breaking his cricket bat

Adil Rashid should go to the World Cup

Zeroes: Steve Smith

Luke Wright is the shit Shane Watson

What Cricket can learn from Football in staging a World Cup

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Who should England pick for their World Cup XV?

 
With England set to name their World Cup squad by Wednesday, we should probably be writing a long and serious piece on who should and shouldn’t be in the squad.

But like our current disenchantment with football - which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the fact we support Liverpool (honest) - we are also none too bothered with any form of cricket that isn’t Test cricket.

It could just be a hangover from the Ashes, but with the unappealing prospect of a seven match ODI series between England and Australia, we don’t give two hoots about the World Cup at the moment.

And wasn’t one day cricket invented to provide a quick burst of enjoyment for paying public and couch potatoes alike? Seven match series’ are neither quick nor enjoyable – they are as painful to watch in full as The Phantom Menace. And don’t get us started on the length of the World Cup. Put it this way, our two year old will have graduated by the time it has finished.

So, we are going to name the XV we would pick if the Reverse Sweep was in the shoes of Geoff Miller, but we are not going to dwell too much on the reasons why we would choose these fifteen names.

Slow wickets, spin-friendly conditions, the heat and the risk of injury or delhi belly means that England should pick two wicket-keepers and three spinners in their XV, whilst ensuring that there is enough batting and seam bowling cover.

As such, we would go with the following:

Batsmen:

Strauss, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood and Morgan

Wicket-keepers:

Davies and Prior

Spinners:

Swann, Yardy and Patel

Seamers:

Anderson, Broad, Bresnan, Shahzad and Tremlett

So that means no Trott, Wright, Woakes, Tredwell, Kieswetter or Bopara. In our view, Trott is too one-paced for one day cricket and Prior and Patel can fill in as the spare batsman if required. Wright is pretty hopeless with bat and ball and it is probably a bit too early for Woakes, who lacks pace in any case.

In terms of the third spinner, Patel is a much better bet than Tredwell as would be Rashid. Finally, although we believe Kieswetter was dispensed with too early and are not convinced by Davies at the top of the order, it is probably too late to go back now and the much improved Prior deserves another chance.

We desperately wanted to fit Bopara in as we think his multi-facted batting, excellent fielding and useful medium pace could prove a boon on the sub-continent. But including Ravi for one of the batsmen we've picked is unthinkable, so the only way to get him in would be to compromise on the second keeper or third spinner, or take only four instead of five quicks. And that's a risk we're not prepared to take.

Can England win? Probably not. The conditions are against them and they lack an opener who can hit over the top (a la Marcus Trescothick), a quality second spinner to support Swann and pedigree in recent World Cups.

But they could well be good dark horses to back – just as there were in the World T20 last year. And we all know what happened there.

Where next?

Shane Watson: Finally the bride and not a bridesmaid 

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including amongst others Andy Flower, James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Marcus Trescothick and Douglas Jardine

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Our England Ashes and Lions squads for Australia

 
No doubt in between the latest news from Darlington football club and an exclusive from the Blue Square Premier league, England's Ashes squad will be announced on Sky Sports News tomorrow afternoon.

Most pundits have already had a go at picking their squads and it seems an opportune time for us to update the XVII we selected a couple of weeks ago (see Is this how England's Ashes squad should shape up?).

The retirement of Ryan Sidebottom means that we have to change our squad and we've also reconsidered our earlier decision to drop Eoin Morgan from the party in favour of Michael Carberry. Our reasoning that we were worried about the form of Alastair Cook still stands but it would be too harsh on Morgan and in any case Paul Collingwood's form is just as much a concern as Cook's so Carberry can be on hand at the Academy should he be needed.

Talking of the Academy or the Lions or whatever other name they will be called, we have also selected our shadow squad who will be in Australia should injuries or form necessitate changes within the Ashes party. Given what happened in 2002/03 and 2006/07 it will be no bad thing to have additional English cricketers on hand if and likely when the need arises.

Ashes party

As we wrote a couple of weeks ago, the squad pretty much picks itself with the XI from the Pakistan series plus Ian Bell an additional wicket keeper (either Kieswetter or Davies), a second spinner (Panesar, Tredwell or Rashid) and two or three extra seamers (Shahzad, Bresnan and Tremlett).

