The Reverse Sweep

It's not jealously KP, it's pure and simple indifference

"Engage brain before mouth" is a simple idiom, but one that time and time again Kevin Pietersen absolutely fails to comprehend, which in combination with his breathtaking and unorthodox strokeplay makes him compulsory viewing both on and off the field of play.

Pietersen's latest foot-in-mouth moment came when he suggested that negative attitudes in England towards the IPL can in the main be put down to "jealously".

Not for the first time, we believe that KP has got it completely and utterly wrong. We can only speak as one English cricket following enclave, but our feelings towards the IPL border on indifference rather than envy or anything more sinister, and we believe that the same is true for most.

First and foremost for all the glitz, glamour and money that is part and parcel of the IPL, it is after all to everyone bar one billion Indians (a not insignificant number, we grant) a foreign domestic league. As such, we care as little for the IPL as we do the Sheffield Shield or indeed Zimbabwe's domestic competitions.

Secondly, it's Twenty 20 cricket, a form of the game that leaves us cold. It has a place to widen the appeal of cricket beyond its traditional geographic, social and demographic groups and it undeniably has helped bolster the coffers of clubs and cricket boards everywhere, but to our tastes at least it is little more than two pumps and a squirt compared to the delights of four or five day cricket.

Finally and perhaps most relevantly, for the last two years, the IPL has started in exactly the same week as the first round of the County Championship - a competition dripping in tradition and history and which still holds a special place for the majority of English cricket followers. For most, a choice between the hit and giggle of a foreign Twenty 20 cricket league and the unique institution that is the domestic County Championship is a straightforward one.

If it wasn't for the fact that the money on offer to players for participating in the IPL was enticing the likes of Owais Shah, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Luke Wright and England players such as Pietersen himself away from County Cricket, the IPL would be a complete irrelevance for most English cricket fans.

We did try the IPL once in 2010, but crucially in that year it started one month before the County season and immediately preceded the World T20 in the Caribbean. This meant that seeing how the likes of Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara got on with their respective IPL sides was of a modicum of interest. As soon as the County season started, our interest waned.

KP seems to love attention, celebrity and glamour, so is likely to be drawn to the sometimes crass and over the top spectacle of the IPL. Perhaps he has forgotten that it was County Cricket that first gave him the platform to exhibit the innate and untamed talent that ultimately led to an international career with England where he has delighted and astounded in equal degree.

He has worked tremendously hard to achieve all he has, but without the opportunity afforded him by Nottinghamshire, would he still be a spinner who bats a bit struggling for a game in South African domestic cricket? Only the Gods of cricket know the answer to that.

From what we've read, heard or seen there isn't much jealously out there towards the IPL. A touch of anger maybe for the loss of an important player to one's county (or country in the case of the West Indies), even some good old fashioned English snobbery towards the nouveau riche, but for the most part it is pure indifference. It's just another cricket competition being played in the world at the same time as the revered County Championship, nothing more, nothing less.

Where next?

Kevin Pietersen's 2010/11 Ashes Diary

Wayne Rooney, County Cricket, the IPL, Luke Wright and loyalty

It's time to end the farce of Two-Test series - Johnny Rotten agrees

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including David Gower, Shane Watson, Justin Langer and Hedley Verity

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Wayne Rooney, County Cricket, the IPL, Luke Wright and loyalty

We've managed to get all of the above-titled motely crew into our latest piece for All Out Cricket. It's essentially a piece about loyalty, or the lack of loyalty and how the preference for mammon over honour and loyalty is becoming increasingly prevalent in cricket.

It's not as profound as we've just described but it is timely as Sussex kick off the county season shorn of their top all-rounder in Luke Wright, who is instead enjoying the balmy conditions in India, a wad of cash for his contract with Pune Warriors and the attractions of IPL Nights and assorted Bollywood actresses, not that we're jealous you'll understand.

Anyway have a read of Is Home No Longer Where The Heart Is? and see what you think...

PS: Since we wrote the article we've discovered that Paul Collingwood isn't in India with Rajasthan Royals after all, but is effectively on stand-by in the event that they need him, but the sentiment of the point we are trying to make still holds.

Where next?

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship 2012 Preview: Division 1 - Sussex

We should probably register our vested interest at this point, as Sussex is our county. Can they bring joy to the Reverse Sweep household come the end of the season?

