England Face Selection Headache

Once Andrew Strauss and his fellow selectors have recovered from events in Pakistan, they will need to set about the difficult task of trying to get England level in the Windies. How one goes about this when team mates and friends have just gone through such a trauma one can only guess, but it is a task that Strauss must get down to.

In many ways, this selection provides a chance for the outsider to see what kind of captain Strauss will be. In Barbados, robbed of all rounder and most well suited number 6 Andrew Flintoff, England went with four front line bowlers and, although the wicket was less than helpful the attack looked toothless. Will Strauss look to an extra batsman to make his side harder to be bowled out, or will he increase the risk of losing, to enhance his chances of dragging his team level in the series. More importantly who will those personnel be. Whether he proves himself to be ambitious or prudish in his selection, will be a good indication of how he will behave in crunch moments on the pitch.

I find it hard to believe that he will not opt to go with five bowlers. If you are going to lose a series if you don't win, you may as well risk losing by two rather than one. The question is who will make way?
If we first consider the batting line up, four of them are guaranteed their positions.Strauss completed his most fluent innings in years in the first innings while Cook, although far from his best finally managed to convert from fifty to three figures, although from an hour after lunch he was under little or no pressure.
Collingwood has managed to secure his place from the precarious position he found himself in at the start of the India tour and no England side pushing for a victory would prepare for battle without Kevin Pieterson.
Without a fully fit Flintoff, England will almost certainly require their wicket keeper to bat at number 6. Matt Prior, who missed the Barbados test due through returning home to visit his newborn child and wife is most likely to fit this berth. Attempts to fit Ambrose into that position over the summer failed and I would suggest that, despite his undefeated 76 Prior will return to the lineup.
With this in mind, Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah are left fighting for the last batting place. Shah was recently promised a real shot at the number 3 slot and he would be my choice for the 5th test. Bopara's supporters will rightly say that he scored a composed hundred and therefore has earned his place. However, his inclusion would surely require Pieterson to move to 3 and Collingwood to 4, positions which neither feels comfortable in. Equally, Bopara's easy style may suit dead wickets, but I remain unconvinced that he has the mental steel as of yet for tough, attritional Test cricket.

Of more concern will be the bowling attack. Sidebottom may have to make way, presumably for Harmison who should have played in Barbados. If you have a man of his size and pace, then he should always be preferred to an unfit swing bowler on a hard track in a dry climate. James Anderson looked fit and quick, and although Stuart Broad struggled a bit during the 4th test, if he is mentally ready given the ordeal suffered today by his father then he is more than worth his place with bat and ball. Graeme Swann's experience told on a flat deck, and he was still able to manage a second test match five wicket haul. The last bowling place will most likely be filled by Monty Panesar (should the selectors agree that Sidebottom is not suited to West Indian conditions unless fully fit) although it is not impossible that a debut could be given to either Amjad Kahn or Adil Rashid. Rashid would certainly be a bonus with the bat although his bowling is yet to be the finished article. Another hard deck may give Kahn the perfect platform to use his pace and bounce.

It may mean that the side needs to be pulled apart in order to find the right balance, but for what is essentially a one off game this may be the best option.