agree - that's unthunkable as things stand

Yet it's England and ECB so it's probably gunna happen.

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Swann
Onions
Anderson

That'd be my team, although I expect Bell/Sidebottom/Vaughan to be in there somewhere.

Bell & Vaughan should be completely discounted unless they do something spectacular in the County Championship. I doubt Vaughan will ever be the same again. Mark Butcher recently came back from exactly one year out with a serious knee injury and scored a superb 65 at Cardiff against Glamorgan last weekend - he looked like he'd never been away, but Vaughan never looks convincing after his injury lay-offs. On the evidence I've seen Butcher should be ahead of Vaughan in the pecking order.

The one bloke I feel should be in contention is Saj Mahmood. I've always felt he had all the necessary ingredients except consistency, but he seems to be finding that right now. He's a very similar style of bowler to Simon Jones, who was our best bowler four years ago in the Ashes series win, and I can't help feeling he could play a similar role.

Flintoff can't bat at 6, we may aswell give up now, his batting is absolutely awful right now. I would be tempted to go for two spinners in the first test.

Flintoff batting at seven would be okay for mine.

On the bowling front, I'd gamble on Rashid. Really. I don't think we have enough quality pacemen anyway, so two spinners could be something to think about.

bring on 4 spinners

whys that so you can borrow 1?? huaritz is dog iron he wouldnt be able to play club cricket over here never mind the ashes

Given the reports I've read about Cardiff, I'd say 2 spinners is definitely the way to go there.

Swann and Panesar or Rashid ?

Rashid will give us more strength in the batting lineup and Panesar has been slipping this last year