Strengths

The batting has a a solid if unspectacular look to it with the ever-reliable Murray Goodwin ably supported by the liks of Chris Nash, Ed Joyce, captain Mike Yardy and last season's breakthrough player Luke Wells. The bowling relies heavily on Monty Panesar who got through 750 overs in the Championship in 2011. James Anyon and Amjad Khan provide the seam support.

Weaknesses

The squad lacks the depth of others especially in the bowling department and the loss of Luke Wright to the IPL and Panesar and Matt Prior to England could hit them hard. It's an important season for talented youngsters such as Joe Gatting and Will Beer, who will need to prove they can flourish at this level.

Main man

Murray Goodwin is to Sussex what Marcus Trescothick and Mark Ramprakash are to Somerset and Surrey respectively - a reliable source of runs and undisputed leader of the batting line-up. Sussex could need him to produce at least the 1372 Championship runs he delivered in 2011.

Look out for

The seagulls - there's plenty of those on offer at Sussex's Hove HQ.

Prediction

7th - It's hard to predict anything but a season of struggle, but our (probably jaundiced) view is that they will just have enough to keep their heads above water.    

Where next?

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northants and Yorkshire

2011 County Cricket Review: including Heroes of the Season, Best and Worst XIs, and a whole host of other nonsense

County Championship 2011 Preview - Sussex

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Kevin Pietersen opening the batting in ODI is STILL a good idea

In the run-up to last year's World Cup we suggested that the decision to go with Kevin Pietersen to open the batting seemed like a good idea.

As it turned out, Pietersen's early departure from the tournament for injury (a move that saw him named as 12th man in our Unsung Heroes XI) meant that the experiment could be termed neither successful nor a failure. In four matches at the top of the order, Pietersen hit 131 runs at 32.75, but at a strike rate of nearly a run a ball.

Now it has been announced that Pietersen will get another opportunity as Alastair Cook's opening partner in the four match series against Pakistan that starts later this morning. Once again we believe this is a shrewd move by Flower not necessarily for the reasons we gave last year, but because KP is surely drinking in the last chance saloon in terms of his ODI career.

His record in the 50 over format since losing the captaincy at the end of 2008 has been abysmal. In 36 matches since being consigned back to the ranks, Pietersen has scored just three fifties with a top score of 78 and has an average of 25 - that is an average about two runs higher than Luke Wright. No more needs to be said than that.

At times Pietersen has looked disinterested in the 50 over game and whilst he assures everyone that isn't the case and that he intends to stick around until the 2015 World Cup, it seems by giving him this extra responsibility Flower is looking for him to prove his desire.

Just as in his initial foray into ODI's in South Africa in 2005, Pietersen needs to make a big splash here. His future in the team could well depend upon it.

Where next?

See Luke Wright break his cricket bat

Kevin Pietersen has grown up

Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs

Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship XI of the week #13

 
The vagaries of the frankly bizarre fixture list means that our XI this week covers the round of matches that started with Northamptonshire’s trip to Essex on June 25th and concluded a week later with Warwickshire wrapping up victory against Sussex at Arundel.

Alviro Petersen (Glamorgan) – The captain was the only Glamorgan batsman to show any resistance in the 1st innings against Derbyshire, before eventually being ninth out for a battling 93.

Chris Rogers (Middlesex) - Shunted down to three to accommodate the misfiring Strauss, it was Rogers’s six hour 148 and the weather that ensured the game with Gloucestershire at Uxbridge was drawn.

Dale Benkenstein (Durham) – In the low-scoring top of the table clash at Aigburth it was Benkenstein that shone brightest, first with an unbeaten 83 to earn a crucial 1st innings lead and then 60 not out in a tense run chase to steer Durham over the line. Scored a shade under 20% of the game’s runs on his own.

Ian Cockbain (Gloucestershire) – Scored a patient 127 to give his side the initiative at Uxbridge to pip fellow centurion Wes Durston of Derbyshire to a spot in our XI.

Adam Wheater (Essex) – The 21 year old hit a career best 164 to help give his side a surprise win over Division 2 pacesetters Northamptonshire at Chelmsford. Now has a first-class average of just under 50.

James Foster (Essex) – Shared a 253 run 6th wicket partnership with Wheater to put Essex in command after the game looked to be swinging back in Northamptonshire’s favour.

