England Cricket / Paul Moon / 29 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Paul Moon thinks not as he condemns the England selectors and management.

Does anybody seriously believe England are building a Test team for the Ashes next year? The selectors and the management team have shown scant regard for structure and resorted to casual hunches with no regard to thought process! Devoid of composition there is confusion and a lack of responsibility. They are an absolute and utter disgrace and I condemn them!

In the last ten days the selectors have shown gross inadequacy starting with the selection of Darren Pattinson who admitted he has never entertained any ambition or desire to play for England. That represented a sadistic kick in the testicles to every English bowler but especially Hoggard, Jones and the unlucky Tremlett!

Vaughan had never met Pattinson and he was not involved in pre-game meetings. His selection devalued the England cap, made us an international mockery and gave the Proteas a free lift, which they gleefully accepted!

The nauseous Ashley Giles rubbed salt into the open wound by saying he thought he had a 'good Test'. Vaughan said 'in hindsight it looked like we got it wrong'. He talked of a 'confused state of mind'. It sure was! An admission of guilt, then a resignation or two would go some way to an apology.

Vaughan claimed Pattinson's selection unsettled the cosy club/team dynamic, hence the omission of classy Bopara against my mate Collingwood (92 first class runs at an average of 13). It is an indictment on English Test cricket and its make up. This self-preservation society stinks and should be disbanded!

Tim Ambrose should not have been selected in the first place and to bat him at number six was not a gamble - more a joke that must not be repeated. To compound matters flaky, Flintoff batted at seven and his dismissal in the first innings characterised his failing as a batsman. He should be made to view the dismissal on tape before walking out at Edgbaston. I regard both as number eight batsmen.

Edgbaston groundsman Steve Rouse said conditions for Wednesday's Test would not suit extra pace and bounce but one that would suit kissing the surface and moving the ball. So what have England done? They have recalled cry-baby Steve Harmison (18 wickets at 59.55 against South Africa) into the squad. You could not make it up!

Harmison was dropped after the first Test defeat away to New Zealand in March and the latter part of his England career was characterised by repeated criticisms of his performance and attitude. I would call his bluff on his retiring threat and never pick him for England again. Surely he is drinking in the last chance saloon? Please see.

It gets worse. Our one success story over the last months is 22-year-old Stuart Broad. He is rapidly improving and is a must for the Ashes next year. He needs to play in Test matches and bowl against Kallis, Amla and Smith. He is leading the batting averages with 80.00. No bowler has excelled against the Proteas so it is a red herring to use his bowling average or tiredness as a reason to axe him. For him to be replaced by Harmison or Collingwood sticks in my craw and is yet another short-sighted mistake!

The chances of England winning the next two matches to win the series are nil so we need to build for the future (South Africa will win 3-0). The third Test starts tomorrow and Betfair prices show England [4.5] South Africa [3] and the Draw [2.2]. The price on South Africa is excellent value and I am already on.

The messages that these awful decisions are sending is undermining English cricket. There is no consistency or common sense. Miller said that Harmison is in because of his pace but he has not become quicker in the past week. Tremlett was named in the squad for the second Test because of his pace? Make sense of that if you can! Miller needs to spend more time on his after dinner speaking, we need to get rid of him, Giles and Moores!

Tags: Andrew Flintoff, Cricket Betting, England, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panessar, One Day International Series, South Africa, Steve Harmison, Test Series