If reports are to be believed then Davies, Tredwell, Shahzad and Bresnan will make the cut. We've got no problem with Davies, who seems to have supplanted Kieswetter as Prior's deputy or Shahzad, whose pace and ability to reverse the old ball could be a useful option on the dry Australian pitches.

The selection of Tredwell though would surely be a mistake. He is less likely to take a bagful of wickets then Rashid or Panesar, isn't as good with the bat as the young Yorkshire leg spinner and doesn't have the experience in Australian conditions of Monty who did reasonably well on the 2006/07 tour. Two spinners may be required at Adelaide and/or Sydney and Panesar's slow left arm complement to Swann, experience and wicket taking ability would seem to be the best option. Tredwell would likely be cannon fodder to the Australian batsmen.

As for the extra seamers, we stand by our choice of Tremlett ahead of Bresnan. The former has had an excellent season for Surrey (48 championship wickets at 20.18), seems finally free of injuries and is far more suited to Australian wickets than the ineffective Bresnan who to be frank is out of his depth at test level.

With Sidebottom retired, we now go for a squad of XVI rather than one of XVII with our first XI for the Brisbane test in bold:

The Reverse Sweep's Ashes Squad: Strauss (C), Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn, Morgan, Davies, Panesar, Tremlett & Shahzad.

The Academy / Lions party

We'd opt for an extended group here with a mixture of reserves for the Ashes squad (Bopara, Carberry, Rashid and Bresnan) and the next generation of England youngsters. We'd also select Simon Jones and Samit Patel. Yes, we know that Jones only played one match for Hampshire this season, but where better to monitor his rehabilitation from a string of injuries then the Academy? It would also be a useful fillip for his confidence. 

We'd also take Patel. Forget the weight issues, Patel should arguably be in the England ODI team for the World Cup ahead of Michael Yardy. The selectors would be able to monitor Patel's progress at the Academy and then make a final decision about his form, fitness, attitude and suitability for a recall based on first-hand evidence. Again our first-choice XI is highlighted in bold.

The Reverse Sweep's Lions/Academy squad: Carberry, Alex Hales, Adam Lyth, James Taylor, Bopara, Andrew Gale (C), James Hildreth, Ben Stokes, Samit Patel, Kieswetter, Jos Buttler, Rashid, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Bresnan, Chris Woakes, James Harris, Toby Roland-Jones, Simon Jones  

Is this how England's Ashes squad should shape up?

The test series with Pakistan may have come to a chaotic and potentially earth shaking end (if the allegations against Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif are proved), but the England selectors certainly seem to have kept their eye on the ball. Just ask Kevin Pietersen.

Whether you agree or not with the dropping of England's best batsman from the Twenty 20 and one day squads to face Pakistan, no one can argue that Andy Flower isn't afraid to take drastic action in order to get Pietersen's form, confidence and swagger back. At first we weren't sure, but we believe that come Brisbane in November this may prove to have been a canny move from the shrewd Flower.

Like at least ten of the eleven who played in the test matches against Pakistan, Pietersen is assured of being named in the squad that will aim to retain the Ashes. The only possible doubt concerns Eoin Morgan, who with Ian Bell to return may have to compete with Michael Carberry for the spare batsman slot. Morgan will probably get the nod, but with doubts still remaining about the form of Alastair Cook, England will at least want Carberry close at hand with the Academy should a change of plan be necessary. It may be controversial and a little harsh on Morgan, but we'd opt for Carberry on a horses for courses basis and send Morgan to the Academy.

Depending on whether England opt for a 16 or 17 man squad, that leaves four or five positions available. One of these will go to the spare keeper, where it seems that Stephen Davies has jumped ahead of Craig Kieswetter in the pecking order. That leaves a second spinner and either two or three pacemen (or two plus an all-rounder).

The second spinner, who may well play at Adelaide and/or Sydney will be a straight fight between three players - James Tredwell, Adil Rashid and Monty Panesar. Tredwell is the safe but hardly adventurous option, although in some ways is the man in possession following his participation in the Bangladesh tour earlier this year. Rashid is the wild card choice, but he has snared 51 championship wickets at 31.60 and hit 679 runs at 52.23 this season, so has more than one string to his bow. Sooner or later, England are going to have to give him an opportunity, but maybe the Ashes is not the best testing ground (unlike Bangladesh, where Rashid should have been included).