Luke Wright (Sussex) – His side may have lost the festival match at Arundel, but Wright gets into the XI ahead of fellow all-rounder Rikki Clarke by virtue of his counterattacking 116 off 124 balls backed up by 3/54 with the ball.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) – Monty Panesar may have shown impressive control to take 3/88 from 44 overs in Warwickshire’s 1st innings, but it was Patel who proved the match winner with his maiden five wicket Championship haul.

Graham Onions (Durham) – Took six wickets as first beat second in the crunch Division 1 clash at Liverpool and also added a vital 79 with Benkenstein for the ninth wicket in Durham’s 1st innings.

Callum Thorp (Durham) – Conditions may have suited him but even so Thorp’s first day 6/20 demolished Lancashire and gave Durham a crucial advantage. Grabbed another couple of wickets in the 2nd innings too.

Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire) – After proving too quick for Somerset’s batsmen the week before it was Sussex’s turn to suffer at Arundel as the Irish spearhead took a seven wicket haul to help his side to another Championship win.

Where next?

Read all our County Cricket coverage

See if you agree with our other County Championship XIs of the week

Dale Benkenstein is definitely not a mercenary

Brigitte Bardot is the support act to Lancashire in our debut column for All Out Cricket

The secret of Paul Collingwood's success

Ten to watch in 2011: Adam Lyth, Jade Dernbach,  Rory Hamilton-Brown, Samit Patel, Alex Hales, Danny Briggs, Ben Stokes, James Harris, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship Preview - Division 1: Sussex

 
We should probably declare our allegiance here and state that at The Reverse Sweep we are dyed in the wool supporters of the county of our birth. After the shock of relegation in 2009, Sussex are now back where they belong, but how will they fare in their first season back in the top flight?

Strengths

The batting looks strong with the likes of Yardy (subject to a quick recovery from the problems that caused him to leave the World Cup early), Ed Joyce, Chris Nash and the evergreen Murray Goodwin. Monty Panesar was successfully rehabilitated ay Hove in 2010 and with the talented Olly Rayner and Will Beer also on the books, Sussex have the weapons to take advantage of the spin friendly Hove track. Wayne Parnell and Naved-ul-Hasan look good choices to fill the spot of overseas player.

Weaknesses

Matt Prior and Luke Wright are likely to be playing in the one day series against India rather than helping their county at the climax of the season – they will be missed. The loss of Corey Collymore to Middlesex is significant so new acquisition Amjad Khan has big shoes to fill.

Main man

Parnell should do well and Goodwin can always be relied upon for runs, but we opt for Monty Panesar here. With form and confidence regained, Panesar will be looking to kick on in 2011.

Look out for…

Although Naved Arif seems a bit of a wildcard acquisition, his first-class record is excellent, so Sussex fans will be hoping that the club has unearthed a gem.

Prediction

6th – A solid if unspectacular return to the top flight

Where next?

County Championship Preview - Division 1: Lancashire

County Championship Preview - Division 1: Hampshire

County Championship Preview - Division 1: Durham

2010 County XI of the season

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

Is this how England's World Cup squad should look?

So the Ashes squad was named yesterday and other than Shahzad for Bresnan, we were happy with the selectors choice even if the decision to omit Rashid from the Performance Squad was strange to say the least (see our reaction to the Ashes squad announcement here).

The battle for the little urn isn't the only major event that the England team will embark upon this winter. There is also the small matter of the World Cup and with the one day series with Pakistan having concluded this week (see our marks out of ten for the England squad here), then it seems an opportune time to pick our intrepid XV who will battle to lift a trophy that no England side has won.

Mike Atherton recently chaired a panel of so-called cricket experts comprising Darren Gough, Alec Stewart and Derek Pringle to name their England XV for the World Cup. They surprisingly left out Andrew Strauss, who promptly scored his 126 at Headingley in the hours that followed the transmission of the panel's choice.

As such we wisely chose to wait for the end of the series (no television deadlines for us). We do concur though with one of the views of the panel, who suggested that England should utilise an extended squad for the seven (oh no, not seven again) one day internationals against Australia that immediately proceed the World Cup.

This will enable England to rest key players and then make the borderline decisions that will be required to arrive at the final XV by picking players in form. As such, we will name 20 players, but highlight at the end the 15 we would choose now so no one can accuse us of sitting on the fence.

