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| Saturday, 7 December, 2002, 12:42 GMT The right squad for the Cricket World Cup? ![]() Uncapped veteran paceman Martin Saggers is called into England's provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup. Who should make the final cut? After a disastrous start to the Ashes campaign, attention has now turned to next year's World Cup. England have named a provisional 30-man squad and have moved to bolster the team with several fast bowlers. Along with Saggers, uncapped ECB Academy member James Anderson and Yorkshire's Ryan Sidebottom have earned a call up. However, James Foster has been overlooked despite being a member of the Ashes squad. Should England opt for experience or take a risk with youth? This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below. I think England's World Cup squad will be trimmed down to 15 largely based on the performances in this VB series, plus the regulars who were unfit. My only hope is that England send a team with a blend of youth and experience instead of a team with a nice blend of fit and unfit players! Over to you Darren Gough...
Ant, Japan England have got some very promising young players and will surprise a lot of people at the next World Cup. Anderson, Hogg, Key and Ali all have world class potential. However, am I the only person who thinks Graeme Hick is the unluckiest cricketer ever? He has been treated disgracefully in the past by England and should be given another chance. There aren't too many others around who have scored over 100 first class tons. I just cannot believe the selectors have ignored all but one of the Glamorgan players. Do they have short memories or what? Glamorgan took the silverware for the one-day league last summer and have some excellent one-day players. When will the Glamorgan boys get a chance? England has performed very badly against Australia in Test cricket. Everyone who follows cricket knows the reason. They had so many injuries. But the one-day team is strong. They have the right combination with all-rounder Blackwell, Irani and Flintoff. They are fighting cricketers. Though England is in the group of death they have a very good chance. They can even knock out India or Pakistan. They have to believe in themselves. Play to your potential and leave the rest to destiny. I am sure England will do very well in the tri-series and even give telling blows to Australia. Without the Waugh brothers I feel there is some hole in the Australian line-up. As one-day selection has changed these days, England should have opted for someone like Trescothick to keep wicket. Robert Croft should be given a chance for his hard-hitting ability. There are a number of batsmen who have already shown their determination to take on a middle-aged Australian team. OK they're good at the moment, but I suspect a degree of complacency creeping into their game. Robert Key has already demonstrated his abilities as a batsman and must be included. Nigel (below) makes a good point about the way selectors ignore players from some counties. Cricket selection at senior and junior levels has always been more about who you know rather than how good you are. This won't change so long as the people who run cricket in England are the people who have benefited from this system in the past. Well done to the England selectors for finally picking youngsters rather than tried out failures like Mark Ramprakash. Kabir Ali has picked up 60 wickets in one-day games and he deserves his chance and should play in the World Cup. James Foster is one for the future but this is too early for him, Stewart and Read are top choices.
Saggers is underrated and could do very well. Ali and Anderson have potential but the batting is very short on quality. Craig White should be nowhere near the England squad at one-day or Test level and why is Foster in the current one-day squad if Read is ahead of him overall? Very strange. Why not have a look at Andrew Pratt from Durham? The selectors have done well for the first time for ages! I'm happy to see that Chris Reid has been chosen instead of Jamie Foster. As a Surrey supporter I am delighted to see our captain, Adam Hollioake in the side. Smokey has performed so well for us all this season, and certainly deserves his place. The England squad looks strong and capable of challenging the other teams. I have a feeling of optimism after such a disappointing winter so far. OK, so I'm from Kent and I'm going to be a bit biased, but it's about time Saggers got a bit of recognition. He was the leading wicket-taker in Division One of English cricket last year. If this isn't a sign of a bowler who can take wickets, then what is? It is definitely time Reidy got his chance. He a brilliant one-day player, and a great keeper. Foster has friends in high places and should not be playing for England at any level. I heard a rumour that Kevin Pieterson of Notts may be able to get British citizenship. If so he will become England's best player. His all round ability is incomparable.
Once again the England selectors are inconsistent, why include Matthew Maynard and not Graham Hick or Mark Ramprkash? Is Gloucestershire a part of England? The greatest domestic one-day side of the last five years and nobody in the England squad? The Gloucestershire bowlers are the best one-day bowlers in the country. Why have, Jon Lewis, Mike Smith (probably the best of them all) and James Averis ( Ian Harvey's star pupil) been ignored? The selection of Saggers and Sidebottom defies belief. Do England want to win? If so they must pick our most economical and successful one-day bowlers. Australia have won this one already, it is no wonder most players in the fringe counties despair over the unfairness of the selection system. Why do England insist on messing James Foster around... surely he deserves a chance given Alec Stewart's age and the fact that he showed promise last winter? It's about time that we saw a young England wicket keeper who could fill that "Mark Boucher" role. He's the man for the job! England need the right blend of youth and experience. I'm glad Read is in ahead of Foster as he is a better keeper and batsman. I think Saggers and Ali should go instead of Caddick and Hoggard. |
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