Panesar has recaptured some of his best form since moving to Sussex and has 44 championship wickets at 26. He has also toured Australia before and performed reasonably well when he was belatedly picked for the last three tests in 2006/07. So, it's Monty for us with Rashid held in reserve at the Academy.

With Graham Onions injured, England will pick two or three from Tim Bresnan, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom and Luke Wright to complete the squad. We'd opt for three names but also add Chris Tremlett to the mix. Some people may laugh, but Tremlett did well in his three tests against India in 2007 and troubled all of the Indian batsmen. He seems to have finally shaken off a catalogue of injuries and is having a good season for his new county Surrey, where he has 40 wickets at 21.25. Unlike Bresnan for instance, Tremlett has the attributes to do well in Australia with his height, accuracy and bounce.

To our surprise inclusion of Tremlett, we'd also add Shahzad, whose pace and ability to reverse the old ball will be useful. Finally, against our better judgement, Sidebottom would be the last name. As a left armer he offers balance and variety. That means no place for Bresnan, but can anyone really see him taking wickets in Australia (or even at test level, for that matter)? We can't and that's why he misses out.

The Reverse Sweep's Ashes squad (starting XI for Brisbane in bold): Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn, Carberry, Davies, Panesar, Tremlett, Shahzad and Sidebottom 

England marks out of ten for Bangladesh ODI series

Bangladesh's shock win at Bristol may have made the series surprisingly interesting, but England's clinical performance in the decider at Edgbaston showed the true gap between the sides was as big as the one between Craig Kieswetter's bat and front pad.

So that's four one day series wins on the trot now for England since they surprised South Africa in their own backyard last November. How did each if the troops rate in this three match campaign ahead of the World Cup assault next February? And who can start packing their kit bag now?

Andrew Strauss - 9 (237 runs, Avg 79.00, SR 111.26, 1 100, 1 50, HS 154) - Continued his good form from the Australia series and hit a career best 154 in the series decider. His strike rate has quietened the doubters who questioned his place before the Australia series. Reverse Sweep WC rating - On the plane

Craig Kieswetter - 3 (52 runs, Avg 17.33, SR 88.13, HS 32) - Oh dear. Needs to do some work in the nets to close the gap between his bat and front pad, which is the size of the Grand Canyon at present. Even though his fall from grace has been as quick as his rise, Kieswetter should be persevered with for now. Reverse Sweep WC rating - Needs to relocate his passport quickly or could get left at home

Ian Bell - 7 (84 runs, no average, SR 83.16, 1 50, HS 84 not out) - Calm knock at Trent Bridge saw England home before Beckhamesque injury at Bristol ended his series early. What is it with English sportsmen and metatarsals? Reverse Sweep WC rating - Looks to be in a straight fight with Trott for the spare batsman slot

Jonathan Trott - 9 (204 runs, Avg 102.00, SR 81.27, 1 100, 1 50, HS 110) - Took his ODI average to a stratospheric 75.53. He may not be the most exciting, but Trott is certainly effective. Ridiculously criticised by some for his innings at Bristol when he was so close to leading England to an unlikely (and undeserved) victory. But what happens to Trott when KP returns? Reverse Sweep WC rating - Trott or Bell? Take your pick, the other one will stay at home

Paul Collingwood - 5 (51 runs, Avg 17.00, SR 63.75, HS 33. 1 wicket, , Avg 48.00 Econ 3.42, BB 1/16) - Not a great series for the doughty Durham battler with the bat, but he tends to save his best for when the pressure is more intense. Bowled 16 overs for 48 runs to show that his dibbly-dobblers and cutters can still be pretty hard to get away. Reverse Sweep WC rating - On the plane

Eoin Morgan - 4 (25 runs, Avg 8.33, SR 80.64, HS 23) - Poor series for Morgan, but he was due one and rather now than next February. Bell's misfortune is likely to prove Morgan's gain for the tests against Pakistan. Reverse Sweep WC rating - On the plane

Ravi Bopara - 8 (1 match: 45 not out from 16 balls, 4/38) - At last Bopara was given another opportunity in his best ODI position - number six. Could prove to be England's answer to Michael Hussey with his ability to embellish, finish or resurrect an innings. His underrated bowling is a useful weapon too. Bopara or Luke Wright? Not a difficult choice, is it? Reverse Sweep WC rating - Should be on the plane, but how tied are the England hierarchy to Wright?   