Batsmen

With Strauss, Morgan, Pietersen and Collingwood probably assured of their places in the final squad, it will likely come down to two from Bell, Trott and Bopara. Each offers something different. Bell is the most talented batsman of the three and as he showed in the recent CB Final is capable of shifting through the gears to play a match-winning innings. Trott averages just under 50 in his 11 ODIs and whilst there is some concern over his strike rate, it is difficult to argue against the volume of runs. But if he doesn't bat in the pivotal number three role (where KP is arguably a better bet), can Trott fit in anywhere else in the middle order? Bopara would seem the best suited of the three to the number six role as he can repair, embellish and support a one day innings in equal measure depending on what is required. His medium pace could also prove useful on the slower sub-continent wickets.

Wicketkeepers

Davies would seem to be in pole position to open the batting with Strauss and wear the gloves in the tournament following a good showing against Pakistan. That leaves Kieswetter and Prior to battle it out for the second wicketkeeper slot if indeed England decide to pick a second keeper in the final XV (it could come down to a choice between a second keeper and a third spinner). In our view, Prior has had enough chances at one day level without ever really convincing so should be left to concentrate on test cricket where he has shone over the last 18 months. Kieswetter's ability to hit over the top may actually make him better suited than Davies to the wickets on the sub-continent, but he may complete his hero-to-zero 12 months by failing to make the cut.

Spinners

Two spinners will be needed in the XI in the World Cup, so three may well be required in the squad. Swann and Yardy are clearly in pole position, but the latter doesn't take many wickets and proved expensive in the series against Pakistan. Samit Patel is a better batsman and bowler than Yardy and in our opinion should be selected irrespective of his supposed girth. The other option is Rashid, but unless the selectors have decided to keep him as a secret weapon then his omission from the Performance Squad tells us everything we need to know.

Bowling all-rounders

Despite rarely taking wickets with the new ball and being regularly carted around for runs, the selectors seem set on retaining Bresnan in the XI. Wholehearted trier? Yes. Useful runs down the order? Yes, sometimes. Bowls the occasional good spell with the old ball. Occasionally. But surely England need a more potent option to open the bowling? The other permanent feature in England ODI squads is Luke Wright. We wouldn't take him in our XV, but hell why not give him the chance to prove us wrong in Australia.

Seamers

We actually agree with the selectors decision not to blood Steve Finn in ODI cricket and he should be left to concentrate on tests for the time being. Anderson and Broad pick themselves and to that illustrious duo we would add the names of Shahzad and Tremlett.

So, the Reverse Sweep longlist of XX for the one day series with Australia is (with our current choice for the World Cup XV in bold): Strauss, Trott, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Morgan, Bopara, Davies, Kieswetter, Prior, Swann, Yardy, Patel, Rashid, Bresnan, Wright, Broad, Anderson, Shahzad, Tremlett.

England marks out of ten for Pakistan ODI series

 
Thank God it's over. We have never been so glad to see the end of an English summer of cricket than this one. This is a shame as the claim and counter-claim of corruption and match-fixing overshadowed what was actually a thrilling one day series. Pakistan's fightback at The Oval and Lord's saw some wonderful bowling from Umar Gul and the momentum seemed to be with Shahid Afridi's side as the tourists again produced brilliance from confusion.

But the toss proved crucial at the Rose Bowl yesterday and despite illness and injury besetting England's innings, another wonderful century from Eoin Morgan and an exhibition of off-spin bowling from Graeme Swann saw England home.

So with the World Cup on the horizon, how did the England players rate during the series and what are their prospects of making the cut for the XV who will travel to the subcontinent?

