Here it is: England squad: Michael Vaughan (captain, age 32, Yorkshire), Ed Joyce (28, Middlesex), Ian Bell (24, Warwickshire), Kevin Pietersen (26, Hampshire), Andrew Strauss (29, Middlesex), Paul Collingwood (30, Durham), Andrew Flintoff (29, Lancashire), Ravi Bopara (21, Essex), Paul Nixon (36, Leicestershire), Jamie Dalrymple (26, Middlesex), Liam Plunkett (21, Durham), James Anderson (24, Lancashire), Sajid Mahmood (25, Lancashire), Jon Lewis (31, Gloucestershire), Monty Panesar (24, Northants). Loye looked promising and is unlucky to be dropped and i'm glad they've stuck with Nixon and not gone back to Read or Jones. No back-up wickie incidentally. I'd go with as the first 11. - Vaughan - Strauss - Bell - Colly - KP - Flintoff - Bopara (prefer him to dalrymple) - Nixon - Anderson - Plunkett - Panesar
Joyce for Strauss would be my only difference. Would have liked to see James Foster keeping. I believe that he has been overlooked in the Read / Jones debate and he is a better keeper and as good a batsman. Nixon is not the way forward although he deserves a chance given his service. Jones is not good enough with the gloves for even a county team.
Would have liked Stuart Broad in there myself ahead of Jon Lewis as Lewis is a swing bowler, something that caribbean conditions do not favour, while broad is very tall and gets good bounce, similar to what andy caddick used to do. interesting wicket keeping decision as i agree with nixon pick i suppose but we do not have a reserve keeper (was trescothick in emergencies). in one of the warm up games i feel perhaps straus might be given a chance as it is important to have a back up keeper just in case, like aussie have got picking hadden. good choice with bopara, very useful medium pacer as well as being a decent batter. i can see him and daylrimple will swap placed depending on pitch conditions
Joyce starts for me with Strauss as top 3 cover. KP at 4 not 5. Broad for Lewis although lewis was bowling well. Nixon is a good creative selection. All in all quite happy with the squad. Shame the first game is NZ and not a couple of cannon fodder games to get the feel of bat on ball.
Dalrymple is the best, followed by Joyce and then Strauss (who I admit is lacking form at the moment). Actually I'm only joking, I am biased you see. Lets pray Pietersen keeps fit and we could do with Andersen being fit too. I'm a bit annoyed that Broad hasn't been selected, but hopefully he'll make his test debut this summer - fingers crossed.
I would go with - Vaughan - Strauss - Bell - Collingwood - Pieterson - Flintoff - Mahmood - Nixon - Anderson - Plunkett - Panesar