Luke Wright - 3 (15 runs, Avg 7.50, SR 65.21, HS 15. 0 wickets, Econ 4.81) - Bell's broken foot could well lead to Wright's England epitaph after Bopara showed exactly what is needed at number six. Is Wright good enough with bat or ball for international cricket? His stats against Australia and Bangladesh would suggest not. Reverse Sweep WC rating - It may be time to book that skiing holiday next February, Luke

Tim Bresnan - 4 (1 innings [10 from 6 balls]. 3 wickets, Avg 26.33, Econ 4.64, BB 2/40) - Has he ever taken a wicket with the new ball? Now has four wickets for 334 against the Aussies and Bangladesh in seven matches. Bresnan is a willing trier and pretty handy with the bat, but is he really ever going to bag a handful of wickets in the World Cup? Reverse Sweep WC rating - In the departure lounge, but could yet have his visa revoked

Michael Yardy - 6 (28 runs, Avg 28, SR 57.14, HS 10 not out. 2 wickets, Avg 40.50, Econ 4.26, BB 1/15) - Has a consistently good economy rate, which is lucky considering his paucity of wickets. Works well in tandem with Swann, but Adil Rashid would be a far more attacking option if perhaps loaded with risk. Reverse Sweep WC rating - In the departure lounge as one of three spinners in the squad, but will he be usurped by Rashid for a place in the XI?

James Tredwell - 3 (1 game - DNB, 3-0-18-0) - Only played the one game and didn't enhance his reputation in his three overs. It might sound harsh after such a limited opportunity, but taking Tredwell to the World Cup would smack of negativity and Andy Flower doesn't seem that sort of coach. Reverse Sweep WC rating - Denied visa

Stuart Broad - 7 (1 innings - 21 [SR 84.00]. 4 wickets, Avg 32.50, Econ 4.33, BB 2/43) - Continues to impress as first change and finally showed us at Bristol that he hadn't forgotten which end of the bat to hold. Has had a solid summer in one day international cricket. Reverse Sweep WC rating - On the plane

Ajmal Shahzad - 8 (5 wickets, Avg 13.00, Econ 4.64, BB 3/41) - Only played two matches, but was England's leading wicket taker in the series. Finally, England found a bowler who took wickets with the new ball, which will be crucial on the subcontinent. May have played himself into the starting XI for the World Cup ahead of the toothless Bresnan. Reverse Sweep WC rating - In the departure lounge with all papers seemingly in order

James Anderson - 4 (3 wickets, Avg 40.00, Econ 6.31, BB 3/74) - His form is becoming a real concern. Seems to have forgotten how to take wickets with the new ball and was very expensive in his two matches. Maybe Anderson should go on the same strength conditioning course as Broad and Finn? Reverse Sweep WC rating - Was on the plane, but has been called back to customs for a final check

England ODI healthcheck - how are things shaping up for the World Cup?

5-0 would have been quite a statement, but given England won the first three matches and Australia had an under strength bowling line-up, 3-2 to England probably left honours even. That said it is quite a turnaround for England having lost 6-1 to the same opposition less than a year earlier. Following on from the improved display in the Champions Trophy and series wins in South Africa and Bangladesh, England have certainly made a Lazarus like recovery in the 50 over format.

 

But, just how healthy is the England line-up ahead of the big one - the World Cup next spring on the subcontinent? Dr Reverse Sweep casts an eye over the team below and provides the possible remedies where necessary.

 

The openers

Andrew Strauss quashed the murmurs before the series that he wasn’t worth his place, but there is still a slight question mark whether his favourite run-getting areas will allow him to flourish in a World Cup on subcontinent pitches. But he will be there and will probably open with Craig Kieswetter, who had an inevitable fall after a meteoric start to his international career. Surreykeeper Steven Davies and young Alex Hales of Nottinghamshire (an opener in the Marcus Trescothick mould) are perhaps the unlikely alternatives here.

Verdict: healthy, but caution is required.