Andrew Strauss - 9.5 (317 runs at 63.40, SR 93.23, 1 100, 2 50s, HS 126): The captain continued his transformation as a ODI batsman and although he is not quite in the Marcus Trescothick league yet he is getting closer. Has expanded his repertoire of strokes and a strike rate of 93 together with the volume of runs shows that Strauss is consistently giving England good and fast starts. Showed great dignity and restraint in the face of Ijaz Butt's ridiculous accusations. Reverse Sweep WC rating - On the plane despite what Messrs Gough, Stewart and Pringle may think

Steven Davies - 8 (197 runs at 39.40, SR 105.91, 1 50, HS 87): The latest wicketkeeper off the production line impressed throughout the series with bat and gloves. Just under 200 runs at over a run a ball would seem to suggest that the Surrey keeper will pip Kieswetter and Prior to the gloves for the World Cup. However, with the revolving door of wicketkeepers in the England ODI side, Davies won't rest easy until he is on the plane.Reverse Sweep WC rating: Leading the race to the departure gate ahead of Kieswetter and Prior

Jonathan Trott - 6 (131 runs at 26.20, SR 72.37, 2 50s, HS 69): Continued to confound the critics who doubt his suitability for ODI cricket in the first two matches at least. Then seemed to get unsettled by what was happening off the pitch and went into his shell for the last three games. Would seem to have an alternative career as a wrestler if his spat with Wahab Riaz is anything to go by. Reverse Sweep WC rating: Incredibly for a batsman who averages just under 50 in ODI, Trott is likely to lose a straight race with Bell to the final batting place on the plane

Paul Collingwood - 4 (84 runs at 21.00, SR 65.11, HS 47): Judging by his migraine yesterday, Colly is just as worried about his dire form as England supporters are beginning to be. His 18 ball four at Lord's was just horrible. But typically, he returned from his darkened room renewed to resume his innings and make a crucial battling 47 in the decider yesterday to help resurrect England's innings with Morgan. Reverse Sweep WC rating: Needs to regain form and confidence in Australia, but it would seem unthinkable that Lieutenant Colly would not take up his seat next to the skipper on the plane to India

Ian Bell - 5 (55 runs at 27.50, SR 59.13, HS 28): Came back in for the last two matches and looked his usual classy self in difficult conditions for batting. But just like the old Bell managed to get out when he had done all the hard work. Reverse Sweep WC rating: Bell's class and ability to play in different gears would seem to put him ahead of Trott in the queue at the departure gate

Eoin Morgan - 9 (225 runs at 56.25, SR 94.14, 1 100, 1 50, HS 107*): Scored his third brilliant ODI hundred of the year yesterday to confirm his position as one of the best limited overs batsman currently operating in world cricket. Has bottle, skill and a capacity for the unexpected in abundance. Reverse Sweep WC rating: On the plane in one of the first-class seats

Ravi Bopara - 6 (58 runs at 29.00, SR 105.45, HS 35*): His 35* in the first ODI was just the sort of innings that Bopara should be playing at number six. Thereafter he struggled, giving his wicket away at a crucial time in the second match and getting bogged down when promoted to four at The Oval before being dropped for the final two matches. Reverse Sweep WC rating: Would seem the best suited in the squad for the number six role but could yet miss out to Trott and Bell or even Wright

Luke Wright - 7 (49 runs at 49.00, SR 70.00, HS 48*; 1 wicket at 34.00, ER 4.25 BB 1/16): Only played two matches but batted well in a losing cause at The Oval and then bowled a good spell in the decider yesterday to keep him in the mix for the final XV. Reverse Sweep WC rating: Has kept himself in contention but may be left behind at the Terminal in the final reckoning

Michael Yardy - 4 (3 wickets at 57.66, ER 5.96, BB 2/49; 27 runs at 13.50, SR 87.09, HS 13*): Held his nerve at Headingley to see England over the line in a tight finish but disappointed with the ball and proved expensive. Could be a liability at the World Cup. Reverse Sweep WC rating: Samit Patel is more likely to get wickets and is a better batsman, so Yardy could be a Weight Watchers diet away from losing his spot

Tim Bresnan - 5 (7 wickets at 36.85, ER 5.90, BB 3/51; 30 runs at 10.00, SR 111.11, HS 18*): Useful cameos with the bat at Headingley and the Rose Bowl. Bowled well at The Oval, but other than that was expensive. Only took one wicket in five matches with the new ball, which suggests England's strategy of opening the bowling with Bresnan needs reviewing before the World Cup. Reverse Sweep WC rating: An average of 52 with the ball and economy rate of 5.6 in 12 ODIs this summer should see Bresnan dropped for the World Cup, but the England selectors seem to like him...

