BBC SPORT | Cricket | New boys seek promotion

As many as 10 of England's experimental squad who toured Zimbabwe and came home with a 5-0 series win could win places in the 16-man one-day party for the winter.

Coach Duncan Fletcher and captain Nasser Hussain are sufficiently impressed with the players who did their country proud out in southern Africa.

And the feeling is that most of them could win trips to India and New Zealand as rewards for fine individual performances.

One of the most consistent was Jeremy Snape, and Hussain dropped every hint that he may oust Robert Croft as England's second spinner later this winter.

The England skipper said: "He may not be the most naturally talented and he doesn't pull up many trees in county cricket with six-fors or double hundreds.

Paul Collingwood - a big hit in Zimbabwe

"But he has come out here and showed great character and that is what pulls you through more often than not."

It is time to start bulding for the World Cup and as Fletcher and Hussain report back to chairman of selectors David Graveney, competition for places is high.

Clearly, the experiment of testing emerging talent has paid off. Snape, Paul Collingwood and Matthew Hoggard had superb tours, while other players with more experience also came good.

More ideas

Among them, Nick Knight, Ben Hollioake and Andrew Flintoff all looked to have far more ideas than they had when England were trounced by Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia in losing 11 straight matches.

Fletcher said: "When we set out we said we had an inexperienced squad and Zimbabwe are going through a bit of a lean patch.

"But they have given a lot of sides frights and they are pretty capable on their own turf. The most pleasing part was the way we got better and better as the tour progressed."

England are trying to play more one-day internationals each year, although they still lag behind other nations.

ICC Trophy

In addition to the 10 scheduled for early next year, they also have a triangular series against India and Sri Lanka next summer before they enter the ICC Trophy tournament in Bangalore next October.

They finish their World Cup preparation with another triangular series in Australia, also involving Sri Lanka, before travelling to South Africa in February 2003 for the start of the big tournament.

England are expected to name two wicketkeepers in their winter squad, with Warren Hegg likely to be added as cover for young Jamie Foster, who impressed but made errors in Zimbabwe.

Possible squad: N Hussain (Essex, capt), ME Trescothick (Somerset), NV Knight (Warwickshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), GP Thorpe (Surrey), A Flintoff (Lancashire), C White (Yorkshire), JP Snape (Gloucestershire), JA Foster (Essex, wkt), WK Hegg (Lancashire, wkt), AR Caddick (Somerset), D Gough (Yorkshire), MJ Hoggard (Yorkshire), J Ormond (Leicestershire), MA Butcher (Surrey), AF Giles (Warwickshire).


	Links to more Cricket stories