There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Making_Splinters]

England do need to get over their umbridge with the IPL. If we want to develop our young players looking towards roles in the ODI and T20 side, then there is no better place to learn than a highly competitive, high pressure tournament featuring the best players in world cricket.

There is of course the rather amusing side to this: IPL sides don't really care about English players.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well apart from KP. It is partly because their availability is limited. I suspect that even if the IPL doesn't rate England players, they might like them for commercial reasons.

[D/L]

Players should be encouraged to go. Its competitive high profile cricket.

This x100. Playing alongside stars in Indian conditions is great experience.

Competitive and high profile, almost certainly but great experience for players a few weeks later we want to be playing test cricket? I don't think so.

The ECB should tell their players it's either IPL or test cricket, but not both. A few of the old stagers might go for the IPL but the younger ones coming through will choose test cricket with a view, perhaps, to boosting their pensions at the back end of their careers.

Kp averaged 50 and 54 in both 2012 series after playing IPL

Think what he may have averaged, and how outcomes may have been affected, had he been properly prepared.

[sussexpob]

Players should be encouraged to go. Its competitive high profile cricket.

This x100. Playing alongside stars in Indian conditions is great experience.

Competitive and high profile, almost certainly but great experience for players a few weeks later we want to be playing test cricket? I don't think so.

The ECB should tell their players it's either IPL or test cricket, but not both. A few of the old stagers might go for the IPL but the younger ones coming through will choose test cricket with a view, perhaps, to boosting their pensions at the back end of their careers.

Kp averaged 50 and 54 in both 2012 series after playing IPL

Think what he may have averaged, and how outcomes may have been affected, had he been properly prepared.

Judging on England's Ashes, I doubt shadow batting in front of a mirror while Steven Finn walks around talking to his imaginary friend is a better environment than playing in the most competitive competition in the world

[Gingerfinch]

Players should be encouraged to go. Its competitive high profile cricket.

This x100. Playing alongside stars in Indian conditions is great experience.

Competitive and high profile, almost certainly but great experience for players a few weeks later we want to be playing test cricket? I don't think so.

The ECB should tell their players it's either IPL or test cricket, but not both. A few of the old stagers might go for the IPL but the younger ones coming through will choose test cricket with a view, perhaps, to boosting their pensions at the back end of their careers.

Kp averaged 50 and 54 in both 2012 series after playing IPL

Think what he may have averaged, and how outcomes may have been affected, had he been properly prepared.

Averaging above is career average suggests he was prepared ok.

[D/L]

This x100. Playing alongside stars in Indian conditions is great experience.

Competitive and high profile, almost certainly but great experience for players a few weeks later we want to be playing test cricket? I don't think so.

The ECB should tell their players it's either IPL or test cricket, but not both. A few of the old stagers might go for the IPL but the younger ones coming through will choose test cricket with a view, perhaps, to boosting their pensions at the back end of their careers.

Kp averaged 50 and 54 in both 2012 series after playing IPL

Think what he may have averaged, and how outcomes may have been affected, had he been properly prepared.

Judging on England's Ashes, I doubt shadow batting in front of a mirror while Steven Finn walks around talking to his imaginary friend is a better environment than playing in the most competitive competition in the world

Exactly how "competitive" is it anyway and how many matches and/or events within them are fixed? Taking part may be ideal preparation for something, but not for playing test cricket.

Hopefully, Finn will be getting a few overs under his belt for Middlesex in the early season.

[D/L]

Averaging above is career average suggests he was prepared ok.

It should be obvious that six weeks trying to hit the cover off every ball received in the IPL will degrade any player's test batting performance, especially in terms of playing the right shots at the right time, something that Pietersen often fails to get right and caused, perhaps, by too much T20 cricket.

[Gingerfinch]

Averaging above is career average suggests he was prepared ok.

It should be obvious that six weeks trying to hit the cover off every ball received in the IPL will degrade any player's test batting performance, especially in terms of playing the right shots at the right time, something that Pietersen often fails to get right and caused, perhaps, by too much T20 cricket.

Maybe he got some confidence by scoring runs in the IPL? You could argue that scoring runs against a two bit county attack isn't the ideal preparation either.

[D/L]

Averaging above is career average suggests he was prepared ok.

It should be obvious that six weeks trying to hit the cover off every ball received in the IPL will degrade any player's test batting performance, especially in terms of playing the right shots at the right time, something that Pietersen often fails to get right and caused, perhaps, by too much T20 cricket.

Maybe he got some confidence by scoring runs in the IPL? You could argue that scoring runs against a two bit county attack isn't the ideal preparation either.

Some "two bit” county attacks, particularly in Division 1, are as good, or better than those of some test teams. Fields can also be set similar to they are in test matches and bowling tends to be of a similar style, i.e. with more emphasis on taking wickets than restricting scoring.

It is plainly a far better preparation than a few overs slogging in the IPL.

[meninblue]

imo if someone has to improve his batting against quality spin in spin friendly conditions then playing in India during summers (March,April,May) is the best season.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I think it will be different for different players. In their formative years, it may suit some to play a lot of fc cricket. Once they have some experience it will help to learn improvisation in the IPL. Surely it would be good for Alex Hales, for example, or prospective death bowlers like Chris Jordan. For players in their thirties, it probably doesn't matter either way. In general, I don't see why younger players can't be guided by the counties and the ECB, and older players who are attractive to IPL to be rewarded by the money on offer. I'm thinking, KP, Jimmy, Swann, Broad, Bell.

[Durhamfootman]

You could argue that scoring runs against a two bit county attack isn't the ideal preparation either.

it's a pity that England select players from div 2. if they only picked div 1 players from the weaker div 1 teams then they'd get all the batting practice they needed against high quality Durham, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire attacks.

Okay.. may be a bit of a stretch including Yorks in that, but I reckon that the Durham and Warwickshire attacks would give the England batsmen a right old going over in April and early May. Perhaps even the Middlesex attack too, on a good day!

[D/L]

You could argue that scoring runs against a two bit county attack isn't the ideal preparation either.

it's a pity that England select players from div 2. if they only picked div 1 players from the weaker div 1 teams then they'd get all the batting practice they needed against high quality Durham, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire attacks.

Okay.. may be a bit of a stretch including Yorks in that...

True. Losing Shahzad and gaining Plunkett didn't help.

[Durhamfootman]

True. Losing Shahzad and gaining Plunkett didn't help.

Hey... Pudsey did okay, and Shaz was a bit of a loose cannon... well shot of him, I reckon.

I reckon that Gillespie will prove to be a very good coach for Yorks. If anyone can bring out the best in mercurial bowlers like Plunkett and Brooks, Dizzy probably can. Rotation possibilities too!

[Alviro Patterson]

You could argue that scoring runs against a two bit county attack isn't the ideal preparation either.

it's a pity that England select players from div 2. if they only picked div 1 players from the weaker div 1 teams then they'd get all the batting practice they needed against high quality Durham, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire attacks.

Okay.. may be a bit of a stretch including Yorks in that, but I reckon that the Durham and Warwickshire attacks would give the England batsmen a right old going over in April and early May. Perhaps even the Middlesex attack too, on a good day!

Depends where Durham are bowling though, away from the Riverside they won't be as effective and the bowling unit looks distinctly average without Onions.

On paper Yorkshire have the best bowling attack in the country (Sidebottom, Bresnan, Plunkett, Patterson, Rashid), an almost international standard unit. Warwickshire and Lancashire probably come next, though not necessarily in that order.