Graeme Swann - 9 (11 wickets at 19.00, ER 4.44, BB 4/37):Was once again England's star with the ball and was sublime in the last two matches with the balls to bowl Mohammad Yousuf and Fawad Alam at the Rose Bowl worthy of the maestro Shane Warne himself. England's key weapon for the World Cup. Reverse Sweep WC rating: On the plane in one of the best two seats with Morgan

Stuart Broad - 7 (11 wickets at 22.63, ER 5.41, BB 4/81): Took wickets regularly throughout the series and was England's leading wicket taker along with Swann, but was expensive at times especially at Headingley. Bowled beautifully in the decider yesterday to hand the momentum back to his side. Reverse Sweep WC rating: On the plane and in the XI

James Anderson - 8 (6 wickets at 29.50, ER 3.93, BB 3/26): Transformed from the hesitant and unhappy Anderson of earlier in the summer and whilst he didn't get the volume of wickets he deserved, Anderson kept things tight and had the best economy rate of the England bowlers. Reverse Sweep WC rating: On the plane and in the XI 

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  

England aim to complete World Cup jigsaw

Whilst the Pakistan cricket team descends further into chaos after more corruption allegations this time involving Wahab Riaz and two heavy defeats in the Twenty 20 internationals (even Shahid Afridi admits that captaining the side is ‘very hard’), England will be looking to put the final pieces of their World Cup jigsaw in place today when the one day series starts.

It is sometimes hard to believe that it is only a year since England reached their nadir in one day cricket when they were smashed to kingdom come by Australia in the Nat West Series that followed the Ashes. Since then of course, England have adopted a more positive and aggressive approach, which has paid off in spades. An improved performance in the Champions Trophy was followed by series wins in South Africa and Bangladesh, before revenge was gained against the Australians in the Nat West Series earlier in the summer.

However, there is still some work for Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss to do as evidenced by the poor defeat to Bangladesh at Bristol and the two dead rubber losses to Australia when a 5-0 whitewash had looked on the cards. Flower and Strauss also need to put the finishing touches to their first choice XI and doubts still remain over who will open the batting with the captain, who bats at six, who will keep wicket, who will be the second spinner and which seamer will join Stuart Broad and James Anderson in the attack.

Who opens with Strauss?

The rags to riches to rags again story of Craig Kieswetter means that the selectors have decided to opt for Surrey keeper Steven Davies for the five matches against Pakistan. Presumably Davies will open the batting with Strauss, so he could prove a like for like swap with Kieswetter. Davies is arguably a better keeper than Kieswetter, but whether he is the aggressive opener that will be needed for sub-continental pitches is another thing. Ravi Bopara is another possible candidate to open the batting, but may be better at number six.

The middle order

Assuming that either Davies or Kieswetter will eventually win the selectors vote to partner Strauss, that means the four middle order places can be filled by batsmen. The decision to drop Kevin Pietersen from the squad gives Jonathan Trott, who currently averages over 70 in ODI, another chance to nail down the number three spot. It is hard see England going without Pietersen in the long-term, so with Eoin Morgan and Paul Collingwood probably also racing certainties for the World Cup XI, that leaves Trott, Bopara, Ian Bell and Luke Wright battling for the final batting spot. Bopara is arguably best suited to the number six spot as he can bat in several gears and is also a useful medium pace bowler, but if Trott keeps getting the runs (if you pardon the pun) then he will be hard to ignore.

Second spinner

Michael Yardy seems to have the vote of the selectors for the second spinner position and his batting adds another string to his bow. He is not a great spinner of the ball, but his darts have proved pretty effective. Two spinners will be required on sub-continental pitches, so maybe the selectors have missed a trick by not blooding Adil Rashid (maybe at the expense of Wright?) to provide them with another option here.

Broad and Anderson, but which other seamers?

With Graeme Swann, Broad and Anderson nailed on certainties for the World Cup XI that leaves one spot open. Given that the selectors have chosen not to give Steve Finn a try in the 50 over format, it would seem that the choice boils down to Ryan Sidebottom, Tim Bresnan or Ajmal Shahzad. The latter would seem best suited for sub-continental pitches but he is also the least experienced of the three and the selectors seem to like the whole-hearted but limited Bresnan.

Our prediction for the Pakistan series

Pakistan’s current problems mean that they are unlikely to cause England too many problems during the series. However, it should be interesting to see how the 6’10” (or 7'1" depending on which PCB press release you believe) fast bowling giant that is Mohammad Irfan fares. With Umar Akmal, Afridi and Saeed Ajmal all being excellent one day players, Pakistan should win one game despite the chaos enveloping their party. So we go for a 4-1 series win for England.

