Decisions about line-up confront England
Thursday, 26 February 2009
BRIDGETOWN, Feb 25(AFP): England face a few selection dilemmas in the run-up to the pivotal fourth Test against West Indies, starting on Thursday at the Kensington Oval.
England trail in the five-Test series 0-1, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica, the abandonment of the second Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, and a draw in the third Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
But leading all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is sidelined with yet another injury and wicketkeeper Matt Prior is on paternity leave following the birth of his first child which leaves a couple of huge voids in the visitors' line-up.
The keeping position is an easy solution with Tim Ambrose already confirmed to replace Prior behind the stumps, but how they handle the chasm left by Flintoff is not so straightforward for England.
Squads:
West Indies (from): Chris Gayle (captain), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Brendan Nash, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.
England (from): Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook (vice captain), Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison, Amjad Khan, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Russell Tiffin, TV Replays: Daryl Harper, Reserve: Clive Duncan.
Match referee: Alan Hurst.
England trail in the five-Test series 0-1, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica, the abandonment of the second Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, and a draw in the third Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
But leading all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is sidelined with yet another injury and wicketkeeper Matt Prior is on paternity leave following the birth of his first child which leaves a couple of huge voids in the visitors' line-up.
The keeping position is an easy solution with Tim Ambrose already confirmed to replace Prior behind the stumps, but how they handle the chasm left by Flintoff is not so straightforward for England.
Squads:
West Indies (from): Chris Gayle (captain), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Brendan Nash, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.
England (from): Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook (vice captain), Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison, Amjad Khan, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Russell Tiffin, TV Replays: Daryl Harper, Reserve: Clive Duncan.
Match referee: Alan Hurst.