Friday’s announcement of the touring parties for Bangladesh will be more interesting than usual. In the age of central contracts selection has often been all too predictable, which can be a bit boring for pundits and punters but is generally a welcome sign of stability for players. But this time, when there is the added spice of two absentees in Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales, there will be some fresh names. And we are not sure who they will be.
The withdrawal of Morgan from the ODIs and Hales, who has been a regular in all formats for nine months, has prompted much weighty discussion. Andrew Strauss has expressed disappointment while recognising that he cannot force anyone to tour. This pair, we are properly assured, will not be punished by their decision to withdraw.
In reality this issue has far more to do with pragmatism than principle. An immediate return to the fold after a withdrawal depends on who you are and how good you are. So in the 1980s after Graham Gooch opted for a rebel tour to South Africa as well as declining the chance to tour Australia he was welcomed back as soon as he was available because he was such a magnificent batsman. After their withdrawal from the Indian tour of 2002 Andrew Caddick, the best bowler in England on his day, was quickly restored but Robert Croft, a less integral part of the team, was not. The same pragmatism is likely to apply to Morgan and Hales.
Morgan has been a key part of England’s ODI revival in the last 12 months while Hales has excelled against the white ball. It may be a source of frustration to Strauss and the selectors that their captain has opted out but it would be a huge surprise if this pair was omitted from England’s one-day squad for India in the new year.
But Hales, the Test cricketer, is far less secure. His place in the Test squad is now in jeopardy – he has not scored enough runs in his first 11 Tests to demand inclusion for that section of the tour. But surprisingly the selectors intend to give themselves leeway to adjust their squad before moving on to India on 2 November.
The expectation is that England will gamble on youth instead. Lancashire’s Haseeb Hameed is 19, he has only played 19 first-class matches yet he has impressed everyone along the way. He is a calm, old-fashioned opening batsman prepared to bide his time. It is unlikely that Trevor Bayliss has seen him play live but he has heard about him and the England coach has already volunteered the maxim: “If he’s good enough, he’s old enough.”
There are slots for at least two more batsmen in the party and this is where James Whitaker and his cohorts can surprise us. The recent selections have flattered and faltered. Throughout the summer James Vince often purred for half an hour and then he got out. Gary Ballance suggests dependability but his form has deteriorated. It always looks a struggle for him at the moment; Ian Bell’s anticipated resurgence on the county circuit never came to pass.
Hence the selectors have been considering a list of names that were barely mentioned in May. Ben Duckett, Keaton Jennings and Nick Gubbins, a contrasting trio of left-handers, could offer alternatives at the top of the order. Tom Westley has had a prolific season for promoted Essex. Could Jason Roy, who bats frustratingly low in the order for Surrey in Championship cricket, offer a diverting option in the middle order for England? At least Bayliss would recognise him when they all board the plane.
There is one other intriguing conundrum: the identity of the one – or two – spinners to accompany Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. Last year they chose Zafar Ansari of Surrey but a nasty thumb injury at the end of the season meant that he was replaced by Samit Patel. Two feisty London-based off-spinners have had good seasons: Ollie Rayner and Gareth Batty.
The leading wicket-taker among English spinners is Somerset’s Jack Leach, who has 61 victims at an average of 23. He has had the benefit of bowling on some enterprising, turning tracks at Taunton, which may well be emulated in Rajkot and beyond. Most encouragingly the 25-year-old has often come good this season with the match in the balance, usually with the ball but once with the bat as a doughty No10 to enable an unlikely one-wicket victory against Surrey. There is obviously a benefit in having at least one left-armer in the squad since the majority of Indian batsmen are right-handed and the pitches are expected to turn more there than in Bangladesh. So there is a strong case for Leach to be selected, an assertion that would have been beyond the scope of the most ardent Somerset fan at the start of the season. He would be an unlikely tourist, picked before he is ripe, but a very popular one. England might compare and contrast the virtues of the two young left-armers in Bangladesh.
By way of contrast the one-day squad is easier to select. Expect Duckett to replace Hales at the top of the order in a squad brimful of all-rounders.
Possible Test squad A Cook (capt), H Hameed, J Root, T Westley, J Roy, B Stokes, J Bairstow, J Buttler, Moeen Ali, C Woakes, A Rashid, S Broad, M Wood, S Finn, J Leach, J Anderson.
Possible ODI squad: J Buttler (capt), J Roy, B Duckett, J Root, J Bairstow, B Stokes, Moeen Ali, L Dawson, C Woakes, D Willey, L Plunkett, C Jordan, A Rashid, M Wood.