 

The middle order 

Kevin Pietersen’s position as the star of the side has now been usurped by the quite remarkable Eoin Morgan. The Irishman’s hundred at the Rose Bowl was one of the best ever scored for Englandin the one day game, and he should do well on the slow pitches of the subcontinent. Pietersen had a poor series and is maybe suffering a hangover from starring in the World T20 and becoming a new father. But as he normally does, Englandfans can be confident Pietersen will raise his game for the big one. Sandwiched between them in the batting order is the irrepressible Paul Collingwood, who just seems to get better and better. This is a middle order that rivals the best in the one day game worldwide.

Verdict: in a rude state of health.

 

The number six spot

This is the main worry in the side as Luke Wright is a place too high at number six and arguably is not worth his place in the side with bat or ball. If Kieswetter opens, then there is merit for having a specialist batsman at number six in the order especially as Collingwood and Pietersen can provide sixth bowler duties if necessary. We’d also argue that Englandcan not accommodate Wright and Tim Bresnan in the same side with the latter’s batting impressing far more than what is supposed to be his strongest suit with the ball. The candidates here are Ian Bell (back in the side for the Bangladeshseries to replace the injured/rested [take your pick] Pietersen), Matt Prior (who could also take the gloves, and who is impressing for Sussexin the FP t20), Ben Stokes (probably too young) and our choice Ravi Bopara. Bopara is a good batsman who can rebuild or embellish an innings in one day cricket and his bowling adds another string to his bow.

Verdict: in need of some medicine from Bopara

 

The spinners

Graeme Swann’s remarkable success story continued in the Nat West series and he will be the key man if Englandare to repeat their Caribbean success in the World Cup. Mike Yardy did a good job in the World T20 and was England’s most economical bowler in the Nat West series. His left hand style complements Swann and as an opener in domestic cricket, he adds batting strength to the lower-middle order. The only doubt concerns his lack of wickets. James Tredwell has come into the squad for the Bangladeshseries in place of the rested Swann, but surely Adil Rashid is the next best option to the two incumbents.

Verdict: in excellent health, but  Rashid should be held in reserve in the First Aid box

 

The seamers  

Stuart Broad returned from his strength conditioning in fine fettle and was England’s leading wicket taker in the series, whilst putting a marker down against Ricky Ponting in particular ahead of the Ashes. James Anderson was his usual hot and cold self – brilliant at Old Trafford but woeful at Lord’s. Tim Bresnan only took one wicket for 255 in the series and one wonders whether he will be even more ineffective on the subcontinent. A more potent opening bowler is required as early wickets are crucial in one day cricket. Steve Finn should probably be kept just for test cricket at the moment, which means that Ryan Sidebottom, who would probably survive a nuclear explosion such is his ability to stay in the mix, comes back into the equation. Ajmal Shahzad is also worth a look.

Verdict: Mixed. Broad looks in good health, but maybe Anderson could also do with some extra vitamins and strength conditioning? A new opening bowler is urgently required otherwise England could quickly get sickly on the subcontinent.

 

Conclusion

Things are looking pretty healthy with eight or nine spots looking nailed down. A new number six is required with either Wright or Bresnan (or both) dropping out. And a more potent opening bowler should also come into the mix. As it stands, England must be amongst the favourites and who thought we’d have been saying that just ten months ago?

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

How did England rate in Bangladesh?

A 2-0 series victory and winning margins of 181 runs and nine wickets suggest that England comfortably won the series, and to some respect they did. Nevertheless, at times Bangladesh had England on the ropes but either because of umpiring error or mainly because Bangladesh were unable to land a telling punch at crucial moments, England's counter-attack was enough for them to prevail.

But how did each of the men that played in the two tests perform? For what it's worth, here are my ratings:

Alastair Cook - 9 for batting, 5 for captaincy: Centuries in both matches suggested that the captaincy didn't affect Cook's batting, but he certainly didn't have the air of a Jardine, an Illingworth or a Vaughan in the field. There was too much of captaincy by committee and at times Cook looked a bit confused. If the opposition had been stronger, Cook may have been more exposed. That said, England won both matches and Cook's batting looks back to its best.

Michael Carberry - 6: Only played in the first test and given the opposition bowling attach, we didn't really learn too much about whether Carberry can make the step up to test cricket. Looked good in both innings and will be annoyed that he couldn't convert decent starts into big runs. His fielding was magnificent and he is nearly as quick as Usain Bolt.