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?

Nat West Series - England marks out of ten

In the end dreams of a 5-0 whitewash ended up as a narrow 3-2 victory with many wondering that if Shaun Tait had played from match one, whether the score would have been very different. England certainly controlled the series for the first two matches and ninety overs of the third, and although the batting collapse at Old Trafford did not lead to a disastrous defeat, the pendulum of momentum shifted to Australia thereafter.

At The Oval it was nineties from Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, and at Lord's it was a typical back to the wall innings by Michael Hussey that ultimately meant England had too much to chase in the last two matches. On both occasions Tait, Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris made early inroads and unlike at the Rose Bowl in the first match, no-one could emulate Eoin Morgan's masterfully timed hundred to see England home.

So who apart from Morgan shone for England? And who were the dunces that need to stay back for lines and extra tuition?

Andrew Strauss - 8 (191 runs, avg 38.20, SR 78.27, 2 50s, HS 87) Silenced the few doubters before the start of the series by outscoring Kieswetter and getting his runs quicker to boot. Needs to start converting 50s into 100s though.

Craig Kieswetter - 4 (69 runs, avg 13.80, SR 70.40, HS 38) There was bound to be a stutter after such a stellar start to his international career and this was it. Scored 38 in the first game, but really came down to earth with a bump after that. At least Matt Prior is sleeping more easily now.

Kevin Pietersen - 4 (95 runs, avg 19.00, SR 79.16, HS 33) A top score of 33 is not what we have become accustomed to. Still seems to be suffering a hangover from the World T20. Maybe it is all those sleepless nights and nappy changes?

Paul Collingwood - 8 (209 runs, avg 41.80, SR 72.31, 1 50, HS 95) England's all-time record one day runscorer was his usual dependable self and this famous chaser of lost causes nearly rescued his side at Lord's with a brilliant counterattacking 95.

Eoin Morgan - 9 (238 runs, avg 59.50, SR 92.24, 1 100, 1 50, HS 103*) Can now add consistent to his growing number of attributes. His hundred at the Rose Bowl was one of England's best one day innings for years. A very special batsman.

Michael Yardy - 7 (66 runs, avg 22.00, SR 86.84, 1 50, HS 57. 2 wickets, avg 92.50, Econ 4.40) Continued to impress with his darts even if wickets were a rarity. Had the best economy rate of any England bowler and scored a good 57 in a losing cause at The Oval. May have booked his spot for the World Cup.

Luke Wright - 6 (69 runs, avg 13.80, SR 62.16 HS 36. 3 wickets, avg 44.00, Econ 5.07, BB 2/34) His partnership with Morgan at the Rose Bowl helped turn the game England's way but his batting fell away thereafter. The same was true of his bowling after he snared Paine and Ponting in the same match. Can England really accommodate Wright and Bresnan?

Tim Bresnan - 5 (1 wicket, avg 236.00, Econ 5.61, BB 1/52. 109 runs, avg 36.33, SR 91.59, HS 34) Is in the team as a bowler who can bat, so will be disappointed to have taken only one wicket in the five matches. His batting is much more impressive as evidenced by the cool head he showed at Old Trafford to sneak England over the line and his partnership with Collingwood at Lord's. Needs to work on his main role though to keep his place in the side.

Graeme Swann - 8 (8 wickets, avg 20.37, Econ 4.52, BB 4/37) Eight wickets at a decent average and economy rate meant that Swann's success story in international cricket continued. Bowled wonderfully at Old Trafford and his death or glory batting at Lord's was typical of the man.

Stuart Broad - 8 (12 wickets, avg 19.83, Econ 5.40, BB 4/44) If that's what strength conditioning does for you, then Flower should send the whole team on a course. England's leading wicket taker bowled well throughout the series but saved his best for Cardiff where some quality fast bowling accounted for Ponting and Clarke. But what has happened to his batting?

James Anderson - 6 (7 wickets, avg 38.42, Econ 5.72, BB 3/22) It was the usual inconsistent fare with the brilliant (3/22 at Old Trafford) mixed with some absolute tosh. Was lucky to play all five games ahead of Sidebottom. Do Australia's batsmen have his number?