There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[hopeforthebest]

One point I was trying to make is that this 4 test series is the last chance to blood a new spinner before the winter and they know by now enough about Moeen so choose someone else.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Dunno. Maybe if there's a dead game, but they did that with Kerrigan and took a lot of aggro over it. The Oval debut feels like it belongs to days gone by.

[Dr Cricket]

Outside the usual 12-13, the rest of the spot is quite open which is a rarity for england in the past 5-8 yrs, generally picking squads been quite easy not so easy this time.

Batting reserves are up for grabs.
3rd spinner

With Ballance should be picked for the winter now unless he has a shocking pakistan series and I suspect they will take another batsman as well unless they feel buttler is enough batting depth.

Currently this looks like the squad for india
Cook
Hales
Root
Vince
Ballance
Bairstow
Moeen
Woakes
Broad
Finn
Ball
Roland-Jones
Anderson
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Batsman
Spinner

Reckon they will take a squad of 18 with one extra spinner and batsman.
But injuries/form could change everything especially if they have to replace Ballance or Vince or both before the winter.

Bayliss needs to be careful at the moment, getting good results but not sure it will carry on until he actually watches county cricket and starts being comfortable with the players below the England set up, it is ridiculous how many times he mentions to the media I don't know about these players or no idea if they are good etc.
Since he taking charge the selection process been muddled up and they really have no idea how to pick the next players.
at the moment the selectors can't name a england 2nd 11 which isn't a good sign since they should at least know the players in the mix for a call up and it shouldn't really be a surprise selection.
During flower reign, Flower pretty much knew england bench or 2nd 11 but you can't really say the same thing with Bayliss.

Huge pressure on Ballance/vince on the first test considering they will need a score to keep his place for the 2nd or 3rd test considering surely stokes will comeback at some point for him or Vince.

[Dr Cricket]

One point I was trying to make is that this 4 test series is the last chance to blood a new spinner before the winter and they know by now enough about Moeen so choose someone else.

they need to blood Rashid really, not sure they can play a 3rd spinner or outside spinner ahead of Rashid before the winter and even if they did not sure it would be wise either considering it would be very unlikely the 3rd spinner playing in india and they should get a chance in bangladesh or warm up games in india before the winter test.

[hopeforthebest]

Dunno. Maybe if there's a dead game, but they did that with Kerrigan and took a lot of aggro over it. The Oval debut feels like it belongs to days gone by.

Moeen has 2 wickets @ 90 ave against Sri Lanka, bringing in Ansari would hardly be a risk.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's pretty likely that Rashid will come in if Mo is dropped. Mo got runs v SL and that's half of his job in this side. I'd like to see a specialist spinner, but England don't think there's one to pick.

[Dr Cricket]

Dunno. Maybe if there's a dead game, but they did that with Kerrigan and took a lot of aggro over it. The Oval debut feels like it belongs to days gone by.

TBH it was only gone because England selectors knew the next players in the cabs.
quite difficult right now since the gun generation is gone and they now need to pick or have at least 5-8 secure batsman and at the moment they got about 4 in the side so selectors are still looking for 3-4 batsman in the test team or squads.
Also right now the lions or A tours being reduced or not been in the forefront like it was in the flowers era so them picking players on the lions tour really gone now, surprised england reducing the lions stuff considering the likes of SA, Aus, India, Sri lanka etc have been doing a lot more of it lately guessing having lions games in the summer starting to be an issue now and england can't play in the winter at home so not much leeway in the schedule.
Lions squad should be interesting for the odi against pak/sri lanka will they pick the best available squad or will they try to be fair to the counties.

if the selectors don't trust county cricket or lions not really working anymore they have no choice but to give them games in a dead rubber at home and because of the schedule that always been oval, you can't really tell if someone ready or not until they play international cricket.

would say flower era was an exception with the oval debut the norm.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England won't take any more than 16 players because they never do. And they won't take seven seamers. They'll take five.

[Dr Cricket]

England won't take any more than 16 players because they never do. And they won't take seven seamers. They'll take five.

16 would be stupid considering england would need to have the lions team on site and lions are not going to india, BCCI will not allow them in the country unless ECB invites India A for a tour and that tour has to be a proper tour IE First class games.

Not sure what the lions are doing but probably the usual of having a net session in either UAE, Sri lanka or South Africa.
having 16 players would mean england would struggle to pick 11 players if Vince, Ballance, Hales, Stokes, Buttler, Bairstow all struggle with the bat and with the ball if a spinner get injured england could be in trouble to pick 2 spinners.

Unless they are happy for players to fly in and replace those players rather then be with the group from the beginning.

[hopeforthebest]

It's pretty likely that Rashid will come in if Mo is dropped. Mo got runs v SL and that's half of his job in this side. I'd like to see a specialist spinner, but England don't think there's one to pick.

Ansari was opening the batting for Surrey last year and since his injury is doing OK (29 ave) in the middle order. He also has 13 wickets in 5 games @ 28.76 ave. Rashid is also a know quantity so there's no need to play him.

[Dr Cricket]

You are probably right about the seam bowlers guessing Ball, Toby would be in the lions set up.
hopefully the 13-16 players is a 3rd spinner and 1 or 2 extra batsman.

[Dr Cricket]

It's pretty likely that Rashid will come in if Mo is dropped. Mo got runs v SL and that's half of his job in this side. I'd like to see a specialist spinner, but England don't think there's one to pick.

Ansari was opening the batting for Surrey last year and since his injury is doing OK (29 ave) in the middle order. He also has 13 wickets in 5 games @ 28.76 ave. Rashid is also a know quantity so there's no need to play him.

Not sure Rashid is a known quantity in Test matches they guy only played 3 test matches and struggled in the UAE mostly because he didn't really bowl much in Test matches/first class games in spinning or slow, low test wickets.
Although agree that Ali needs to be dropped or not picked as a spinner so the 2nd spinner can get experience before the winter, but not sure Ansari should get the nod before Rashid.

[hopeforthebest]

Clearly they are picking a team to beat Pakistan but if they can do so whilst learning something about spin options for the winter they should take the opportunity.

[hopeforthebest]

It's pretty likely that Rashid will come in if Mo is dropped. Mo got runs v SL and that's half of his job in this side. I'd like to see a specialist spinner, but England don't think there's one to pick.

Ansari was opening the batting for Surrey last year and since his injury is doing OK (29 ave) in the middle order. He also has 13 wickets in 5 games @ 28.76 ave. Rashid is also a know quantity so there's no need to play him.

Not sure Rashid is a known quantity in Test matches they guy only played 3 test matches and struggled in the UAE mostly because he didn't really bowl much in Test matches/first class games in spinning or slow, low test wickets.
Although agree that Ali needs to be dropped or not picked as a spinner so the 2nd spinner can get experience before the winter, but not sure Ansari should get the nod before Rashid.

They know more about Rashid than they do about Ansari and being a left arm spinner offers something different to the others.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's pretty likely that Rashid will come in if Mo is dropped. Mo got runs v SL and that's half of his job in this side. I'd like to see a specialist spinner, but England don't think there's one to pick.

Ansari was opening the batting for Surrey last year and since his injury is doing OK (29 ave) in the middle order. He also has 13 wickets in 5 games @ 28.76 ave. Rashid is also a know quantity so there's no need to play him.

I know he's a top order bat. I just didn't know if he's more auspicious than the options ahead of him. Pure knee jerking from me, but if they were going to spray out a cap, I'd like to see Rayner have a try, but I don't know if he's any better than the allrounders. He's top wicket taker among the spinners this summer though (I think).