John_D wrote:Ian Bell - an apology

John_D wrote:Ian Bell - an apology

I'd like to think you were right, but given Tredwell is only there for the first 4 games of the Lions tour before going to join the senior ODI squad in Bangladesh I would suggest he's somehow got ahead of Rashid in the pecking order.

I can see Rashid being one of those players that keeps getting talked about for Test selection but never gets a proper chance.

How does Saj Mahmood ckeep getting selected in these squads? He's proved time and time again, that he is not upto international standard cricket. Yes, he can bowl at 90+ mph, but that isn't the be all and end all of being a modern day fast bowler. He has variation in his bowling, but he bowls far too many rank balls in an over or spell. And for his age, they should be out of his game by now!

Hopefully, but I think Gilder is probably right saying this;

I see where you're coming from but I can't for the life of me seeing this happening...Rashid is far far too good not to get a proper chance and/or run in the team. I think he will get a go in Bangladesh as I think we will rest one or two senior players (Strauss, Swann, Anderson at least) and will use the tour to check on the capabilities of the likes of Carberry, Rashid, Woakes etc.

How often do England play two front-line spinners, a tactic even less likely if they persist with six specialist batsmen?

So the only way Rashid is going to get anything like a run in the side is if Swann suffers a serious injury.

Even if he was picked ahead of Swann in Bangladesh, took ten wickets and made a century he still wouldn't be in the first Test side of the summer.

We've certainly picked two spinners in a four man attack on the Subcontinent in the not too distant past. The selectors can't afford to ignore Rashid for long because he is potentially a genuine Test class all-rounder who can bat at 6 and take five wickets in an innings, and no other current English player is anywhere close to being this.

At the same time he won't get in ahead of Swann purely on the basis of matches against Bangladesh, and rightly so as Swann has been an unqualified success against far better sides so far. On their last tour of England we were winning matches against them without any of the bottom five or six batsmen having to strap their pads on in anger.

All it takes is a loss of form or (like you say) an injury. Where did Graeme Swann come from?? It was only a couple or three years ago Monty was the golden boy. Things can chage very quickly and Rashid certainly has time to wait....

England win toss and will bat.
Sidebottom in for Onions which is a bit harsh on Onions.
Parnell and McLaren in for de Wet and Harris.

Seems a bit overcast although it's starting to get better, if we bat well 1st inngs we should be in a good position.