England Cricket / Ralph Ellis / 30 April 2009 / Leave a comment

England's unexpected selection of Onions and Bresnan could backfire according to Ralph Ellis.

When Sven Goran Eriksson began his England reign by picking Chris Powell at left back it was hailed as a revolution. Here was a manager looking outside the big four to find players on current form.

Sadly when Powell actually played for England it was a different story. Here was a fish out of water. And much the same thing could be said when Eriksson later picked another in-form full back in Paul Konchesky in a further stage of his fruitless search for an answer to the eternal left-sided problem.

I thought of both those players when I heard the news that Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan had been brought into the squad for the start of the Test series against the West Indies.

Onions has been chosen for his sensational early season form with Durham, taking 5-56 against Yorkshire last week including the wicket that looks to have effectively ended Michael Vaughan's Test career. And as if to make the point that he's the man on form he celebrated yesterday by taking 6-31 in 14.2 overs against Somerset on a Taunton strip where it's normally considered that the runs are cheap rather than the wickets.

Bresnan is in because he bowled tidily at Lord's against Durham after being called up late for the MCC in the traditional county champions match to open the season - and has also got three first class centuries to his name to give the tail a bit of a waggle.

National selector Geoff Miller is hailing the choices as a new direction for picking an England team, claiming in this morning's papers: "It is exciting to have new players. People have said we are a closed shop but if you perform well in county cricket then you will get chances."

Now that's fine, but do two matches in the early stages of a season really constitute performing well? The bottom line to the arrival of both players at Lord's when the First Test starts next Wednesday is that it's a massive gamble - just the same as picking Ravi Bopara at number three on the evidence only of his 104 in Barbados. Somebody seems to have conveniently forgotten that in the same match Ian Bell made 94 then 139 not out.

Of course it might work. But then Chris Powell or Paul Konchesky might have replaced Ashley Cole. Or then again might not have done.

Having lost a Test series in the West Indies it's hard to see how England are justified in being [1.76] favourites for this one. England might have two new quickies, but the West Indies are arriving with new bowlers who are even quicker. Neither Onions nor Bresnan can get anywhere near the 90mph regularly generated by Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell (definitely not to be confused with Chris!!)

I'd also definitely lay the 1-0 to England that's favourite for the Test Series Score at [2.88]. People have pointed out this morning that with a name like Onions, the new fast bowler is a headline writers' dream. I'm only worried that we might all read it and weep!

Five things you might not know about Graham Onions...

1. At school he played the violin, but gave it up because he couldn't find enough time alongside his cricket practice.

2. He's been known only as 'Onions' since his days at St Thomas More RC school in Blaydon. "The last person to call me Graham was the vicar at my christening."

3. He admits to being a picky eater - his parents forced him to eat his greens before he was allowed his favourite jam roly poly.

4. His favourite band is The Jam, but he prefers to keep his ipod on shuffle and says: "I've got very wide tastes."

5. He once went all the way to the launch site of the longest bungee jump in the world in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, then chickened out at the last minute and didn't do the jump.