There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Making_Splinters]

If Hameed gets the nod I hope England give him a long run. It would be crushing to be picked and dropped after one series for the young lad. Odd that England are willing to take a huge punt on him then bring Batty as the spinner over the likes of Leach.

Maybe Ansari might open with Cook to get another spin option in the side?

[ianp1970]

If Hameed gets the nod I hope England give him a long run. It would be crushing to be picked and dropped after one series for the young lad. Odd that England are willing to take a huge punt on him then bring Batty as the spinner over the likes of Leach.

Maybe Ansari might open with Cook to get another spin option in the side?

With no cricket in between the test series, then I think only something like 4 single figure scores is going to see a new recruit moved out before India.

[ianp1970]

If Hameed gets the nod I hope England give him a long run. It would be crushing to be picked and dropped after one series for the young lad. Odd that England are willing to take a huge punt on him then bring Batty as the spinner over the likes of Leach.

Maybe Ansari might open with Cook to get another spin option in the side?

Similar short term model to last sub-continent tour, unless Ansari is considered a no. 2 for all eventualities....

[hopeforthebest]

I don't believe Ansari has opened since he damaged his thumb last year.

[Making_Splinters]

I don't believe Ansari has opened since he damaged his thumb last year.

Indeed, he's batted all over the order this year from 3 to 6 depending on who else is available for Surrey on the day, and, his batting this season has been pretty poor. Even when he was opening last season, he didn't do it with much success. It was just a thought that if England are trying to fit three spinners in he could open.

[backfootpunch]

Bayliss seems to like aggressive players so a possible opening partership of cook and Hameed seems a little odd

Was nick Compton not told to be more aggressive

Just doesn't seem like a Bayliss move to me

[Making_Splinters]

Bayliss' past comments would suggest that it is more likely Duckett would get the opening berth than Hameed, add to that it would make a degree of sense to take a very promising player in Hameed along for a tour to get some experience. That said it would be odd for there to be so much coverage of Hameed's selection for him then not to play. Personally I don't think a Cook Hameed opening partnership would work in Test cricket.

[backfootpunch]

Bayliss' past comments would suggest that it is more likely Duckett would get the opening berth than Hameed, add to that it would make a degree of sense to take a very promising player in Hameed along for a tour to get some experience. That said it would be odd for there to be so much coverage of Hameed's selection for him then not to play. Personally I don't think a Cook Hameed opening partnership would work in Test cricket.

Agreed

Batty is a funny one, do you take a 38 year old if he isn't very likely to play

If batty wasn't likely to play surely they'd have taken leach to have a look at him

Good news that root is being rested in the ODIs, he needs to be looked after better than KP was

[Making_Splinters]

I don't know what to make of the decision to take Batty. He's had a solid season with the ball, but hardly one that would make a player an automatic or even horses for course selection. Add in his age and it's down right bizarre to select him, what happens if he plays and out bowls Ali and Rashid by a large margin?

I can only figure that he's there as an emergency player in case one of the two likely choices gets a bad case of the yips. He's not likely to turn the game around, but at the same time he's not going to be destroyed by the experience.If you'd taken Leach and he'd been dismantled then you've lost a very good prospect for a few years, just look what happened to Kerri.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's one that won't reflect well on the selectors if it goes badly.

Wonder when the last time was someone went 11 years between Tests?

Apart from SAn players after their ban.

[hopeforthebest]

I listen to a lot or radio commentaries and listening to Surrey games I've heard it said that he tends to give Ansari the first chance to bowl rather than himself. As captain he looks to the developement of his team. I've only seen him on TV in white ball cricket but he does take vital wickets at tough moments for his team. I think he's earned this call up and 38 years old is hardly so old for a spin bowler.

[shankycricket]

4 spinners in the squad suggests three are likely in the XI. Anyone else think Anderson and/or Broad will be rested in Bangladesh considering the 5 tests in India ahead and the no. of bowling options in the squad?

[m@tt]

Lions?

Jennings
Robson
Borthwick
Hildreth
Malan
Foakes
Rayner
R-Jones
Leach
Ball

Bell-Drummond
Roy
Simpson
Footitt
Kerrigan

Can't see Hildreth getting picked. He went through the Lions process years ago. Joe Clarke will go instead, and Sam Billings instead of Simpson. I'd expect to see both Currans go too - they'd be ahead of Footitt and Roland-Jones in the pecking order, depends how many they'll take.

Also not sure they'll take Robson - they'll definitely want to take Jennings after this season and DBD should be there - a third opener might not be required.

And depending on timings, it may be that the ODI players (Ball, Roy, Billings) don't go at all - or join slightly late?

[hopeforthebest]

Westley will surely be in the Lions squad.

[m@tt]

4 spinners in the squad suggests three are likely in the XI. Anyone else think Anderson and/or Broad will be rested in Bangladesh considering the 5 tests in India ahead and the no. of bowling options in the squad?

They want to give themselves options, especially with a much longer tour in India immediately following the series.

It's an interesting question though - if they do play 3 spinners, who drops out? Do England make a difficult decision over a seamer, or do they do the easier option and drop Ballance?

01 Cook 02 Hameed 03 Root 04 Bairstow 05 Stokes 06 Ali 07 Woakes 08 Rashid 09 Batty 10 Broad 11 Anderson

Still bats to 9, but just 3 specialist batsmen.