There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Arthur Crabtree]

My guess for the team they will pick. Not my team.

Cook/Carberry/Bell/Root/Morgan/Stokes/Moeen/Prior/Broad/Anderson/Onions.

how about ... Cook, Robson, Bell, Root, Ali, Woakes, Prior, Stokes, Broad, Anderson, Onions

Anderson seems to be in decline a bit so may not be in there much longer - Prior and Stokes at 7 and 8 seems to give enough batting depth, while Root, Ali, Woakes and Stokes means there are plenty of bowling options

I'm not saying that's the best side, just a possibility based on what I've read. I wouldn't have Morgan or Onions. You've got five seamers there.

Anderson is worth his place, he will have to be used differently though. Previously he was the solution to every problem, and bowled Swann's overs when he became unable to tie an end up. Without Swann we'll need five bowlers, which will help Anderson. He'll be a good bowler in overs 1-50 in England. He can be rested in overs 51-80. Most of our Tests coming up are in England. Apart from a tour to the WI next spring.

[Durhamfootman]

Part of me can still see England going with 5 seamers against SL

[D/L]

Would Prior be the best ever batting test 8?

I don't know about best ever, but probably a much better option at 8 than 7, where the ability to adapt an innings to the needs of the situation is even more important.

However, we already have a decent #8.

[D/L]

I always would have had Prior at six...

Thankfully, the selectors never would. A one-dimensional approach to battting should have no place in the order higher than 9.

[D/L]

Dhoni averages 70 at eight, but has only batted there 11 times.

That list suggests Broad's batting is undervalued at times.

Not now. Broad started his test career as a much better batsman than a bowler. Now, the reverse is the case and his batting is as one-dimensional as Prior's.

[D/L]

Prior was dropped in Australia, surely he'll have to make runs for Susex before being considered again?

Maybe, but can anyone see Bairstow keeping his spot? Prior seems to be talking as if he's still a part of the side.

Prior was dropped for averaging low 30s for the last two years. Bairstow hasn't exactly set the world on fire, but he's not been given that run he needs as of yet. Both his appearances in Australia and New Zealand came off the back of playing very little cricket before coming into the side.

Personally I'd like to see Bairstow given a proper run, or even Buttler for that matter.

Yes, I think the selectors will give Bairstow more time to show he is a better (and obviously much younger) option than Prior. Bairstow may not yet have set the test world alight with his batting, but he has shown an awareness of the match situation at the crease.

[D/L]

I'm wondering if England axed KP in the belief that he would be forgotten in the event of home wins over two notoriously bad travellers. But if it goes wrong, things will be ugly.

It's more likely to have been in the belief (beleatedly) that he would always be more trouble than he was worth.

Any run of poor results will not be laid at the door of Pietersen's sacking by most England supporters. There will, no doubt, be a few noises off from the few who worship him. We may even get to hear from Piers Morgan again.

[Arthur Crabtree]

We need to get some of those simple disciplines in place and the outcome will then take care of itself. The simple things are how we work, how we are in the dressing room, the way we work together as a team , how we dress, our timekeeping, all these things create a culture

Ashley Giles applies for a job at a bank.

Maybe Durham's checklist is near the mark. Blazer (/)

Looks like it's no change from Flower.

[m@tt]

New complication! Root has broken his thumb in eight pieces - will he be fully fit in time for the Sri Lanka Tests? Should be in theory, but you only need to look at Stokes and Thakor to see how a broken digit can be a much bigger issue than initially thought.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes sounds like a bad injury. But surely Root wasn't a cert to play the summer Tests anyway, having been dropped in Sydney.

[Making_Splinters]

Yes sounds like a bad injury. But surely Root wasn't a cert to play the summer Tests anyway, having been dropped in Sydney.

I'd say Root was a certain selection for the summer given the way he's been picked for the Windies tour.

It will hopefully give Ali a chance to come into the side though.

I wonder if Parry has bowled himself into a test selection.

[m@tt]

Yes sounds like a bad injury. But surely Root wasn't a cert to play the summer Tests anyway, having been dropped in Sydney.

I'd say Root was a certain selection for the summer given the way he's been picked for the Windies tour.

It will hopefully give Ali a chance to come into the side though.

I wonder if Parry has bowled himself into a test selection.

Parry rarely plays first-class cricket (he went four years without playing one at one stage), though he does have more opportunities now due to one of Lancs' other spinner retiring (Keedy?). Played three games last year, averaged 39. Can't bat either. The selectors would be mad to consider him.

I think that if Kerrigan was a good enough #8 or #9, he'd be a shoe-in. But he's not a great batsman, so that coupled with the fear of his yips returning really goes against him.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yorks don't expect Root back before late May. So if he is back then, he'll have a month before the Tests.

Yes, if Parry doesn't play fc for Lancs, he's out the Test picture. If Monty has fallen foul of ethics and philosophy, and with Borthwick expensive with the ball in SL, then it looks like Moeen or Kerrigan (with Rayner a very long shot).

[Alviro Patterson]

Heard Root is out for 6 weeks, hopefully he'll miss just two Yorkshire County Championship matches at the most.

[andy]

imo Kerrigan will start the summer as the frontline spinner, and bat 10.