pick this

Australia hasn't played a match against India yet.

England has already picked their test squad for India.

The tour is in December, but fuck me England are prepared.

Squad Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Owais Shah, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Ambrose (wk), Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar

There were only three decisions.

Back up Spinner, Keeper, and Vaughan’s replacement.

The Spinners

Monty has been picked, because he is like Yao Ming in an NBA allstar game, an automatic selection.

The back up spinner is Graeme Swann.

A man I just watched bowl for a whole day on a turning pitch against Hampshire for one wicket.

Sure he is cool, has a chin that Roger Ramjet would be proud of, and everyone likes to tour with him, but why is he going?

Adil Rashid, the first English legspinner I have ever rated, and possibly the last, has taken 62 wickets @ 30 this year.

Swann didn’t have a bad year, but he is not much of wicket taker, 30 wickets @ 26.

He seems to have been chosen under the Ashley Giles selection policy.

“Sure he doesn’t take many wickets, but he can bat a bit, and everyone likes him, so lets take him along. “
Rashid is too risky to be the backup spinner according to the english.

So he will play second XI cricket.

Graeme Swann is never going to be England’s test spinner, unless he develops a doosra, or some other mystery ball.

And do England really need to take two finger spinners who aren’t big wicket takers.

No they don’t.

Don’t fear the wrist spinner England, this aint no Ian Salisbury.www.cricketwithballs.com... Aussie Haiku straight to your box