Jonathan Trott - 5: After his stunning debut at the Oval most thought that England had found a real star. But nerveless has turned into nervous and Trott's batting has become ugly to watch and his batting in the first innings in Mirpur was either just what England needed replying to 419 or ridiculously negative depending on your opinion. The pressure seemed to affect Trott's fielding where he dropped an absolute dolly to reprieve Tamim.

Kevin Pietersen - 8: Came into the series under immense pressure but showed real grit and application as he recovered his mojo and swaggering confidence at Chittagong, where he fell one run short of a richly deserved century. On the minus side, he threw his wicket away in the first innings at Mirpur but people must learn to take the rough with the smooth where it concerns KP. Looked secure in the 2nd innings run chase and England will hope that Pietersen is back to his best for the big year ahead.

Paul Collingwood - 7: A typical Collingwood century at Chittagong put England out of sight. This was followed by two failures, although the second was aided and abetted by a poor umpiring decision. Although he was his usual reliable self, this was not a series for Collingwood to thrive in. Those await Down Under next winter.

Ian Bell - 9: Looked in wonderful touch throughout the series as his renaissance continued. His century in Mirpur got England out of a hole and answered those critics that argue Bell only shines as a supporting act to others. Now looks at ease with himself and his game, but can he deliver against Australia?

Matt Prior - 6: Just as his wicketkeeping has got more proficient so his batting has become more inconsistent. He ruined all the good work of his counterattacking fifty in the 1st innings at Mirpur by getting out to an atrocious swipe. Could come under pressure from England's coming man Craig Kieswetter.

Tim Bresnan - 7: The Yorkshireman earns full marks for trying and certainly seems to make the best of his ability, but I don't see him as a test opening bowler. But, he was the pick of the England seamers in the series and the balls to remove Tamim on Chittagong and Musfiqur in Mirpur were arguably the balls of the series. Just failed to get a deserved maiden ton, but his partnership with Bell put his side firmly in control.

Graeme Swann - 9: Swann's remarkable success story continued with ten wickets at Chittagong and six in Mirpur, despite the obvious effects of Dhaka belly. Still has the uncanny knack of getting a wicket in the first or second over of each spell and long may it continue. Now at a heady number two in the ICC rankings and it is richly deserved.

Stuart Broad - 5: Broad was frustratingly inconsistent with dross combined the occasional good ball. His habit of getting on the wrong side of the umpires and the spirit of the game is becoming annoying and needs to be rectified. Is he starting to get a bit big for his boots?

James Tredwell - 7: Should have played at Chittagong, but made up for it with six wickets on debut in Mirpur and added useful runs into the bargain. Tredwell could well have nailed down the reserve spinner role to Swann ahead of Monty and Rashid. Also took a stunning catch at Chittagong during a brief stint as substitute fielder.

Steve Finn - 6: Came in ahead of Liam Plunkett and Ajmal Shahzad and didn't let anyone down on what were extremely unhelpful wickets for the paceman. Seems to have a good attitude and is apparently still growing, so he could become a long term fixture in the side and a potential replacement for Harmison. It will be good to see how he fares on more helpful wickets and against stronger opposition. 

 

Tamim Iqbal's 'come and get me' plea to the IPL

A while back I wrote that Tamim Iqbal had successfully graduated from the Sehwag School for batting. That was after his brilliant century 151 against India in January.

Today he decided to take his PhD and secure a spot in the IPL with his batting in the second test against England in Dhaka. And unlike Matt Hayden he did it without using a Mongoose.

Tamim treated Tim Bresnan with the disdain he deserves as perhaps England's least threatening opening bowler of all time. And then he took a shine to Graeme Swann, newly installed as the second best test bowler in the World. Tamim treated him like a club 3rd XI occasional bowler. Steve Finn was carted for 22 from his two overs.

He reached his fifty off only 34 balls and had reached 85 (off 71) before he got a diabolical decision being given out caught behind off his arm to give James Tredwell his first test wicket. This prevented him from getting a 100, and who knows a 150, before lunch. It would have been as deserved as it would have been memorable.

If the shadow of his former self Damien Martyn can get an IPL contract then Tamim can expect his Blackberry to be buzzing soon.